Child Migration Crisis Survey Reveals Most Americans Don’t Want Children Deported

Since last fall, there has been a large influx of Central Americans in Mexico and the United States. More specifically, over 50,000 unaccompanied minors from South America (namely El Salvador, Guatemala and the Honduras) have been detained while attempting to illegally cross over to the United States. Government officials are reporting that most of the children hail from Mexico and Central America, and are coming to the United States to flee poor economies, violence, or to be reunited with their families.

In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, since last October, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection records taking into custody 47,017 unaccompanied children under the age of 18. The data is shocking considering that the first four months of 2014 have had more apprehensions than in the entire 2013 fiscal year, which had 24,493 apprehensions. Given the current rate, some estimates predict four times as many arrests this year than last year.

Described as an “urgent humanitarian situation” by President Obama, federal agencies are working to provide the apprehended children with food, medical treatment and mental health services. Even the United Nations has voiced their opinion, with officials suggesting that the displaced Central Americans receive asylum in the US and Mexico. According to the UN, "the U.S. and Mexico should recognize that this is a refugee situation, which implies that they shouldn't be automatically sent to their home countries but rather receive international protection."

While politicians are debating many sides of the crisis, the Public Religion Research Institute conducted a survey to poll Americans and see what their views are on the child migration crisis. Namely, people were polled to see if the immigrant children be deported or provided refuge in America. The findings were surprising and clear — regardless of political affiliation or religion, most Americans were sympathetic towards the children and felt the United States should review each case instead of deporting children immediately.

Specifically, 80 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of independents and 57 percent of Republicans were in favor of the government reviewing each case and not deporting children immediately. Within the different religious groups, 56 percent of white evangelical Protestants, 57 percent of white mainline Protestants, 74 percent of minority Protestants, 75 percent of Catholics and 75 percent of those without religious affiliations were sympathetic towards the child immigrants.

“It makes a difference that we are talking about children facing violence and harm,” said Robert P. Jones, CEO of PRRI, according to the Huffington Post. “The value of keeping families together cuts across all party lines.”

The survey further found that while 25 percent of the Americans surveyed believed the children are illegal immigrants who should be deported, they also feel that the children should be handled as refugees and returned when it is safe for them to go back to their motherland. A whopping 70 percent of those surveyed felt that while a solution is found, the children should be allowed to stay in the country.