President Barack Obama's announcement today that his administration will no longer deport the majority of young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children has already been dragged into the political arena and it's being smacked around by Republicans. But let's be real. This move goes beyond politics. Protecting young immigrants is a win for American families: all of them.
What came out of the White House today isn't about politics. It's about protecting children from the burden of being punished for actions their parents committed. We live in a country where kids are supposed to be protected, doted on, cared for, but until today, kids were being told that something that happened to them when they were helpless infants was their fault.
But not anymore.
From here on out, children brought to America by their parents under shady circumstance will be treated as just that: children. Children can't enter into contracts in the United States. They can't be charged with adult crimes. And as long as they meet certain criteria, they can't be deported for simply doing what their parents asked.
As Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told The Stir during a conference call with several members of the press today, "They don't know any other country ... they want to work and contribute to our social security. They want to serve in our military ... want to give back to this country that gave them so much."
How can you argue with that?
I can't.
Oh come on. Put kids in any other situation, and expect them to bear the burden of their parents' mistakes, and people would be screaming from the rooftops.
Picture it. A mom takes her infant daughter along on a murder. Do we punish the child as an "accessory to murder?" Of course not. That would be ridiculous.
OK, but the kid didn't "do" the crime? Here's one: say mom leaves the keys in the ignition of the car. Toddler climbs in, puts the car in reverse, and slams into another vehicle, killing the driver. Do you charge the kid? Again, no.
So why are there Americans who would actually support taking a young person and shipping them off to another country because they are an "illegal" immigrant? They might be here illegally, but they've had as little control over that as that infant carted to the murder scene and as little knowledge of the law as that toddler who maneuvered the car into an accident.
If we protect these kids, it sends a message to the world that all children in America are precious, no matter who their parents are.
What do you think of the Obama administration's bold move today?
Image via Elvert Barnes/Flickr
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Comments 49
I agree, there has been an increase of hispanics voting, Obama wants their vote. Otherwise like billsfan said, he would have done it way before his first term came to an end.
Eitherway, I actually agree with this writter on this, and even if it's driven by politics, I'm pleased with Obama's decision.
I support this fully. These children should not have to bear the burden of things their parents did illegally. Many of them wouldn't even know what to do with themselves if they had to go back to where their parents came from. These children will grow up to be our future and we should give them the opportunity to be good citizens.
I totally agree with the first few comments that this is a political decision. That being said, that doesn't mean the decision wasn't a good one. I agree that if someone was brought here as a child and is a law-abiding citizen, they should be able to become legal citizens.
Wow, I am surprised. As a citizen of this country, if I brake the law, I go to jail and my children would suffer for it. As a citizen of this country, if I don't pay my taxes, I would be considered a criminal. As a citizen of this country, if I escaped prison and got my children and started a new law abiding life in another state, it is still be wrong and I would still be a criminal.
If you make the choice to come here illegally and you bring your children, that is entirely your fault as a parent. You cannot blame the United States. The United States did not ask you to come to this country illegally and bring your children with you.