Collateral Damage
The immigration debate makes me want to throw things. The American political system reduces an unimaginably complicated issue to a few soundbites and ideological sticking points. It continually disturbs me that even the even America's "greatest" political minds show no ability to comprehend or even reasonably appreciate the scope of the immigration issue and its connection to a variety of economic and social issues, both within our borders and beyond.
That having been said, I sometimes come across collateral damage in the immigration fight that's shocking in the horror that points out so many faults of American society. Assuming Maria Carvajal is telling the truth about her son's birthplace, the LA County Sheriff's Department and Homeland Security deported a citizen of the United States. By current immigration and citizenship law, Guzman's birth in a U.S. hospital makes him a citizen (liking this part of citizenship law or not is an entirely different issue). So, taking the mother at her word, her son is a citizen.
And, yes, he was deported. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, the sheriff's department determined he was not a citizen, and then obtained his signature for voluntary deportation. Oh, and the son is mentally handicapped.
Guzman can't read or write and has trouble processing information.
So let's recap. The LA County Sheriff's Department and Homeland Security deported a man whose family claims is a citizen of the U.S. He is mentally handicapped, can't read, and has trouble processing information. Citizenship aside, the United States government deported a person who may not be fully capable of caring for himself. They do not seem to have made an effort to deport him to family or to any safe situation.
At a minimum, our collective humanity and Guzman's rights as a human being are the collateral damage in this case. God bless America, indeed.
That having been said, I sometimes come across collateral damage in the immigration fight that's shocking in the horror that points out so many faults of American society. Assuming Maria Carvajal is telling the truth about her son's birthplace, the LA County Sheriff's Department and Homeland Security deported a citizen of the United States. By current immigration and citizenship law, Guzman's birth in a U.S. hospital makes him a citizen (liking this part of citizenship law or not is an entirely different issue). So, taking the mother at her word, her son is a citizen.
And, yes, he was deported. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, the sheriff's department determined he was not a citizen, and then obtained his signature for voluntary deportation. Oh, and the son is mentally handicapped.
Guzman can't read or write and has trouble processing information.
So let's recap. The LA County Sheriff's Department and Homeland Security deported a man whose family claims is a citizen of the U.S. He is mentally handicapped, can't read, and has trouble processing information. Citizenship aside, the United States government deported a person who may not be fully capable of caring for himself. They do not seem to have made an effort to deport him to family or to any safe situation.
At a minimum, our collective humanity and Guzman's rights as a human being are the collateral damage in this case. God bless America, indeed.