Immigration Activist Divided on Unaccompanied Minors Caught Crossing the Border

It was recently leaked by Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu that unaccompanied minors that are caught crossing the border will be sent to Sycamore Canyon Academy in Oracle, Arizona. After this information was leaked, anti-immigration activists decided to hold a protest when one of the busloads of children was on its way to the academy for troubled youths. They held up signs that read, “Return to Sender,” and “go home non-Yankees.” It is clear that they do not want anyone in this country that has immigrated here.

On the other hand, there was a close to equal amount of immigration activists that were holding signs welcoming the children to the country. They seemed to realize that these children were coming to escape extreme violence, and not simply to mooch off of the government. Emily Duwel of Oracle demonstrated this understanding when she made it clear that she did not want her town misrepresented by what she said was a minority of people against the children being housed there, and stated, “I’m just concerned about these children who have had to escape worlds of incredible violence.”

The divide among American citizens is as big as ever when it comes to immigration. Some people realize that these people are coming here for a reason, and not just for a free ride, while others are convinced that outsiders are trying their hardest to get a free ride. A Stephen Colbert quote to lighten the mood, “My grandfather did not travel across 4,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean to see this country overrun by immigrants.”