United States President Donald Trump has shut the door on an immigration assistance program that was set up to assist some of the world's children whose lives could be in danger. Activists are worried that the President's move could lead to suffering and death for vulnerable children across the globe.
Trump's crackdown on immigration
The immigration assistance initiative was set up in 2014. It provided safe-entry into the United States for children from El-Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala whose parents and guardians were already living legally in the US.
The program was in recognition of the various threats that the children faced in their countries from criminal gangs. Such children were fleeing their homes and trying to make it to the United States on their own.
But now, Homeland Security has revealed that it is bringing the scheme to a halt. The initiative was ended in response to President Donald Trump's executive order signed in January, ordering US security agencies to crack down on immigration.
The project was initiated by former US President Barack Obama's administration. At the time, many children were being assisted by smugglers to sneak illegally into the United States. The initiative was only available for youngsters whose guardians were already living in the US legally.
It also offered an alternative for endangered kids who, for one reason or the other, did not meet the strict rules for asylum.
US decision puts children in danger
One of the human rights organizations that have been working with the US government revealed that in 2014, over fifty thousand children from the three affected countries crossed into the United States.
The Lutheran Immigration Service added (LIRS) that the program has not helped a huge number of children - less than three thousand up to now.
Activists, however, insist that although the figures might appear small, the scheme provides much-needed security for these vulnerable kids. LIRS warned that the US government's decision to abolish the program would only put children from the three Central American in harm while increasing incidents of child trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children.
Guatemala, Honduras, and El-Salvador have some of the world's highest rates of violent deaths outside of war-ravaged regions. Many gangs, some originating from within the United States prison system, wage bloody battles over drugs and areas of influence.
