A family fleeing poverty in El Salvador had secured a humanitarian visa in Mexico. However, after spending two months in a migrant camp waiting to apply for asylum in the U.S., they decided to try to cross the border. First the father crossed the Rio Grande with his 23-month-old daughter. He placed her on the riverbank and headed back for his wife. When he noticed that the child was following him, the man turned back to rescue her. Unfortunately, both were swept away by the current.
Photo by Julia Le Duc, a journalist for the Mexican newspaper La Jornada.
After hearing about this tragic incident and seeing pictures of the two lifeless bodies lying face down on the riverbank, President Trump spoke out. He said, “I hate it.”
But, it is what he said next that shows he remains desensitized by such events.
"I know it could stop immediately if the Democrats change the law. They have to change the laws," Trump said, adding," and then that father, who probably was this wonderful guy, with his daughter — things like that wouldn't happen." He further said that conditions at the border prove he was right to say America has an immigration crisis.
American greatness is achieved when our citizens welcome people to our shores, not when we turn our backs on them. Instead of building walls and slamming doors, we need to provide a helping hand, craft an immigration process that recognizes the hardships and contributions of people coming to the U.S. We need a clear path for those seeking citizenship. It is time for Congress and the president to come together to repair our outdated and broken immigration policies.