But if children become a means of avoiding prosecution, that’s going to mean there is an incentive to traffick children which will put lots of children into severe danger. Being in US care probably isn’t ideal, but it’s much less dangerous than children being in the care of traffickers.
Probably the best solution is to drastically improve the conditions these children are in and expedite their collection by relatives or the Mexican authorities so they are released as quickly as possible.
This is, like the recent incident with the Libyans on the rescue boat, a bit of a cynical attempt on the part of the left to use human suffering to force the abandonment of legal attempts to regulate migration.
The boat was an attempt to force Italy to reopen it’s ports to “rescue” trafficking boats by provoking outrage which backfired as they didn’t receive much support.
This is a similar type of effort in America. They are trying to discourage illegal crossing of the border by prosecuting those who are doing it. If they are in jail they cannot have their children with them. But if children become a get out of jail free card it will encourage child trafficking. So the democrats aim is the hope that they can make enough of a fuss about this to force the Republicans to drop prosecution of illegal migrants altogether. Which will of course mean that the flows of illegal migration can continue unimpeded which is the democrats ultimate aim. Which is what this is really about, not genuine concern for these children.
Also, interestingly, the Philippines also operates a similar programme which nobody makes a fuss about because it protects children from traffickers and frequently the people they are with are found not to be their parents, a factor which is being overlooked in the midst of this fuss.
And of course there is also the small fact that if you don’t want to be separated from your children you could choose not to try and sneak them across the border.
But the conditions should be improved,yes.