The unprecedented crime in the Northern Triangle Region of Central America (NTCA), as well as other parts of Latin America, has created a refugee situation characterized by President Obama as a “humanitarian crisis.”  After the collapse of a truce between two of the most powerful gangs in Guatemala, murders increased exponentially in the region, spurring the flee of families. Children no longer felt safe as gang members infiltrated public schools, threatening kids to join in their ranks. Women also became targeted by extreme forms of gender-based violence, including attacks, sexual assaults, and rapes. Most of them come illegally, and many children come alone.  According to data from a survey of Northern Triangle residents conducted by Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project, (LAPOP), the US Homeland Security’s efforts to dissuade refugees from entering the US has not affected their decision—they are still willing to come illegally even though they know there are dangers involved.  Thus, the US should stop focusing its efforts on trying to prevent the entrance of these suffering people, and instead try to integrate them.  This refugee crisis has clearly persisted for several years and still remains to persist, thus collective efforts at education and inclusion where possible for the long-term integration of these refugees into US society would make sense.  Most importantly, though, the US should address the root cause of the refugee migration and help to instill more effective governing institutions in the NTCA, as well as other countries in Latin America, that would create a safe environment for people living in there. This would ultimately prevent people from seeing the need to flee.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2014/07/24/94396/the-surge-of-unaccompanied-children-from-central-america-root-causes-and-policy-solutions/

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports/understanding-central-american-refugee-crisis-why-they-are-fleeing

http://www.unhcr.org/5630c2046.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/13/us/immigration-undocumented-children-explainer/