“@realDonaldTrump if you’re on Twitter … tell him this makes no sense”
While many politicians seem content to address the issue of immigration and deportation from a policy standpoint, last Thursday, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey spearheaded a frantic effort to find a boy and his mother before they were deported to Honduras. The two had arrived in the United States illegally seeking asylum after the mother felt their lives were in danger as a result of her witnessing the murder of her cousin in her home country. The two fled Honduras and eventually made their way to the United States.
His first plea to the public came midday on Wednesday via Twitter:
Twitter: it's urgent. I just found out that a young child & her mother who came to U.S. seeking refuge will be sent back to Honduras today.— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827545.0
Minutes later, Casey followed up with mentions of President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security:
.@realDonaldTrump If you're on twitter- Call @DHSgov Sec. Kelly and tell him this makes no sense.— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493827914.0
Just got off the phone with @Reince45, he promised that they are looking into it. I'll hold him accountable to do the right thing.— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493828770.0
Still no word from @Reince45 or Admin on the family. Going on @MSNBC at 3:35 pm to make the case, I hear @realDonaldTrump likes cable.— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493839318.0
This child and his mother deserved better from this Administration. They got the absolute worst.— Senator Bob Casey (@Senator Bob Casey) 1493859758.0
Casey's urgency came about after he learned that the child could be eligible for a Special Immigrant Juvenile status, which affords neglected children a special exemption that allows them to remain in the country as legal aliens. Unfortunately, the boy and his mother were expeditiously moved through the deportation process while Casey was striving to contact them.
Casey discussed his effort and the curiously fast track that sent the boy and his mother out of the country so quickly. “The last couple of days — 24 hours now — to say they've been frustrating would be an understatement," Casey said in a conference call (via A Plus) with the press. “The Department of Homeland Security has an obligation to keep our country safe, in addition to other agencies in the federal government, but it seems like the focus has been on a 5-year-old and his mother, instead of using every resource and ounce of focus on folks that pose a real threat and danger to the country."
The senator's fruitless efforts made headlines, demonstrating just how difficult it is to stop this administration in its dogged pursuit of undocumented residents.
During the call, Casey also stated that he “had some suspicions" about the delayed responses government officials gave him. The senator, an outspoken critic of the current asylum and deportation process, especially as pertains to those kept in his state's Berks Residential Center, reiterated that Homeland Security ought to focus on matters of actual security rather than targeting undocumented residents with no criminal record. “I don't see how that's enhancing homeland security and I think it's contrary to our values to be focusing on people with no criminal records who in this case happen to be a mom and her five-year-old," he said.
Sadly, his extraordinary efforts were unable to keep the mother and her son from the danger that awaits in their home country of Honduras.
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