Lesplan



Child Migrant Crisis At The U.S. Border

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They huddle for comfort in overcrowded, jail-like conditions. They try to sleep under foil blankets on plastic cots, metal benches, or thin mattresses. There isn’t enough soap for everyone, so they sometimes go without morning showers. Many don’t get outside for more than a few minutes a day. Catching

COVID-19 in such packed quarters is a real risk.

A Desperate Journey

The scared and lonely people living in these circumstances aren’t war victims in faraway refugee camps. They are migrant children from Central America. They have arrived at the U.S. border without parents or guardians. Most are teenagers, but some are toddlers. Thousands are now temporarily living in bleak, jammed border facilities. These sites aren’t suitable for kids.

The children are mostly from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. They have travelled thousands of kilometres through Mexico to get to the U.S. And they have made the difficult journey north by foot.

They carry little but their meagre belongings and dreams for their futures. Some leave their parents at the border. Some come with older siblings or relatives who are also under 18. Paid smugglers are escorting other children.

A Spike In Arrivals

Most enter the U.S. at a border crossing in Texas. They are coming in greater numbers now than they have in two years. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) receives the children. By March, it had 15,500 in its care – and the influx isn’t letting up.

Behind The Numbers

Why are desperate parents sending their children on a dangerous trip to an unknown land? And what has changed to cause the numbers to skyrocket?

Migration to the U.S. from Central America is not new. The region suffers from long‑standing poverty. That has often pushed people to flee north looking for new opportunities. However, add the coronavirus pandemic into the mix and economic conditions have worsened even more.

Drug lords who control communities through gang violence are an escalating threat, as well. And in November, Central America was battered by two hurricanes. That left scores of already struggling people destitute and homeless.

COVID-19 restrictions are easing in many areas, too. That means people are freer to travel than they have been in a year.

A Change of Heart

But perhaps the biggest reason for the surge is different leadership in the U.S. In 2021, a new Democratic president, Joe Biden, took office. His approach to migrants is markedly different from his predecessor’s, former Republican president Donald Trump.

In 2018, Mr. Trump declared a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against migrants who didn’t have permission to enter America. Officials brought in laws aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19. They refused entry to all unauthorized adults and children. Mr. Biden’s government has reversed part of that policy. Adults are still turned away, but children are let in. So parents are sending them.

A Stressed System

Many say that accepting kids is the right humanitarian response. The problem? The U.S. was ill-prepared for so many children knocking on its door.

Under U.S. law, the CBP can’t hold unaccompanied minors for over 72 hours. Another federal agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is then supposed to move them into child-friendly shelters. The minors stay there until relatives, sponsors, or foster homes are found to accept them.

But when shelters are full, children get stuck in border detention centres. That’s what’s happened. In late March, at least 5000 children stayed longer than the

72-hour limit. Some 800 were there for over 10 days. That must change, critics say.

The Shelter Hunt

So officials are working around the clock to find better temporary shelters until HHS can take them. They have asked charities and other federal agencies for assistance.

These efforts have helped. By March 22, more than 1500 children had been placed in a conference centre in Dallas, Texas. The Red Cross has also set up a camp for kids.

“A border patrol station is no place for a child,” said U.S. Homeland Security head Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Did You Know?

In February alone, officials stopped more than 100,000 migrants from entering the U.S.

Asylum in the U.S.

Tens of thousands of people apply for asylum in the U.S. each year. Asylum is the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left a home country as a political refugee.

The president, in consultation with Congress, sets an annual refugee quota. From October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020, the U.S. accepted 11,814 refugees. That’s far less than the quota of 18,000, and a 40 percent decrease from 30,000 the year before. It was a record low for a program that lets in an average of 95,000 refugees annually. The former U.S. administration’s policy toward migrants, as well as COVID-19, likely account for this decline.

Those granted asylum are eligible for some benefits and may apply for permanent resident status after one year. Permanent residents can then apply for citizenship after four years.

destitute: extremely poor

humanitarian: help or money given to people, countries, etc., in order to improve living conditions

influx: the arrival of a large number of people

meagre: not having enough of something

migrant: a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work

refugee: someone who leaves a country because of war or for religious or political reasons, smuggle: to move someone or something from one country into another illegally and secretly

predecessor: a person who had a job or position before someone else

quota: a prescribed, or set, number

smuggle: to move someone or something from one country into another illegally and secretly

Comprehension Questions

1. What was the target quota for the number of refugees that could enter the U.S. last year?

2. How many refugees were actually allowed into the U.S. from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020?

3. Which region do many refugees who arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border come from?

4. What is different about many of the migrants who arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks?

5. Why did they leave their homes to come to the United States?

6. Describe the conditions these children experience on their journey north.

7. What recent change in the U. S. prompted the latest surge of refugees?

8. Which U.S. government agency first deals with migrants? How long can it keep custody of children?

9. Which U.S. government agency is then assigned to help these young unaccompanied refugees?

10. Why is there currently a crisis in dealing with these migrant children?

Questions For Further Thought

1. During former president Trump's term, he declared a 'zero tolerance' policy against migrants arriving at the border that did not have permission to live in America. He even separated some children from their parents as a deterrent to future migrants; some of those families are still waiting to be reunited. Today, President Biden is still turning away adult migrants, but has pledged not to turn away children.

Consider the consequences of each president's policies. Which of the two do you feel is the most desirable? What changes or modifications would you suggest to make them better? Explain.

2. Unless you are Indigenous, someone in your family tree immigrated to Canada. Maybe it was you! What do you know about your family history? Share what you know with a small group and ask them questions about their history as well.

Describe the circumstances around your or another family’s immigration experience.

What themes are common? How do they compare to the experiences of child migrants in the U.S.? Explain.

Questions For Online Exploration

Note: The links below are listed at en/links for easy access.

1. Visit the links below to learn more about the experience of child migrants in the U.S., from their treacherous journey north to the processing of their asylum claims once they reach the U.S. border:

[5:01]

[2:20]

[4:17]

[7:02]

What surprised you about their experiences? What questions do you still have about this crisis? Give specific details to support your ideas.

2. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, was established to give every child an equitable chance in life. Visit the UNICEF USA site to learn more about the organization's efforts to support the plight of migrant children:



What did you learn about UNICEF and its support of child migrants in the U.S.?

Putting It All Together

A. Write the letter that corresponds to the best answer on the line beside each question:

______ 1. A person who leaves their home country to escape violence or persecution is called a(n):

a) refugee b) renegade

c) evacuee d) illegal alien

______ 2. Most migrants who show up at the U.S.- Mexico border are coming from:

a) the Caribbean b) Central America

c) South America d) Syria

______ 3. What is the most important reason behind the wave of new refugees to the U.S.?

a) a new U.S. president b) hurricanes

c) extreme poverty d) the COVID-19 pandemic

B. Mark the statements T (True) or F (False). If a statement is True, write one important fact to support it on the line below. If a statement is False, write the words that make it true on the line below.

______ 4. True or False? The U.S. president consults with Congress to set yearly immigration quotas.

______ 5. True or False? Most migrants who want to enter the U.S. arrive at the Arizona-Mexico border.

______ 6. True or False? Most teenage migrants who want to enter the U.S. arrive with their parents.

C. Fill in the blanks to complete each sentence.

7. CBP = U.S. Customs and _______________________ Protection.

8. The refugee target _______________________ for the October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 period was 18,000.

9. Some parents of migrant children pay _______________________ to escort their children to the U.S.

D. Respond to the following question in paragraph form. (Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.)

10. What advice would you give to U.S. President Biden about the refugee crisis on the southern border? Give reasons to support your response.

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