NBC News reports that:

I've seen a little about this but obviously not enough. Why and how are children coming over the border by themselves?

This part of the article bothered me greatly too. How can a minor child immigrate here by themselves?

Obviously I've a lot more research to do so any links you may have to good reports with minimal spin will be appreciated.

I as well have not been keeping up with this but 3.7 billion seems excessive when little is being done to stop the "illegal" immigration.

Let me rephrase 3.7 for the same old nothing.

Seems like the parties are just using this to score votes.

Parents from central American countries are putting their kids on buses and sending them north through Mexico to try to cross the boarder and enter the country on their own, hoping we will have compassion and not send them back home. the immigration centers are being overrun so many are still slipping on through.

It is a sad situation, which I am not sure what the best answers are.

I've done a bit more digging in the last few minutes.
Politics aside, I cannot fathom what it must be like living on the border and seeing these children come into the country looking to the US to care for them.
3.7 billion doesn't seen like that much when you're not only talking about food and housing but looking for relatives to take care of them while they await deportation and all the follow-up that must entail, etc.

My question would be: Isn't there some way to refuse them entry?

My question would be: Isn't there some way to refuse them entry?

Without throwing away potential votes?

What do you mean? Like, what are you thinking would happen to them?

well, to believe news reports, these kids have walked on their own from as far south as Ecuador and Columbia...certainly they should be able to turn around and walk back home if denied entry.

Like this maybe at the border?

From that article comes this unsettling bit that I also saw in a news broadcast the other day. Why would this differentiation between country of origin resulting in 'lost detainees' like this be allowed to happen?

Well we could repeal child labor laws, but that still leaves the illegal immigrant part. No easy solutions but if I recall it was France or Italy that was shipping back Libyans no asylum given. Certainly harsh. If we did that would that stop it or slow it down?

If we let them stay what do you do with them?

We're talking kids here. Not everything has to have a political bent to it. We're talking about children being sent away from severe poverty and violence, none like that you or your child have ever had to experience, in the hopes of finding at least some stability to for them to set a better course in life for their children.

Happy, I would never advocate ill treatment of children. But they're not walking here because they think it's a good idea. Maybe I'm just looking at parents from other countries and expecting them to have more American values which, I like to think, include not sending your child off by themselves to a foreign country.

Sorry but you keep asking political questions. The answer is votes. If you send back x from y country z from y country will not vote for you (or deny legislation). That goes for all political positions.

People in other countries may not have food to feed the kids or are part of the drug trade (or some other horrible circumstances) and feel that the kids are better off in USA by themselves.

This is the Watercooler!!!

So this is the equivalent of leaving the baby in the basket on the convent steps knowing the nuns will take it in and care for it?

Problem for the nuns and this country is finding the money to give these kids a better life.

Honestly, it just doesn't seem realistic to expect the US to save all the children AND send our armies to defend other countries AND provide health care for everyone...etc., etc., etc.

But as Ann Landers often said, if you don't want to be treated as a doormat, don't lay down and let people walk all over you. Maybe it's time for the US to pull in the mat.

But the street are paved with gold.

How many "unaccompanied minor children coming illegally" are we talking about?

Not the one I live on!

That is why both sides need to come up with a solution rather than just saying that X hates the Y minorities and vote for me.

Quite frankly, the Canadians have been getting out of hand lately!

As compared to what the people in these countries see (or are told).

I cannot imagine the conditions under which these families live. It must be horrible to think that giving your child to a smuggler in the hope of them making it to the U.S. is a better option than keeping your child with you. I cannot imagine the desperation.

However, these children are not our problem. They need to be returned to the government in their country of origin. Those governments must take responsibility for their own citizens.

I work just a few blocks away from where over 1,000 of these children are being housed so it's big news around here.

This is a civil discussion lets keep bieber out of it

while me or my kids have never experienced it, there are plenty of places in America that poverty is just as bad...inner cities, Appalachia, Native American Reservations (although an argument could be made this is not "America" but a sovereign nation). And threat of violence in many inner-city housing projects is no better than many 3rd world countries. I live in small town USA, have friends that are teachers, and they said kids in their school often only get food when school is in and they have the free lunch and breakfast.

poverty is not confined to 3rd world nations.

Like it or not this is a political issue. The solution is to send them back, that will not win you any votes and you will be crucified by the media. The other option is we keep the kids here in camps until they turn 18 and then set them free or send them back to their country.


Does that suck, sure it does, but the US is not the world's caretaker.