Dying Hope

J. J. Baloch

For the entire modern world, America has represented hope and a beacon of light for centuries; but today “America does make sense anymore” even to patriot Americans, so admits Andrew Shaffer-a New York Times bestselling author- in his recently published novel: “Hope Never Dies“. Trump administration’s crisis of immigration knows no ending but keeps rolling which appears to crack the image of America as a champion of civil liberties, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Many true American patriots lament that the rational part of American soul has lost somewhere in political point scoring on the chessboard of the darker politics.

Not only libertarians, nor yet only political opponents of President Trump but also many Americans are not happy with what he has been doing since he is in White House especially regarding his policies which have generated a massive human rights crisis in the country, once known as the land of opportunity and hope. All the enforcement departments, courts, media, civil society groups and human rights activists are worried on what they call “abrupt, ill-conceived, cruel, uncivilised and anti-humanitarian immigration policies” of the trump administration. The federal government of America was separating children “using vague or unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing or minor violations against the parents, including charges of illegally re-entering the country, as justification”, so writes David Leonhard, a New York Times columnist.

The 2017 ban on travellers from Muslim countries was so abrupt it surprised the officers who had to enforce it. Before the midterm elections, President Trump ordered thousands of troops to Texas to stop what he called “an assault” by a caravan of Central Americans. That caravan is now at the border of California. But the most tumultuous order of all, was this summer’s separation of children from their parents, which Mr Trump had to quickly withdraw. Though administration’s policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the Mexican border officially ended in June, yet many doubt that the administration might have covertly revived this policy again.

Many reports found that the starting time of children separated from families and time when the separated was kept secret from the public and media for a long time. One of the isolated Child named Immers with his father crossed illegally into America from Honduras, a country at war with gangs and cartels. Father, when interviewed, revealed that he hardly survived in his hard journey through anarchic country Honduras with the hope of applying for asylum in America and hence he claimed to present himself to US border patrol with the request to save his and his family life. Under asylum law of the USA, the asylum seekers cannot be denied to stay until they are given a right to the judicial hearing. Under orders of Trump administration asylum seekers were charged with the crime and their children were separated from them. Immers’ father told 60 minutes interview:  “I never thought that they would separate him from me. But an immigration agent said, ‘you are going to be separated, your son is going to be taken away, and then a judge will decide what will be done with you.'” As a child cannot be arrested or incarcerated, so immers was sent to Michigan to live with a foster family.

The courts are also resisting such illegal and inhuman orders of the trump administration with full vigour of law and agility of conscience. This month, a federal judge struck down the president’s latest immigration order. It has been a turbulent two years on the border as the administration imposed barriers with little consideration of their legality or consequences. To the non-compliant judges, president Trump describes as ‘Obama-Judges’ creating an impression that the judges appointed during Obama’s tenure are inclined to oppose his policies of ‘making America great again’. On this characterisation of the role of judges, they responded to guard their integrity by maintaining that they are the ‘American-Judges’ and they are there to protect the soul and body of their constitution; they are neither Democrats nor Republican nor yet have anything to do with them.

In the meantime, another humanitarian crisis along the border has begun. Last weekend, immigration agents lobbed tear gas into Mexico to deter members of the migrant caravan from crossing the border or seeking asylum. Tear gas has a particularly harsh effect on children because of their weaker respiratory systems. The Trump administration does not actually seem to be trying to discourage turmoil at the border. It is near to striking a deal with Mexico to keep asylum seekers on the Mexican side of the border, which could add to the sense of chaos. “Trump’s border policy has squeezed asylum seekers at both ends,” writes Vox Dara Lind.  “Officials stress that migrants ought to present themselves legally at ports of entry, while asylum seekers at ports are forced to wait days or weeks for entry.”

Some critics are though tough on Trump’s approach to the southern border as one of the significant moral failings of his presidency yet they are very careful to the sensitivity and implications of open border policy too. According to them ‘there are no easy answers to this marathon challenge for America as the United States, like any other country, can hardly afford to accommodate such a large number of displaced immigrants. Just because their lives back home are not safe is not enough justification for them to be a burden on one country. This asylum issue is likely to create a more serious and unmanageable crisis that could damage Trump’s political credibility severely if not fixed appropriately.

In the interest of the highest ideals of civilisations and the noblest values of humanity, America, being the torch bearer of civil liberties, should revisit Trump’s legacy of bitter policies and must not disavow its international responsibilities in the higher interests of peace, justice and freedom. Despite the fact, the challenges demographic storms are genuine, there is need to address the somewhat complicated human crisis of displaced and home souls in a more humane and civilised way, applying wisdom and knowledge instead of force and harsh policies.

The Writer is a novelist, essayist, blogger, author, educator and Senior Police Officer.