URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2019_Melissa-McCarthy

root causes, occurring in several parts of Central America, that are leading to the current events, namely, political instability, poor healthcare, inadequate food supply (which will likely escalate with continued global climate change), poverty, crime and violence.” “That means that the most effective long- term U.S. strategy will be to provide these countries with the assistance and aid that creates regional peace and security. It seems like our policies now are to remove all foreign aid as an act of retaliation when we should be intervening to address these problems within the local social and economic contexts of a few key countries.” He concludes: “And any policy has to also ensure that we avoid causing lasting psychological damage. These are policies about people, and they have to be consistent with the best psychological science that we have with respect to children, the biological, behavioral and social impacts of severe trauma, and about desperate people who are fleeing violence.”

Associate Professor of History, EVELYN STERNE

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Sterne also notes that the treatment of families at the border is inconsistent with every U.S. immigration policy enacted in the last 95 years.

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