NEW YORK – Once upon a time, The United States was seen as a beacon for immigrants who sought a better life through hard work. They came to America in search of the american dream. They believed the harder they worked, the more opportunities they would have for themselves and for their children.
Currently, there are an estimated 110,000 illegal immigrants living in New York City. They are either living on the streets or living in public housing the government has provided.
The immigrants seem to want to work, However, many of them are unable to attain a work permit which would allow them to work legally. Their alternatives are to subsist on the handouts the government provides, beg, or work illegally. They are often the victims of ill-placed aggression or used as political pawns by both the Republican and the Democrat Parties.
Why are they coming here? Living conditions in the Latin American countries are so dire that people are fleeing. They are fleeing corrupt governments. They are fleeing violence from gangs and cartels. Corruption is so pervasive in some Latin American countries that normal people do not have other alternatives except to flee for their lives.
The migrant crisis in the United States has almost reached a breaking point. The question is how can the U.S. government handle the problem in a humane way? How can we, as a country, balance our need to protect our livelihoods, our children, our safety, while treating the immigrants with the respect their humanity deserves?
Some referential content courtesy of ABC News, Google Images, and G. Images.