“Give me your tired, your poor…”

The rapid influx of unaccompanied immigrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in the last few months has spurred a national conversation regarding the United States’ role in offering refuge to these children, the majority of whom are fleeing widespread gang violence and delinquency in their home countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. A key talking point for some in the debate has become the supposed threat to public health that these children pose.
Pundits and politicians, from city councils to the U.S. Congress, have latched on to the alarmist claim that immigrant children are carrying diseases with them across the border and threatening to infect the U.S. public. The mayor of Murrieta, Calif. recently prevented three buses carrying undocumented immigrants from reaching U.S. Customs and Border Protection for processing, stating in an interview, “You don’t ship people that are ill and contagious all over the country.” Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) has stated, “Our schools cannot handle this influx; we don’t even know what all diseases they have.” A Michigan House of Representatives candidate, Tom Wassa, claims “illegal immigrants” have “known diseases and gang affiliations.” This rhetoric has also started to translate into legislation. In League City, Tex., the City Council passed a resolution to deny any request to operate detention centers inside the city limits, citing vague “health and safety” concerns.
The narrative that unaccompa...

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - August 1, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Access Advocacy Consumer Health Care Disparities Global Health Policy Politics Publc Health Source Type: blogs