Angelina Jolie has written another column for Time Magazine in her role as “Time contributing editor.” Jolie is obviously very focused on refugee crises, migrant issues, and humanitarian concerns. This week, she puts her focus on the American “border crisis,” which in my opinion is a self-fulfilling crisis made by the Trump administration eager to demonize brown people. I wish Angelina’s column had been the sentence “Stop Putting Babies In Cages” all down the page, but no – she makes an intellectual argument for the myriad problems we need to solve, or help to solve. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

She’s appalled by the babies in cages too: We Americans have been confronted by devastating images from our southern border and increasingly polarized views on how to address this untenable situation. At times I wonder if we are retreating from the ideal of America as a country founded by and for brave, bold, freedom-seeking rebels, and becoming instead inward-looking and fearful. I suspect many of us will refuse to retreat. We grew up in this beautiful, free country, in all its diversity. We know nothing good ever came of fear, and that our own history — including the shameful mistreatment of Native Americans — should incline us to humility and respect when considering the question of migration.

America is experiencing what other nations have been experiencing for years: We in America are starting to experience on our borders some of the pressures other nations have faced for years: countries like Turkey, Uganda and Sudan, which host 6 million refugees between them. Or Lebanon, where every sixth person is a refugee. Or Colombia, which is hosting over 1 million Venezuelans in a country slightly less than twice the size of Texas. There are lessons — and warnings — we can derive from the global refugee situation.

Addressing the causes of refugee crises: Countries producing the migration or refugee flow have the greatest responsibility to take measures to protect their citizens and address the insecurity, corruption and violence causing people to flee. But assisting them with that task is in our interest. Former senior military figures urge the restoration of U.S. aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, arguing that helping to build the rule of law, respect for human rights and stability is the only way to create alternatives to migration. The UN Refugee Agency is calling for an urgent summit of governments in the Americas to address the displacement crisis. These seem logical, overdue steps. Our development assistance to other countries is not a bargaining chip, it is an investment in our long-term security. Showing leadership and working with other countries is a measure of strength, not a sign of weakness.

Stop putting babies in cages: We have a vital interest in upholding international laws and standards on asylum and protection. It is troubling to see our country backing away from these, while expecting other countries, who are hosting millions of refugees and asylum seekers, to adhere to a stricter code. If we go down this path, we risk a race to the bottom and far greater chaos. An international rules-based system brings order. Breaking international standards only encourages more rule-breaking.

[From Time]

She goes on to say that America also needs to change the way immigration courts work, to make the courts more independent and better-functioning, to decrease the backlog of cases and to encourage more lawyers to work pro bono with immigrants, including the “65% of children in the U.S. immigration system [who] still face court without an attorney.” I mean, she’s incredibly thoughtful and controlled about the way she writes, and I can imagine her saying to herself “getting emotional and enraged won’t help.” The truth is, she’s not really trying to convince Trump or the Deplorables about anything – I suspect she knows they’re a lost cause. But she’s appealing to people of conscience elsewhere in the government, from the State Department to the Pentagon to DoJ. I just doubt there are many people of conscience left.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.