It is called, “El Tren de la Muerte” — The Death Train by people in Mexico. It’s a series of freight trains that cross the Mexican countryside, but it is also viewed by children as way to escape to America. These minor children, some as young as 7 try to jump on board the moving train. The result has been horrific; those failing to pull themselves up are falling underneath the train. Erica Dahl-Bredine, El Salvador representative for Catholic Relief Services, recently told the Colorado Gazette,
“I see children who’ve lost limbs to the train and return home. The couplings between the cars are notoriously dangerous. I see children who have lost an arm and a leg or both legs. I talk to girls who have been gang raped by the smugglers.”
The problem is not stopping. Children as young as 2 have been sent to the border with notes. These notes contain phone numbers and contact information for relatives in the United States. In the meantime there is no current number that has been released by any agencies on the number of children in the United States. The border and staff have been overwhelmed and multiple sources are stating that close to 1,000 children a day are taking the hazardous trip through the Mexican desert to the United States border.
One of the things driving this massive exodus of children is confusion on United States immigration policy because President Obama has spoken of giving children in the country illegally a specific form of amnesty. These children are called the Dreamers, which are children who grew up in the United States unaware their parents were here illegally. But in countries like El Salvador and Honduras, it is interpreted to mean all illegal children will get to stay in the United States.
Now, the federal government, through multiple agencies, is responsible for medical care, feeding, housing and education of all the children who have made the dangerous border crossing.
