ITS SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO,
WITH MORE THAN 16,000 MINORS
REPORTED IN FEDERAL CUSTODY.
PRESIDENT BIDEN THIS WEEK TASKED
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS
WITH ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES
THAT PROMPT MIGRATING PEOPLE TO
LEAVE THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE CLINIC AT THE UW-MADISON
LAW SCHOOL IS AN EXPERT ON THE
ISSUE.
ERIN BARBATO JOINS US NOW AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE
AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> SO WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO
THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE SEEKING
ENTRY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER,
ESPECIALLY THIS NUMBER OF
CHILDREN?
>> YOU KNOW, MY REACTION IS IT'S
HEART-BREAKING AND IT'S
HEART-BREAKING TO SEE HOW THIS
HAS BECOME SUCH A POLITICIZED
ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE
SPEAKING ABOUT CHILDREN.
THESE ARE CHILDREN THAT WE ARE
PERMITTING TO ENTER OUR COUNTRY
TO SEEK REFUGE HERE AND PEOPLE
ARE -- THEY'RE BEING DEMONIZED
EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE CHILDREN
FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
>> FROM WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND,
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR
THESE CHILDREN?
>> THE CONDITIONS IN THE UNITED
STATES FOR WHERE THEY'RE BEING
PROCESSED, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT
A STANDARD THAT YOU WOULD WANT
ANY CHILD TO BE IN.
THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF
CHILDREN THAT ARE ARRIVING AND
WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO
HOLD THEM OR PROVIDE SHELTER FOR
THEM BEFORE THEY'RE BEING
REUNITED WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS
OR IN A FOSTER CARE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE IT
THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE
OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE NEED
TO HAVE SOCIAL DISTANGSING IN
THERE AS WELL.
>> YEAH.
IN FACT, I'VE NOW READ THAT
HUNDREDS OF THE CHILDREN HAVE
TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
HOW CRITICAL IS THIS SITUATION
AND CAN IT BECOME?
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY
DANGEROUS.
THE PROCESS, THESE CHILDREN ARE
ALREADY FLEEING SOMETHING THAT
HAVE MADE THEM LEAVE THEIR
FAMILIES, THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR
HOMES TO COME INTO A SITUATION
WHERE THEY ARE AGAIN NOT
NECESSARILY SAFE.
I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION IS
WORKING REALLY HARD TO CORRECT
THE SITUATION, BUT IT'S
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
>> IS THE WEST DOING ENOUGH TO
HOUSE AND CARE FOR THEM IN AN
ADEQUATE MANNER?
>> AT THIS POINT, I DON'T THINK
SO.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, I THINK
THERE'S AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE
SAFE HOUSING AND SHELTER TO
THESE CHILDREN.
BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME
TIME.
AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO STOP
ARRIVING AT OUR BORDER UNTIL
THINGS ARE BETTER IN THEIR OWN
COUNTRY.
>> WELL, HAVE THERE BEEN POLICY
SHIFTS UNDER THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION THAT ARE EITHER
HELPING OR HURTING THIS
SITUATION?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S HARD TO
SAY WHAT IS HELPING OR HURTING
THE SITUATION.
THE SITUATION HASN'T CHANGED IN
THEIR COUNTRIES IN PARTICULARLY
THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE, CENTRAL
AMERICAN.
IT'S GOTTEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR
PEOPLE TO SURVIVE THERE DUE TO
NATURAL DISASTERS AS WELL AS THE
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE
CONTROLLING GANGS THERE.
SO -- PRESIDENT BIDEN CHANGED
ONE POLICY, BUT IT'S THE LAW
THAT ALLOWS UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
TO ENTRY THE COUNTRY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD BARRED
CHILDREN FROM DOING THAT EVEN
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT
ARE COMING, THE PRIOR
ADMINISTRATION ATTEMPTED TO
DETER PEOPLE FROM COMING AND
WHAT THEY DID IS JUST DELAY IT
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING
NOW.
>> KAMALA HARRIS WILL BE
ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF
WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING
THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.
THIS IS A BIG GLOBAL QUESTION,
BUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
>> WE NEED TO START TREATING
PEOPLE SEEKING REFUGE WITH
HUMANITY AND ALSO FOLLOWING OUR
LAWS.
WE HAVE HAD SUCH AGGRESSIVE
DETERRENCE OVER THE PAST FOUR
YEARS THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIED,
PEOPLE HAVE HURT, PEOPLE --
WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING OUR
HUMANITARIAN POLICIES TO PROVIDE
PROTECTION TO PEOPLE IN THE
WORLD, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN.
IT'S COMPLICATED.
WE CAN'T DENY THAT.
WE ARE AN INCREDIBLY WEALTHY
COUNTRY THAT HAS THE RESOURCES
TO TREAT CHILDREN AND PEOPLE
SEEKING REFUGE WITH MUCH MORE
HUMANE POLICIES.
>> IS THERE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE IN THEIR COUNTRIES OF
ORIGIN THAT THE U.S. CAN
ACCOMPLISH?
>> WELL, THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION HAD STARTED TO
PROVIDE SYSTEMS AND SUPPORT TO
COMBAT SOME OF THESE PUSH
FACTORS BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE
UNITED STATES, BUT THOSE WENT
AWAY UNDER THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WANTS
TO CREATE POLICIES THAT MAKES
THINGS BETTER FOR PEOPLE IN
THOSE COUNTRIES.
>> WE LEAVE IS THERE.
ERIN BARBATO, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> EVEN THOUGH COURTS THE FOUND
NO LEGAL BASIS LAST YEAR FOR