Border in Crisis?
Ibrahim, Graduate Student (UM-Dearborn) I am sure by now most have seen the same image. I cannot turn the TV on without the news showing large masses of people waiting to cross a river from Mexico into the US. I have heard that they are waiting for coyotes to help them across. However, no one is quick to call it a crisis. There are caravans of people trying to cross into the US and despite the images, the politicians still cannot agree as to what is going on. In fact, the only thing they do agree on is that it is the other sides fault. According to Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, “the situation isn’t crisis, but a challenge.” He continues to say, it’s an “acute and stressful challenge with some urgency, but merely a challenge all the same.” People act like it matters what you call it, we can all see that there is a problem and it must be fixed. Call it what you want—there is a crisis at the border. It does not matter which “side” you are on: something must be done to protect the rights of all people involved, regardless of their immigration status. Mr. Mayorkas appears to be unrealistic. Based on recent statistics, roughly 80,000 people have tried to cross the border in January of this year alone. Additionally, we are on pace for more than 117,000 unaccompanied minors to cross into the United States this year, which would set a new record. There have been so many people crossing the border that detention facilities in Texas, near the border, that Democrats wanted closed during the Trump Administration, have recently received approval to re-open. Recently, the number of minors arriving without an adult has increased to nearly 300 per day, which is four times as many as were coming in October of 2019. The 80,000 that tried to cross in January of this year is nearly twice as many people that did in January of last year. In addition, there are currently already 7,700 unaccompanied minors under the care of Health and Human Services. So many that another 14,000 beds are needed to accommodate them. I don’t blame migrants for wanting to come to the US. I don’t blame parents for wanting to send their children to the US for a better life. I blame politicians for using this important issue to get elected, to divide a country and to gain power. This is the concept that the current administration has pushed, as stated in a New York Times article, “thousands of families have surged toward the southwestern border in recent weeks, propelled by expectations of a friendlier reception and by a change in Mexican policy that makes it harder for the United States to expel some of the migrants.” Additionally, based on received information, “at least 1,000 migrants have been allowed to cross into Texas in recent days, border activists said, though the Border Patrol has not released any official estimates. There is a crisis at the border, and it is one that we have known about for a long time. It honestly does not matter what political party is in office, neither has done what is/ was necessary to correct the issue. Additionally, neither will admit fault or responsibility for what is going on. There are some polices that work and some that don’t, we will never make everyone happy, but such is life. The government has a responsibility to its people, its neighbors and those who wish to enter the country. It cannot sit idly by and watch what is unfolding, people are being hurt, possibly killed and even exploited, it is borderline dereliction of duty. Policies must be created that will help expedite the entry process, so as to force people to come in the correct way. Additionally, the borders must be secure. This is our home, this is a place immigrants want to call home and it should be treated as such. Most, if not all of us lock our doors at night. We typically don’t let anyone in our homes without invitation, and we definitely don’t allow them in through a window. They use the front door, so why would our countries borders be any different. Let them in the front door, so that they don’t use the window. A quick, easy entry process can do that. A shorter path to citizenship can do that. It is our home and in time it will be their home and I am sure they want to be safe in their own home too. References: 1. Jordan, Miriam and Max Rivlin-Nadler. 2021. “Migrant Families Force Biden to Confront New Border Crisis.” The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2021 (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/us/migrants-border-coronavirus-san-diego.html). 2. Killough, Ashley and Ed Lavandera. 2021. “Is There a Border Crisis? It Depends Who You Ask, but It's Clear That More Migrants Are Crossing into the US.” CNN. Retrieved March 7, 2021 (https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/06/us/us-mexico-migrants-lavandera/index.html). 3. Lowry, Rich. 2021. “Opinion: Biden's Unnecessary Border Crisis.” POLITICO. Retrieved March 7, 2021 (https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/03/03/bidens-unnecessary-border-crisis-473412). 4. Miroff, Nick. 2021. “Biden Administration Facing a 'Challenge' at Mexico Border but Not a Crisis, DHS Chief Says.” The Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2021 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/biden-administration-facing-a-challenge-at-mexico-border-but-not-a-crisis-dhs-chief-says/2021/03/01/d30d1564-7aac-11eb-85cd-9b7fa90c8873_story.html).
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