HOUSTON, Texas–The president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, recently said that the tidal wave of illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. from Central America can be attributed to the fact that many believe they will get amnesty. The Obama Administration’s rhetoric and actions surrounding the immigration surge have led many in Central America to think they will not be deported if they come into the U.S. illegally–and indeed, most of the thousands of children that continue to cross the border will likely get to stay in the country.
According to Fusion, Hernandez said after an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., “They might think they can gain legal status through this, but on the other hand, this is a kind of displacement, because of the cartel wars and the Maras [gangs] in Central America.”
He reportedly continued, “I’ve asked the United States government to treat this matter with the utmost care from the humanitarian perspective. They are kids in search of their parents and they have the complete right to be with their parents.”
World of mouth has apparently spread to Central America that hundreds of foreign minors are receiving what is perceived to be “amnesty.” This has likely prompted more hopeful hopefuls to journey into the U.S. illegally.
Breitbart Texas contributing editor and border security expert Sylvia Longmire said, “The statements made by the Honduran president are interesting on two levels. While he clearly speaks to the criminal threats in his country, he’s also very clear about the rumors being spread in Honduras about lax immigration enforcement in the US–something that directly contradicts statements by White House and DHS officials.”
“He also implores the US government to attack one of the root causes for the mass migration surge–violent drug trafficking activities in Honduras and elsewhere in Central America,” she continued. “Many Americans are calling for stricter border controls as a solution, which is understandable. However, border security is irrelevant when hundreds of immigrants are just voluntarily turning themselves in to Border Patrol agents every day and not even trying to circumvent existing border controls.”
The Obama Administration has not disclosed how immigration laws will be enforced moving forward. While many of the young migrants will likely get to stay in the U.S., Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson insists that the policies being applied to handle the border crisis are not “encouraging illegal
Follow Kristin Tate @KristinBTate.
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