DHS’s Main Issue

The DHS has grown to be a leading generational security department that works around the clock to protect our borders and people of the US. As of present day, the DHS is actively focused on our southern-most border where Mexico and various American cities/states meet. According to the DHS, this crisis of illegal immigration has hit a 12 year high where more than 76,000 migrants illegally crossed our border (DHS, 2019). This has caused chaos at the border as well as chaos amongst speculators.

There are some policies in place to address the influx of immigrant families and asylum seekers at the southern border. For instance, under domestic and international law, any immigrant who arrives into a US port of entry has the right to apply for asylum where the process is not simple and easy. There is narrow categorical definition that will determine that person to be a refugee, under US law where everyone is entitled to the standard procedure (Chuzi, 2019). This seems like a feasible method even though the amounts of arriving immigrants is tremendous. Proper resources given to the DHS could support this movement in an effective and safe manner.

Yet, what’s not being addressed is the real crisis happening at that very same massive influx. The required small number of people that are allowed to present themselves per day has created a back-flow of immigrant presence that has been overwhelming to the DHS and US officials to handle and control. According to Chuzi, it is a paper and pen system with no integrity (2019). The DHS needs enough resources to accommodate what they are dealing with at the border. Everyone has the right to humanitarian basic needs including those who were not born on free soil.

What’s more alarming though, is the separation of young children from their parents. One source claims that this separation is based solely on the consideration and acknowledgement of a US Customs agent-rather than a system or procedural workflow (Gomez, 2019). This has caused a slew of disastrous conditions for young vulnerable children where it seems as though quality care is not provided. The lack of proper care and attention to this matter have resulted in horrendous media claims of sexual assault and fatalities amongst the youngest of migrant populations stuck at the border. It is a saddening humanitarian DHS crisis that should have gotten the amount of care to facilitate the needs.