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Thanks to President Joe Biden’s radical proposals to loosen border controls and immigration
rules toughened by former President Trump, large groups of illegal migrants are again swarming the U.S. southern border.
This is creating a new border crisis with unaccompanied children being put in cages.
“Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would begin processing upwards of
25,000 asylum-seekers who were required to ‘remain in Mexico’ while being evaluated under former President Donald Trump’s
Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) – and now release the migrants into the United States instead.
“. . . Team Biden said it would start ‘phase one of a program to restore safe and orderly processing
at the southwest border.’ However, this is Orwellian double-speak, since Trump’s program had already restored both
security and order at the border, while these Biden moves are already undermining both. [Emphasis mine]
Although Team Biden has not revealed which cities this new wave of migrants would be sent to, Democrat
Rep. Henry Cuellar has said these migrants would be released in Brownsville and El Paso, Texas, and San Diego,
Calif.[1]
The Biden Administration has created a border crises, while, at the same time, denying its
existence.
The Biden administration insists there's no crisis at the southern border. This is denial!
The Washington Examiner explained that: "Prospective illegal border crossers got the message - Come to the United
States and you can stay. And now, under President Biden, they are not waiting for the new administration to set up
'guardrails' to handle them. They are coming right now." As has been said, rhetoric, incentives, and policies matter.
And people wishing to enter our country illegally are receiving a message loud and clear.
Migrants celebrated and chanted Joe Biden's name when he won the election, and now illegal
border crossings have surged dramatically since November, which was not a random month. In a February 2021 report,
the Los Angeles Times showcased other examples of illegal immigrants citing Democrats taking power and related amnesty rumors
as reasons that they decided to come to America now.
No matter what the administration claims, the resulting realities of their words and actions are
speaking for themselves: “Leaked internal documents from the Department of Health and Human Services show how quickly the
number of child migrants crossing the border is overwhelming the administration's stretched resources.” In the week ending
March 1, 2021, the Border Patrol referred to HHS custody an average of 321 children per day. That's up from a weekly
average of 203 in late January and early February — and just 47 per day during the first week of January. The same
documents say the shelter system is at 94% occupancy and expected to reach its maximum this month - March 2021. It’s clear
the number of children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border could fast overwhelm government systems, in ways similar to
the crises in 2014 and 2019. The Biden Administration has reversed a Trump administration policy of using the public health
order to quickly turn away unaccompanied children.
A previous report revealed that "Customs and Border Protection officials are bracing for as many as
13,000 unaccompanied children crossing into the U.S. in May." Reflexively tossing out successful Trump policies, or
at least policies that stemmed the tide of previous crises, with no alternative in place looks like a lot of stupid partisan
signaling, rather than governing. The Biden administration is simultaneously creating a border crisis and denying that it
exists.[2]
CNN reported on 5 March 2021 that the Biden administration had notified facilities caring for migrant
children that they could open back up to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Former President Donald Trump immediately blasted his successor for what he called a “spiraling
tsunami at the border” as the immigration crisis deepened. “Our border is now totally out of control thanks to the disastrous
leadership of Joe Biden. Our great Border Patrol and ICE agents have been disrespected, demeaned, and mocked,” Trump wrote in
an email.
Trump added: “Now that Biden has implemented nationwide Catch-and-Release, illegal immigrants from
every corner of the Earth will descend upon our border and never be returned. You can never have a secure border unless people
who cross illegally are promptly removed.”
President Biden’s action in relaxing the restrictions on illegal immigration is a reversal of numerous
actions under former President Trump which were designed to restrict illegal immigration. Biden’s action has
immediately resulted in a crisis on the border that will only get worse. How to handle unaccompanied minors is a big issue -
so too has been an increase in migrants heading to the border.[3]
A crisis is a terrible thing to create.
This, nonetheless, is what President Biden has done at the southern border. His rhetoric during the
campaign suggesting an openhanded approach to migrants coming to the U.S., and his early moves to undo former President Donald
Trump’s border policies are creating a migrant surge that risks running out of control. Twice as many people, about
80,000, tried to cross the border illegally in January of this year as compared with January a year ago.
Even though it isn’t peak traveling season yet (that traditionally comes in May and June), U.S. Border
Patrol has already begun releasing migrants into towns on the border. A briefing prepared for President Biden warned
that the number of migrants kids is on pace to set a record, and there aren’t nearly enough beds to accommodate
them.
What Biden has done is to create a “pull factor” a practice that creates an incentive to come
here.
Former President Trump had created an entirely reasonable system based on his lawful authorities to
impose order the border. There was and is no good reason to rip up much of this arrangement, though that’s exactly what Biden
has done. During the pandemic, Trump turned around people who illegally crossed borders on public health grounds. Biden has
now created an exception for unaccompanied minors, which is an obvious incentive for families to send children under age 18
to our southern border.
Under Trump, the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” also known as “Remain in Mexico,” ended the practice
of letting Central American migrants into the U.S. while their asylum claims were adjudicated. This was crucial because under
the old procedure, asylum seekers were allowed into the U.S., and even if their claims were ultimately rejected, as
the vast majority of them were, the migrants overwhelmingly ended up staying anyway. This created a huge magnet -
get to the border and claim asylum and you’re in the United States, very likely to stay.
