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Migrant Caravans
Immigration is one of the most debated topics in recent months. The country has become increasingly polarized on the matter with both parties in support of immigration and those against offering their strong opinions. The United States has always been the country in which people can achieve their dreams no matter their land of origin. People from all over the world traveled to America in search of a better life; the so-called American Dream. Millions of immigrants live in the country, both legal and illegal. President Donald Trump’s administration has introduced some hard-line policies in an effort to curb immigration, especially from Mexico. The Trump administration offers several points to support its policy, including claims that immigrants are criminals such as drug dealers. Media coverage of immigration issues such as migrant caravans has been influential 9in the debate. There are two sides to media coverage, a human-centered approach that focuses on the humanitarian issues around migrant caravans and the opposite end is the legal-centered approach that insists on the implementation of policies that crackdown on immigration.
To begin, the first focus is on the human-focused media. An article appearing on the Independent showcases the human approach in covering migrant caravans. In the article, a young woman named Marcial and her husband Reyes joined a caravan bound for the US from Honduras. She was eight months at the time, but this did not deter her from making the 2800 mile journey over several weeks. Two main issues sparked the decision to leave their hometown. The first is that Marcial’s husband could barely make a living as a cobbler to support his wife and the coming baby. They decided to seek entry into the US in the hope that they could make a better life for their family. Gang violence also played a significant role in making them move out of their Honduras home. A shootout near their house left their walls peppered with bullet holes and a dead man at their doorstep (Independent).
Time Magazine offers more insight into the dire situations that make immigrants leave their home and join US-bound caravans. The story of Violeta Monterosso, her husband Carlos and their three boys, is equally sad. They had to escape from their home in Guatemala due to the threats surrounding gang violence. The two parents ran a juice stall to support their family until a local gang came knocking demanding five months worth of profit (Edwards). The gangs were known to be merciless, and many families and children had been killed. The family hoped to get safe asylum in the US, but at the border, they found themselves at the bottom of a list of 5000 people with the same dream as them. These two stories reflect the trend of the human-focused approach in covering migrant caravans. The media tries to highlight the plight of people seeking asylum in the US. All of them are trying to escape poverty, violence, and death.
The second type of media coverage when it comes to migrant caravans is legal-focused reporting. The New York carried an article by John Crudele on January of 2019 that gave the legal reasons why migrant caravans should be stopped at all costs. Crudele begins by acknowledging that immigrants are a necessary part of the US economy. According to him, immigrants are a crucial part of the country since for centuries. The US population cannot sustain the economy on its own, hence the need for skilled immigrants to supplement the deficit. In the recent past, many more people have been trying to get into the country, especially from the southern border (Crudele). Numbers have swelled to unprecedented levels such that immigration officials at the border have been overwhelmed. It is for this reason that Crudele supports President Trump’s building of a wall to stop illegal immigration from South America. The author insists that immigrants should come in legally in such a way that they support the economy of the country and no burden it.
Fox News has also taken a more legal-focused approach when covering migrant caravans. Fox News is known for its strong pro-Trump stances on most issues, including immigration. People who have stood with anti-immigration laws usually cite the claim that immigrants are criminals. This is the same narrative that Fox News adopts in an article on November 19th, 2018. Written by Greg Norman, the report supports the claim that the migrant caravan from Mexico contains at least five hundred criminals. For this reason, allowing the caravan to cross into the US will have serious repercussions. The article explains that the criminals push women and children to the front of the caravan to gain media sympathy (Norman). The border city of Tijuana is overwhelmed with numerous immigrants seeking entry into the US, and the numbers grow by the day. The best thing to do is to allow skilled immigrants who bring economic value to the country. Most of the immigrants would like to get into the country by all means, legal or illegal.
The two sides of the debate, both for and anti-migrant caravans offer strong opinions and back them up with facts. On the human-centered approach, it is clear that many people trying to get into the US have valid humanitarian concerns. Most of them want to get a better life for themselves and their families. The US is still the country that people believe can help them achieve their dreams of a prosperous future. In addition to this, gang violence is a real threat to many people especially in Mexico. Migrants have had their lives and property threatened, and they run away from their homes to try and stay alive. The human-centered approach covers human stories that touch the hearts of many around the world. The stories are meant to gain sympathy and try to soften the hearts of policy-makers. On the other hand, legal-focused reporting tries to emphasize the necessity of letting in immigrants only through legal channels. These people acknowledge the fact that immigrants bring a lot of value to the economy of the country. However, they must be thoroughly screened to root out any criminals that may be trying to get into the country illegally.
In conclusion, immigration is a heated issue for many people, especially immigrants and Americans, whose family may have origins in other countries. People moved to the US to seek a better life for themselves and their loved ones. For such people, they believe that immigrants should be allowed into the country, especially when they face threats to their lives due to poverty and violence. It is essential to recognize the legal ramifications of allowing immigrants into the country. The best thing for the US government to do is to increase the capacity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and allow for humane immigration policies. When people are facing sure threats to their lives, it is wrong to deny them asylum. It is difficult to point out precisely what will be the permanent solution to immigration, but it is crucial that the US remains open to allowing people into the country. No country in the world can live as an island, but people coming in should be used to add value to the United States of America.
Works Cited
“Migrant caravan: New mother who travelled 2,800 miles while pregnant to seek asylum in US” Independent. 22 December 2018. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/photography/donald-trump-migrant-caravan-us-mexico-honduran-asylum-a8691416.htmlCrudele, John. “We need to build the border wall to stop the migrant caravans.” New York Post. 16 January 2019. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2019/01/16/we-need-to-build-the-border-wall-to-stop-the-migrant-caravans/Edwards, Haley Sweetwaters. “The Stories of Migrants Risking Everything for a Better Life” Time. 24 January 2019. Retrieved from https://time.com/longform/migrants/Norman, Greg. “Migrant caravan at US border is harboring more than 500 criminals, Homeland Security claims.” Fox News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/us/migrant-caravan-may-be-in-tijuana-for-the-long-haul-while-u-s-shuts-down-san-diego-area-crossing
