Central America S Child Migrants A Humanitarian Crisis

CENTRAL AMERICA’S CHILD MIGRANTS: A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS Policy Position Analysis Chris Prince Policy Evaluation PUP 4003 Dr. Natasha Christie December 9, 2014 Introduction: According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of unaccompanied children (UAC’s) apprehended crossing the border into the United States has increased from fewer than 20,000 in 2011 to over 66,000 as of August 2014, with a projected total of 77,200 by the end of the fiscal year (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2014). The large majority of UAC’s migrate from Central America, namely El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (50,303 in total) (USCBP, 2014). The policy response to the recent surge of UAC’s has been inadequate, and highly†¦show more content†¦Failing economies and weak institutions are also to blame; corruption and an inability to enforce the law have left citizens to fend for themselves (UNHCR, 2014). Those most vulnerable, specifically women and children, are targets of extortion, forced gang recruitment, rape, torture, and murder on a regular basis. Yet, many policy makers in the U.S. view the current mass migration as an immigration issue, thusly; the policy debate has centered on border security and enforcement rather than humanitarian need. It is the last resort of desperate parents to send a child on a dangerous overland journey of up to 1,500 miles, often times on foot or freight hopping on deadly trains. To better understand the circumstances that would create such a desperate situation it helps to understand how Central America came to be so violent and poorly governed in the first place. Historical Context: Weak Institutions: Since the late 1800’s, â€Å"Latin America [has been] the incubator for all great United States multinational corporations† (Harvest of Empire, 2012). The domination of the local resources and land, by MNC’s and the maintenance of that domination by the U.S. military effectively captured many Central American states economically and politically. This went on from the 1896 until the end of WWII when U.S. policy shifted, the paradigm became more