A4 THE BULLETIN • MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021
U.S.-MEXICO BORDER CRISIS
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: My daughter
is in her early 20s. When she
was younger, she was happy.
She socialized, had friends
and had fun. She has had sev-
eral boyfriends, but unfortu-
nately, nothing that panned
out.
She feels the only way to
be comfortable or worth any-
thing is to have a guy by her
side. I think she goes about
it in the wrong way. She has
few friends now and rarely
goes anywhere other than
work. She experiences peri-
ods of depression and says
she is afraid of being rejected,
which holds her back from
socializing. I try to encourage
her to step out of her comfort
zone and experience life, but
she gets defensive and thinks
I am saying it to be mean,
when I am offering her some-
thing of value.
Abby, I do it out of care
and love. I don’t know how
else to help her. I’m very wor-
ried about her. I’m afraid if
she doesn’t change her life-
style, the situation will be-
come worse, and she will
regret it. These should be
some of the best years of her
life. Can you offer any sug-
gestions to help her through
these dark times?
— Mom Who’s Worried in Pennsylvania
Dear Mom: I do have one.
The most important step a
person can take to solve a
problem is to admit there is
one. Pointing out that some-
one seems depressed and
isolated isn’t mean; it’s what
caring parents (or friends)
do when they see someone
they care about is in trouble.
When advising your daugh-
ter, make sure your tone is
perceived as loving and not
judgmental. Then point out
that the quickest way for her
to get her life back on track
would be to talk to a licensed
mental health professional.
Dear Abby: I got married
while stationed in Korea.
Over the years, I put drugs
and alcohol and friends be-
fore my family. I regret it to
this day.
I have four children and
two of them are from the
same woman. My oldest
son and I chat almost daily
through Messenger. This is
the first time since retirement
that I have been this far away
from them.
My daughter and youngest
son don’t communicate with
me in any fashion. I have
sent text messages to both of
them but received no reply. I
learned a couple of days ago
that my daughter has been
married almost three years.
I miss my family dearly
and wish to talk to both of
them. Is it hatred and un-
forgiveness that I am feeling
from them? It tears me up in-
side. I would feel better with
any type of reply. What else
can I do?
— Reaching Out in Illinois
Dear Reaching Out: There
is nothing more you can do
to get a response from your
daughter and youngest son.
You placed drugs, alcohol
and friends before them
when they were young, and
this is the predictable re-
sponse to emotional neglect.
Not knowing them, I can’t
say for certain that they
“hate” you. They do, however,
appear to be indifferent and
unforgiving, and have moved
on with their lives. You don’t
have much choice but to ac-
cept it and move on with
your own while appreciat-
ing the relationship you have
with your oldest son.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021: Creative,
compassionate and shy, it9s time to come out from your shell and shine. This
year, you may revisit an artistic talent that you set aside or explore one that
you always wanted to try. Budgeting wisely will become a major focus of
your long-term financial planning. If single, friends may introduce you to
your soul mate. If attached, love will be more romantic than ever. TAURUS
arouses your passion.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
õõõõõ Your energy is at an all-time high. Get out in the fresh air. Walking,
running or bicycling with friends is the perfect outlet. Begin a project with a
new team. Accept challenges that display your skills. Tonight: Relaxing at home.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõ You may be tempted to take on too much. Pace yourself and learn to
say no. Friends and family will understand. Start a journal, blog or dream log.
Amazing insights can come from writing things down. Tonight: Hot buttered
popcorn.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõ Get in touch with old friends you have not heard from 4 phone, text
or email, whichever is most expedient. Run your ideas and plans by people
you trust. Be prepared to laugh at someone9s jokes. Tonight: Start a new
collection.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõ Make your views known to those with whom you work or volunteer. Be
diplomatic and take interest in their opinions. Practice the art of compromise.
Positive feedback may come from a surprising source. Tonight: Shop online
for a colorful outfit.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
õõõõõ You don9t need school to immerse yourself in learning. Search the
internet for your special interest. Just be discriminating. Try to distinguish
fact from fiction. Show off what you know. Admirers will eat out of your
hands. Tonight: Experiment with flavors.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
õõõõõ Bring someone along on a power walk, run or workout at the gym.
Exercise can be fun if you do it with a friend. Try out healthy, tasty recipes on
your family. Tonight: Brew a pot of aromatic herbal tea.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
õõõõ A potential partner may present a promising business plan. Socialize
with friends or colleagues after hours. Show someone you love how they
make you feel. A surprise gift or home-cooked meal is always appreciated.
Tonight: Take time for romantic gestures.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõõ Delve into subjects that mystify and fascinate you. Order books online
that will keep you busy for the next few months. You may disagree with your
partner about a financial transaction. Talk it over. Tonight: Deep sleep and
pleasant dreams.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
õõõõõ Get tickets to a concert, film or sporting event. Children and grand-
children may teach you something technological. Welcome their input and
don9t get intimidated. Put on your learning cap and dive right in. Tonight:
Game night with people you love.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõõ Research destinations for a family vacation. Use extra funds for
household repairs or new pieces of furniture that will brighten your home. In-
vite people over for a potluck dinner for no other reason than being together.
