Desert News, by Mark Shurtleff and Bruce Lesley
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Why are advocates for kids encouraged that immigration reform has begun to move in Congress? Because immigration is a children’s issue, and the outcome of this debate will shape the lives of a generation of kids.
Current law treats children as objects, instead of people with a say in their own lives. For example, a person inadmissible to the U.S. can qualify for relief by showing hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse or other close adult relative; but when a child is affected, the law applies a higher “extreme hardship” standard. Similar double-standards for deportation routinely ignore the common-sense reality that children experience traumatic separation in more damaging and lasting ways than adults. The consequences are devastating for kids. …Read more