CommentsPERSPECTIVE-Let’s be clear, the separation of families at the border did not begin with the Trump Administration.
This phenomenon was imposed during the Clinton administration and continued throughout the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations. You may ask where this policy originated. Well, it appears that in 1997, then-Attorney General Janet Reno settled a lawsuit (Flores v. Reno) filed in California.
This lawsuit challenged the Clinton administration’s detention tactics as related to juvenile migrants taken into custody by the INS. In the settlement, it was agreed that the U.S. government could detain unaccompanied minors for 20 days before releasing them to the Department of Health and Human Services for placement into the foster care system or placement with their parents or legal guardians. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit extended the 20-day limit for juveniles who illegally crossed the border with their parents. It appears that there is a misinterpretation of the settlement that occurred during the Clinton administration.
Where does hypocrisy come into play?
- When our State Senators on the Hill behave as if they are not aware of the law established by the Clinton Administration.
- The lack of concern for children being place in foster care.
- Failure to be concerned about Americans who have committed crimes, have been arrested, and whose children were also being placed in foster care.
The Department of Health and Human Services has reported over 20,000 American children were placed in foster care because their parents were incarcerated, which is exponentially larger than the number of children who are also separated from their parents because they broke federal immigration law. Where is the outrage regarding this not so fun fact?
Let’s face it, nobody wants to see families separated regardless of their immigration status. Parents be warned: the consequences of breaking the law could mean you will be separated from your children, whether it be y bcommitting a domestic crime as an American citizen or by violating federal immigration law as a migrant.
It all comes down to dollars. Are children still being used as cash cows? Taxpayers please take note: The Adoption and the Safe Families Act, set in motion first in 1974 by Walter Mondale and later in 1997 by President Bill Clinton, offered “Cash Bonuses” to states for every child adopted out of foster care. To receive the “adoption incentive bonuses” local child protective services need more children: they must have the merchandise (children) that sells, and plenty of them, so the buyer can choose.
Some counties are known to give a $4,000 to $6,000 bonus for each child adopted out to strangers and an additional $2000 for a “special needs” child. Employees work to keep the federal dollars flowing; for every child DHR and CPS can get adopted, there is the bonus of $4,000 or maybe $6,000.
(Diedra M. Greenaway, MS/MBA, is a Los Angeles City Budget Advocate and BA Budget Chair for the Department of Economic and Workforce Development. Diedra is a CityWatch contributor.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
