CBN News Producer: 'Border Kids Just Broke My Heart'
CBN News travelled to several towns along the U.S.-Mexico border to get an upclose look at the lives of the parents and children risking everything to escape their homelands.
We examined the complexity of the border crisis facing America, as well as the reality facing the immigrant children, their families and the people trying to help care for them.
CBN News Producer Maira Alejandra, who spoke with people on both sides of the issue, said there are several misconceptions about the motivation of those crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Not everyone is paying smugglers to bring them [the children] here. A lot of people are literally just making this trip on their own from Honduras, Nicaragua, wherever it may be," Alejandra explained.
The other misconception, she noted, is "this general idea people have that they're coming to this country because they think that they're going to live off welfare."
Alejandra explained that two of the most common themes prompting those to make the dangerous trek to the United States were a lack of opportunity and violence in their home countries.
"They came here not knowing what's next. They just thought, 'I don't have a future in my country,'" Alejandra explained. "The way somebody put it was, 'A lot of these people would rather die trying to seek hope than to die in their country with no hope.'"
***The Christian community is divided over how to handle the immigrant crisis. CBN News Producer Maira Alejandra offered her take on walking the line between justice and compassion. Click play for her comments.