Tonight: Follow your intuition.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõ Your nerves may get the better of you if you are scheduled to give a
speech or performance. Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself down and
you will do fine. Friends and siblings have your back. Tonight: Create positive
affirmations.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) 2
õõõõ Review your finances, as humdrum as that sounds. Good news
may result from wise budgeting. Strategize with your partner. Splurge on
something special, but don9t break the bank. A new outfit will make your day.
Tonight: Unwind with dance music.
e
e
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Questions? Call 541-383-0304 or email go@bendbulletin.com.
Gregory Bull/AP
Mexicans seeking asylum in the United States eat candy as they line an entrance to the border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 1. Aside from asy-
lum seekers, illegal immigration has increased significantly since President Joe Biden — who campaigned on a pledge of offering more assistance to
those seeking refugee status in the U.S. — took office, overwhelming facilities at the border already under strain because of the pandemic.
Biden sends FEMA to help
manage minors at border
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press
WILMINGTON, Del. —
The Biden administration is
turning to the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency for
help managing and caring for
record numbers of unaccom-
panied immigrant children
who are streaming into the
United States by illegally cross-
ing the border with Mexico.
FEMA will support a gov-
ernmentwide effort over the
next three months to safely re-
ceive, shelter and transfer mi-
nor children who arrive alone
at the U.S. southwest border,
without a parent or other adult,
Homeland Security Secretary
Alejandro Mayorkas said Sat-
urday.
Government figures show a
growing crisis at the border as
hundreds of children illegally
enter the U.S. from Mexico
daily and are taken into cus-
tody.
The Homeland Security
Department is supposed to
process and transfer unaccom-
panied minor children to the
Department of Health and Hu-
man Services within three days
so that they can be placed with
a parent already living in the
United States, or other suitable
sponsor, until their immigra-
tion cases can be resolved.
But more children are being
held longer at Border Patrol
facilities that weren’t designed
with their care in mind be-
cause long-term shelters run by
the Department of Health and
Human Services have next to
no capacity to accommodate
them. Children are being ap-
prehended daily at far higher
rates than HHS can release
them to parents or sponsors.
Mayorkas said FEMA is
working with the Health and
Human Services Department
to “look at every available op-
tion to quickly expand physical
capacity for appropriate lodg-
ing.”
“Our goal is to ensure that
unaccompanied children are
transferred to HHS as quickly
as possible, consistent with le-
gal requirements and in the
best interest of the children,”
Mayorkas said.
During an record influx of
unaccompanied minors in 2014,
the Obama administration also
turned to FEMA for help coor-
dinating the governmentwide
response. During that crisis,
FEMA helped stand up tempo-
rary shelters and processing sta-
tions on military bases.
President Joe Biden has
ended the Trump-era prac-
tice of expelling immigrant
children who cross the border
alone, but maintained expul-
sions of immigrant families
and single adults.
While his administration has
tried to deter immigrants from
entering the U.S., many believe
they have a better chance now
that Biden is president.
There have also been grow-
ing reports of parents sending
their children across the bor-
der alone while they remain in
Mexico or Central America.
More from Washington
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
on Sunday pledged swift work
by Congress on a job and in-
frastructure package that will
be “fiscally sound,” but said she
isn’t sure whether the next ma-
jor item on Biden’s agenda will
attract Republican backing.
Fresh off a major legislative
victory on the $1.9 trillion vi-
rus relief package that passed
on near-party lines, Democrats
face long and tough battles
ahead in winning GOP en-
dorsement of the administra-
tion’s plans.
Road- and bridge-building
legislation has a long history
of support from both parties
as lawmakers aim to deliver on
projects back home. But Re-
publicans disagree with Biden’s
focus on the environment and
the possibility of financing any
program with debt after the
government borrowed heavily
to address the economic fall-
out from the coronavirus pan-
demic.
“Building roads and bridges
and water supply systems and
the rest has always been bipar-
tisan, always been bipartisan,
except when they oppose it with
a Democratic president, as they
did under President Obama,
and we had to shrink the pack-
age,” said Pelosi, D-Calif.
“But, nonetheless, hopefully,
we will have bipartisanship,”
she said.
Pelosi has directed key Dem-
ocratic lawmakers to begin
working with Republicans on
a “big, bold and transforma-
tional infrastructure package.”
Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.,
chairman of the Senate Envi-
ronment and Public Works
Committee, and Rep. Peter
DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of
House Transportation and In-
frastructure Committee, hope
to pass a bill out of their com-
mittees in May.
The package could include
policy changes — on green
energy and immigration —
and even try to make perma-
nent some of the just-passed
COVID-19 assistance such as
child tax credits.
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