Eric Gay
Border Crisis

Detainees walk in a line at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in Brownsville,Texas. CPB provided media tours Wednesday of two locations in Brownsville and Nogales, Ariz. that have been central to processing the more than 47,000 unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally since Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, Pool)











Posted: Friday, July 18, 2014 5:22 pm


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From staff reports


According to numerous reports the Department of Health and Human Services has placed about 200 undocumented youths detained along the United States southern border will be or are in the process of being relocated to sponsors and family members in Nebraska.


It seems the shroud around the topic of border security and illegal immigrants is hitting close to home in Nebraska, where Gov. Heineman wants to insure no tax dollars are spent on the undocumented youth.


Also important to note is that Nebraska is the only state in the country that refuses to grant driver’s licenses to immigrant youth who have obtained differed action early childhood arrival status. This means the deferred action youths, known as dreamers, can legally work in the United States, but can’t obtain a driver’s license in Nebraska.


According to reporting by Nebraska Watchdog.org, Omaha Immigration Lawyer Amy Peck said most of the immigrant youths relocated to Nebraska will end up most likely living with relates who pay taxes.


“These children are fleeing violent conditions in their own country,” Peck said. “This isn’t an immigration issue that we should be using for political fodder.”


Peck said the focus should be on helping needy youth and not talking about the politics of immigration.
“Quite frankly I find that incredible that our public officials would be concerned about things like cost of 200 kids that are going to live with their parents,” she said.


“I find what they’re saying to be appalling when we are facing a humanitarian crisis as a country.”
Since last October at least 57,000 unaccompanied children have entered the United States illegally from Central America according to reports.


Sen. Mike Johanns questions government officials about whether the $4 billion requested by President Barack Obama’s administration to help undocumented youths would address the cause of the crisis, the illegal transport of minors across the border.


Johanns said the budget request would not address the cause of the problem and that more needed to be done to stop the smuggling of children and shatter the myth of that amnesty would be given once youth cross the border.


“The coyotes, smugglers or cartels go to families and promise everything … then they rip the families off … all with the promise that the United States government will take care of [their children] ... I don’t see anything in what you’re requesting here that is going to impact the story that they’re telling down there and what is causing these kids to come here because they are coming here believing that if they can just get here, they aren’t going to go home,” Johanns said to an appropriations committee hearing with an Obama Administration representative.


A 2008 anti-trafficking law, known as the Wilberforce Act, requires that each child seeking asylum from a country other than Mexico be placed with a family member or sponsor in the United States until a hearing can be set to determine asylum status.


Changes to this law are being proposed in Congress this month to possibly expedite the waiting time for an asylum hearing to decide the future of undocumented youths sooner.


With no political solution to immigration reform on the horizon, the debate on the unaccompanied minors immigrants is beginning to focus on their needs and how to help them.


According to a New York Times editorial this month, “the most urgent priority should be giving these children lawyers and caregivers. While many will probably be sent back, many others will likely quality for humanitarian protection.”


“These children must be afforded due process – a chance to have the merits of their case considered and avoid deportation to places where they are not safe,” said ACLU of Nebraska Legal Director Amy Miller.


“They must be advised by attorneys capable of guiding them through our complex immigration system, and they must, above all, be treated like children who have particular physical and emotional needs,” Miller said.
However, the ability to assist undocumented youth immigrants is complicated in Nebraska, where state law prohibits taxpayer dollars being used to provide services to undocumented immigrants.


“We applaud the many faith and community groups that are upholding Nebraska’s values of compassion and generosity by extending their help to these children in their time of need. We only wish our Governor would do the same,” Miller said about community groups stepping up to assist the youths.


In a news release on Thursday, Heineman said he would continue to ask for names and information on whom the unaccompanied minors where and how their sponsors would be.


“I can’t ensure that any illegal individual is not getting federal and state benefits if I don’t know who they are and if they are not in our system. I want to know who is going to pay for the education of these unaccompanied alien children that are being sent to Nebraska.


Heineman said public health concerns about immigrant youth needed to be addressed.


“According to a report by ABC News, the director of refugee health in the federal Health and Human Services Department has identified a breakdown of the medical screening process and there are reports of sick children. Federal public health officials are convening briefings for states on this issue.”

http://lexch.com/news/local/border-c...a4bcf887a.html