Half of undocumented Central American kids in U.S. say they left because of violence

[Judi Lynn]

Source: KOAT Albuquerque

Half of undocumented Central American kids in U.S. say they left because of violence

LULAC encourages residents to help undocumented women, children

Published 7:13 PM MDT Jul 01, 2014

ARTESIA, N.M. —Local Latino organizations are encouraging Americans to help the children fleeing to the United States.

Recently, hundreds of those children were interviewed about why they made the dangerous journey to America, and about 50,000 Central American children in total have left their homes without their parents.

They traveled thousands of miles to America, many of which falling victim to sexual abuse and violence along the way.

"The reason why they are coming here is because there's no real future where they are coming from, so they are looking for a solution. They are looking for an answer. No one would want to live in a place where you have no real future," said Ralph Arellanes, the Albuquerque president of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

Read more: http://www.koat.com/news/half-of-undocumented-central-american-kids-in-us-say-they-left-because-of-violence/26753906#ixzz36IJOirzU

[Judi Lynn]

1. Central America: what's causing child migration?

Central America: what's causing child migration?
Submitted by Weekly News Update... on Tue, 07/01/2014 - 08:57 Central America Theater

In a statement released in the last week of June, the Honduran Black Fraternal Organization (OFRANEH), a leading organization of the Garífuna ethnic group, charged that the US-backed Honduran government was largely responsible for the dramatic increase in minors trying to migrate from Central America over the past few years. The organization said the government "blames the numbers only on narco trafficking; however, they forget that this catastrophe is also caused by collusion among politicians, business leaders, state security forces and criminal organizations linked to the trafficking of narcotics. The government has seen the situation worsen for years without doing anything to change the scenario, much less to avoid it."

Honduras is the country providing the largest number—more than 13,000—of the nearly 35,000 underage Central Americans detained at the US border in the last six months; the others come mostly from Guatemala and El Salvador. OFRANEH pointed to statistics from the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Casa Alianza Honduras, which reported that 287 people were murdered in Honduras in May alone, 104 of them under the age of 23. From 2010 to 2013, more than 27,000 people were killed in Honduras, according to OFRANEH; about 450 of the victims were younger than 14. (Adital, Brazil, June 23)

In related news, on June 23 unidentified assailants gunned down Luis Alonso Fúnez Duarte, the producer of a music program on the Súper 10 radio station in Catacamas, in the eastern department of Olancho. He was reportedly the second producer of a music program to be murdered in Olancho in June, and the 42nd Honduran media worker killed in the five years since the June 28, 2009 military coup that overthrew former president José Manuel ("Mel&quot Zelaya Rosales (2006-2009). (Adital, June 25)

Much of the US coverage of the child migrants has played down the violence against minors in the countries they come from and instead has emphasized reports that the migrants were drawn to the US by the expectation of lenient treatment. According to US journalist David Bacon, this version of events largely started with a report from the US Border Patrol which was "leaked" to Brandon Darby, a former informant and infiltrator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who is close to the right-wing Tea Party; reports based on this leak were circulated on the far-right website breitbart.com. (CounterPunch, June 26)

More:
http://ww4report.com/node/13344

(My emphasis.)

[PaulKersey]

4. How are they getting through Mexico?

Thought they were pretty strict with their border.

[karynnj]

2. This is an amazing tough situation

The welfare of the children has to be the main concern. One problem is that the problems in the Central American countries are very deep and it is hard to believe that they can quickly be corrected. This means other families will be pushed to make the same hard choice of sending the kids on that hazardous journey.

They have over the last several months done exactly that in spite of having no idea what would happen to the kids even if they made it safely to the United States. That shows that in their desperation, they think of the US as a potential haven. More than anything, for those with no family in the US, it shows how desperate the situation is in their country. That this has continued even as the kids are being kept together close to the border in makeshift camps, shows the parents feel they have few choices.

I have no idea what a humane choice would be on this. Those with family might qualify as refugees, but it is hard to imagine what could be done with the kids here alone. The choices seem to be 1) to deport them back to their families or 2) keep them in camps or 3) Put them with foster families. (I assume adoption would be completely out of the question unless the parents agreed to it.) Additionally, doing either of the latter two options would likely result in an increased flow of more kids arriving -- again with some dying or being abused.

It seems the problem is with the Central American countries -- and it is not clear that the US can really push them to work on the problems leading to these parents sending their kids to the US. As a parent of three daughters, I can't imagine ever being in circumstances where it is so bad I would think their chances better traveling hundreds of miles alone to illegally cross a border.

[hack89]

3. One third of the world's murders happen in Central and South America

some of the most violent countries in the world are located there. Horrible situation.

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Judi Lynn.