Latin American refugees end up on our border the way African and Middle Eastern refugees end up on the shores and borders of Europe. What we do with them matters, for they are our neighbors. We need humane solutions. Unfortunately, our current immigration system is mostly about deterrence. Our policy solutions are one-dimensional: We only see things from this side of the border, and we neglect other perspectives on the migration crisis.
The right to stay in one’s own land should be taken as seriously as the right to emigrate. This is part of Catholic social teaching, but we rarely hear about it. So it gives me a little hope when leaders like Vice President Kamala Harris speak about the root causes of migration. According to The Los Angeles Times, Ms. Harris said to a virtual meeting of immigation and asylum policy experts on April 15 that she would be guided by the belief that most people do not want to leave their nations of birth unless they feel they have no choice. The Times quoted Ms. Harris as saying people should be given “some hope that if they stay at home, help is on the way.”
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