The demographics of border crossers has changed dramatically over the last several years. We never used to have so many families and unaccompanied minors crossi

The demographics of border crossers has changed dramatically over the last several years. We never used to have so many families and unaccompanied minors crossing. I believe this is a direct result of the incentives we provide by allowing families to stay, minors to be provided free transport along to waiting relatives (who may be in the country illegally themselves), and ultimately the promise of deferred action and citizenship. But all of this is contingent on having a child with you when you cross, or children crossing alone, which is totally ludicrous. Over 50,000 unaccompanied minors in the last year have crossed over that we know of. Assuming these children are not being returned back home, they obviously need to be sheltered while their relatives are located and screened. This is an incredibly vulnerable population which has grown exponentially and therefore now greatly exceeds the capacity of the network of non-profits which used to provide temporary shelter and housing. Parents in the US who leave their kids unattended in the car while they run in for groceries risk having their kids taken and being charged with child endangerment. Parents who cross into the US illegally with their kids get a free pass. Even aside from the question of “first safe country” - we have a legal system for processing asylum claims, and historically (going back several administrations) the types of people crossing do not qualify because they are mainly economic migrants. The best way to stop kids dying at the border is to stop encouraging their parents (or coyotes) to take them there.