"I am a man with a heart"

Joyce Wong
Section A01
Entry #7

Many immigrant families come to the United States to make sure that their children have better lives than they had in their home country. However, many like Andrew Thi end up on the wrong path. Even though Thi did commit unspeakable crimes, I believe that it would have been wrong to deport him back to Cambodia. That would not have solved his addiction with living on the edge--he could have continued this lifestyle in Cambodia if he was deported back, creating more harm rather than making sure it never happens. I believe the INS did not approach the case of Andrew Thi very carefully. The INS took the easy way out by choosing to deport him rather than trying to understand why he went on this addicted path and helping him. They saw the easiest solution was sending him back to Cambodia, which could have made the situation worse. This case can be related to the immigration laws in some states (such as Arizona), where they immediately deport someone because he or she seems to be a "threat".