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Monday, January 8, 2018

When The Surreal Triumphs

In 2001, there was an earthquake that hit the Central American nation of El Salvador.  There was extensive damage.  In response, the USA granted temporary refugee status to about 200,000 people who moved to the USA from El Salvador.  These people are all here legally.  The goal of the program was to provide a safe place for the people to live while El Salvador engaged in reconstruction.  It was a humanitarian move by the USA.

Well now 17 years have passed.  The 200,000 people are still her temporarily.  That's right TEMPORARILY.  The Trump administration has announced that it will be ending this program in about a year.  That will mean that the 200,000 people will either have to apply for US citizenship under the normal rules or alternatively return to El Salvador.  It certainly seems correct that after all this time, the earthquake of 2001 is no longer a cause for the Salvadorans to be granted asylum in the USA.

The pro-immigrant community is in an uproar.  Their view is that because these people have been given a place to stay for 17 years, America owes it to them to continue that gracious conduct forever.  But here's the simple question:  WHY IS THAT?

Trump is returning reality to US policy.  Providing help to people does not obligate the USA to help them once the need is no longer there.

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