http://www.hispanosunidos.us/punto-de-vista/31-the-tragedy-of-carlitos-and-encarnacion-bail-romero

“… Let us be clear, the US has condoned illegal immigration and in the unfortunate incident that one is caught by a zealous government entity, the outcome can turn out to be disastrous. In essence, the lack of enforcement of the US immigration policy has condoned illegal immigration. We all know that the demand for illegal immigration is strong and that as long as it serves the United States economic needs for cheap labor, it opts to look the other way. There are millions of Encarnacions out there and therefore millions of Carlitos out there.”

For anyone interested in the subject, I recommend reading “Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reuinite with his Mother,” by Sonia Nazario, an eye-opening account of a Honduran mother who leaves her 5-year-old son to go work in the US. After 11 years of begging her to return, the boy travels a grueling 1000+ miles to find her. It’s a harrowing and heartbreaking tale that puts a human face on immigration.

As Wendy says, some of the issue still seems to be that of being an undocumented worker in the US. Yet according to published reports by Reuters and other news outlets, in 2010, a staggering $4.13 billion dollars were sent in remittances to Guatemala, 11 % of the country’s economy. 90% of that $4.13 billion was money sent from the US. Obviously, Encarnacion Bail Romero is not the only long-distant parent trying to provide for her children in the only way she knows how. An estimated 1.6 million Guatemalans live and work in the US, many of those undocumented and unable to cross back over the border to parent their chidren. To single out Romero as incapable of parenting because she was behind bars seems harsh and unfair.

At the same time, I see the Mosers’ side of the story, surely acting in good faith. For the sake of the boy who is now legally their son, I wish them well.

Lisa, the comment “being adopted by affluent white people” jars me, too. Most adoptions of non-blood-related babies and children are in fact by white people. And those white people tend to be financially stable. They have to be, or else their adoption petition won’t be approved by their agency, the State, or the Federal government. Maybe someday other groups will expand their idea of family to embrace non-blood related babies and children; maybe someday the government will modify the financial requirements for adoption approval. Until then, we’re stuck with the status quo.

Regarding this case, as Rachel says, it’s hard not to feel hopeless.

Didn’t the judge say in his own words, elsewhere if not in this ruling, that her “lifestyle” as an illegal immigrant was not conducive to being a good parent? That seems to be the real issue here. Her son is a U.S. citizen, she is not. If she were not an illegal alien she would have been provided ample opportunity and some resources to regain custody of her child.

The “best interest of the child” argument can become a slippery slope. A parent’s right to a child is a fundamental human right. Should all these parents lose their children because their kids would have their “best interests” met by being adopted by affluent white people?