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As for the so-called cages the minors are allegedly detained in, which have created the latest media circus, Del Cuerto described them as, in reality, “similar to boarding schools.” For example, Casa San Diego offers the children play areas, language classes and hot meals before they’re eventually released to sponsors.
One solution is already available to migrants. According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, migrants who enter through a national port of entry with their children can request asylum. Parents would not be prosecuted and the family unit would remain intact while the petition is adjudicated.
Another potential fix could keep asylum-seeking migrant families together: Designate the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City as the starting point for all petitions — no congressional action required, and neither minor nor adult would be confined while officials decide the case.
The United States welcomes valid asylum claims. “Valid” is key. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, nearly 80 percent of more than 15,000 of the asylum claims made between 2012 and 2017 from El Salvador were denied.
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