WASHINGTON (CN) - A program to process the steady stream of young refugees from Central America divided the Senate Judiciary Committee about the so-called erosion of immigration law.
CAM, short for the Central American Migrant Refugee and Parole Program, is just one sympathetic avenues the Obama administration has pursued to handle the unprecedented influx of Central American immigrants, particularly children, that began entering the U.S. illegally in 2012 and reached record levels in the summer of 2014.
While many Republicans advocate cracking down - more arrests and deportations, plus hurdles to keep more immigrants from making it into the country - programs like CAM make it easier for those who entered illegally to stay, and reduce dangers on the path for others still determined to come.
With CAM still in its early stages, the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest held a hearing Thursday to discuss whether the program is "eroding the law and diverting taxpayer resources."
Committee Chairman Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., called the CAM program "troubling," describing it as part of the Obama administration's continuing effort to create new laws rather than use and enforce the laws already in place. By creating new avenues for immigrants to enter the country without going through the legal immigration process that is already in place, Sessions said that CAM surrenders to illegal immigration and rewards illegal activity, encouraging more immigrants to continue to cross the U.S. border.
"While Congress has clearly provided for the admission of certain individuals as refugees, and we've always done this ... this program warps those authorities and undermines the integrity of the immigration system," Sessions said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called it "a shame" that other senators question whether the CAM program does too much to allow children in danger to enter the U.S.
Putting aside any flaws in the developing program, it cannot be said that CAM is doing too much, Blumenthal added. The migrant children in question need help and safety, and no country has ever felt ashamed for doing too much to save children, Blumenthal told the committee.
"They're not coming here because they want food stamps or any other benefits," Blumenthal said.
He added: "They are coming to escape oppression, brutality, murder, rape. They are seeking hope, security, and they have a special tie to our country."
A joint project of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department, CAM creates a refugee-application process for children still in their home countries of Honduras, El Salvador or Guatemala who would try to make the long and dangerous journey to cross into the U.S. illegally.
Successful CAM applicants must qualify as refugees under the program's guidelines, be under the age of 21, have a parent already lawfully settled in the U.S., submit to a DNA test, pass a background check and pass a two-hour interview process.
USCIS representative Joseph Langlois and State Department representative Simon Henshaw explained CAM's benefits and strict procedure to the committee during Thursday's hearing. Both men have more than 30 years' experience in working with immigrant and refugee programs.