What will happen today with the immigration crisis in the Southwest remains unclear. The 57,000 new Central American arrivals have caused a backlash that is not confined to the states that border Mexico. For now, Congress may content itself with closing the loophole in the 2008 human trafficking law that prevents rapid deportation of unaccompanied minors who come from countries other than Mexico or Canada. There is, however, a precedent worth considering. It is the precedent established in 1959 when Fidel Castro took control of the Cuban government following the overthrow of the Batista regime. The United States dealt with this influx of immigrants with impressive speed. Voluntary agencies, such as the National Catholic Welfare Conference and the Church World Service, helped the government cope with the growing number of Cuban refugees, even finding families who would give them shelter. As a result, the Cubans got a welcome that so far has been denied those fleeing the violence in the Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Has a single American church stepped up to lend a hand to the tired, the homeless, those yearning to be free and safe from harm?
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 22:46:16 +0000
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