My stars, Dear Readers.  Don’t we have enough to worry about?  How can we concern ourselves with big questions like immigration, when decorating a cake for a  same sex couple’s wedding is of such importance that it reaches  the Supreme Court?

Immigration is on my mind because I couldn’t understand why undocumented people aren’t immediately deported  (returned to their home country).  I decided to go to a men’s detention center several hours from my home to see the facility for myself and to make a prearranged visit with a detainee.   I’d imagined a typical military base, with barracks, dining hall and other buildings a military unit would expect.   Instead I saw a medium security prison with high chain link fences and razor wire. The waiting room had no drinking fountain.  No bottled water, books, magazines, nothing was allowed to come in.  Little children have nothing to play with.   Waiting time for me was more than two hours.  Then my name was called, I went through security to the visiting area, which had five seats, telephones and separation glass to speak to a young man.

The long delays between apprehension and deportation appear to be a lack of funding for immigration judges.  Being undocumented is a civil, not a criminal offense.  Therefore, the person isn’t entitled to an attorney but under our Constitution is entitled to due process.  Without immigration  judges the person sits in prison for many, many months, sometimes years, at $114 a day per person of taxpayer money.  In the prison for profit system, empty beds means no payment, so keeping them filled is of highest priority.

Visitors return to the waiting area with tears in their eyes, knowing that their loved one will be sent away, and they will be unable or unwilling to follow to countries torn by war or violence and where it is impossible to earn a living.  Is this humane?