Facts on Child Migrants

America has children coming over the border without parents.  This is obviously a problem and it is important to know some facts on the issue.

For those children found crossing the border, they are sent over due to violence in their home countries, lack of education opportunities and other humanitarian, education and financial reasons.  Basically, as much as people may not want to hear it, these kids are abandoned by their parents.  But once they get to the United States they face trouble if caught by the Federal government.  These kids are very likely to be deported back home into circumstances that may risk their health, cause their families to descend further into poverty or be subject to criminal activity.  Now all these kids are allowed to have a hearing by law in the United States, but lawyers are not free unless it is a criminal case.  Therefore, a lawyer can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000.  This is obviously money these children do not have, and despite non-profit organizations and people helping, this free help is stretched thin.

There were 91,104 deportation cases between 2004 and 2014 (Economist magazine is the source).  Of the 91,104 about 46% had no legal representation.  Therefor they represented themselves, but 90% of those who represented themselves were deported.  In comparison, only 39% of children with lawyers were deported.  As such, an illegal child migrant without a lawyer has zero hope of staying in the country.

What do we do about this?  It is obvious that they are sent over the border because the parents want to save them from poverty, diseases, and murderous gangs.  As such, I ask the question, should we not allow these kids to stay?  Cannot we provide them with families by having them be adopted into homes who want children, or at least place them into orphanages so that they may be adopted later if the children have no family legally living here? 

Conclusion:  Personally, if these kids are under the age of 13, then they should automatically be allowed to stay and they should be put up for adoption if they have no family living here legally living in the United States.  This will aid in reducing the burden on charities providing lawyers for these children and allow them to focus on the children ages 14 to 17.  These 14 to 17 year olds should go on a wait list where a lawyer can be provided pro bono over time via the charities and individual lawyers help (micro orphanages set up by charities can aid in this while these kids await a hearing with children going to turn 18 given first priority).  Thus, it protects the children from having to represent themselves.  If the children in question have siblings who are 18 to 21 years old, they will share a trial with the older sibling and the siblings will be entitled to go on the waitlist for a lawyer like a 14 to 17 year old.  This makes the system fairer to this kids who are basically abandoned by their parents due to circumstances.  We are a kind and understanding nation, so we should at least show more of that by changing the way we handle children who come over the border without parents.