Biden has trashed the Migrant Protection Protocols. No new asylum- seekers will be enrolled in the
program, and the backlog of people who had been waiting in Mexico are now being admitted into the U.S. He’s also suspended
the so-called “safe third country” agreements that Trump forged with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to get asylum-seekers
to apply in one of those countries.
Allowing them into this country, with no reliable internal enforcement mechanism, constitutes an end
run around our immigration system. Because people respond to incentives, the more who are allowed in, the more will come. And,
since resources aren’t infinite, if enough families show up at the border, it inevitably overtaxes our personnel and
facilities.
Donald Trump got a handle on America’s borders, which had descended into chaos. Call it what you will,
a crisis or a challenge or something else, but President Biden is on a path to heedlessly repeat this unfortunate
experience.[4]
The unaccompanied minor crisis at the border is getting worse by the day as President Joe Biden
continues to push for amnesty and a halt on deportations of illegal immigrants. Overflow detention centers have been opened
and the White House has had a difficult time explaining new policies.
Now, even Democrats are growing concerned about Biden's immigration positions and their real
world consequences. A Democratic lawmaker representing a border district in Texas warned the Biden administration
against easing up too much on unauthorized immigrants, citing their impact on his constituents, local hospitals and their
potential to spread the coronavirus.[5]
The border problem with unaccompanied children exploded once the new Biden immigration policy was
announced. By 8 March 2021, almost immediately after Biden reversed the Trump immigration policy, “More than 3,200
migrant children were stuck in Border Patrol facilities . . . with nearly half held beyond a three-day legal limit, as the
Biden administration struggles to respond to the sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico
border. [Emphasis mine]
“According to government documents obtained by CBS News, nearly 1,400 unaccompanied minors had been
held in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) holding facilities for more than three days {as of 8 March}, despite the agency's
legal obligation to transfer these children to shelters operated by the U.S. refugee agency within 72 hours of taking them
into custody.
“Nearly 170 unaccompanied children stuck in Border Patrol custody are under the age of 13, according
to the CBP documents.
“On February 21, CBP held just nine unaccompanied children past the three-day limit, according to one
document, underscoring how the dwindling bed space at the refugee agency's shelters has created a massive backlog of minors
waiting in facilities that were largely designed to briefly detain adult men.
“As of Monday, the Office of Refugee Resettlement had only about 500 beds available near the southern
border for the increasing number of migrant children entering U.S custody, according to a document from the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the refugee agency.
“A former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the current number of children in
Border Patrol custody is the highest in the agency's history.
“Border Patrol stations, which migrants have dubbed ‘dog kennels’ and ‘ice boxes,’ have cinder-block
cells meant to temporarily hold adult migrants. CBP is also holding unaccompanied children in a large ‘soft-sided’ facility in
south Texas that has more space and accommodations than Border Patrol stations; though it is designed for short-term custody as
well.
“The refugee office is currently housing more than 8,100 unaccompanied children as it works to expand
its bed capacity, which had been restricted during the pandemic to implement social distancing.
“The documents obtained by CBS News illustrate the escalating humanitarian, logistical and
political challenges President Biden is facing at the U.S.-Mexico border early on in his presidency. Republicans have blamed
Mr. Biden's policies and rhetoric on immigration for the marked rise in unaccompanied children entering U.S. border
custody. [Emphasis mine]
“The Biden administration has continued the Trump-era policy of using public health law to rapidly
expel most migrant adults and families from the southern border, but it has shielded unaccompanied children from the
expulsions.
- - -
“More than 7,000 unaccompanied migrant children were transferred to U.S. refugee agency shelters last
month - a record high for a February . . .” (Ref. 6)
Illegal Immigration and its Effects on the Lives of Americans
Each year, hundreds of thousands of aliens deliberately violate our nation’s laws by unlawfully
crossing U.S. borders. This kind of illegal entry is a misdemeanor. When repeated after deportation, it becomes a felony.
Two types of illegal aliens exist in the U.S. today. Those who illegally enter the country are
referred to as EWIs. Those who enter legally and then stay illegally are referred to as over-stayers.
Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. The consequences of illegal immigration are
far-reaching.
Illegal Immigration causes an enormous drain on public funds.
The needs of endless numbers of poor, unskilled illegal entrants undermine the quality of education,
healthcare and other services for Americans.
Job-desperate illegal immigrants unfairly depress the wages and working conditions offered to American
workers, hitting hardest at minority workers and those without high school degrees.
Illegal Immigration undermines national security, allowing potential terrorists to hide in the same
shadows.[7]
In his blind and illogical head-long rush to reverse all things Trump, President Biden has been
throwing out the baby with the bathwater. His reversal of the Trump immigration policies are a glaring example – even
as such a reversal places American lives in danger from Covid-19!
Now, according to the Biden administration, It’s OK to cross the Rio Grande River and enter
the U.S. illegally. Even if you have COVID-19, you can get on a bus in a Texas border town and travel to any part of the
U.S.
Since Joe Biden took office, he’s rapidly dismantled Trump administration policies that kept migrants
in Mexico during the pandemic. Some 100,000 migrants surrendered to U.S. border officials in February, up from 78,000
in January. It’s likely to reach 1 million overall in 2021, if the trend continues.
Some single adults are sent back to Mexico, but families are permitted to stay. After a few days of
processing in a detention center, they’re given documents to travel and released into a Texas border town.
Here’s the hitch. The federal government refuses to test migrants before release unless
they’re visibly sick, even though COVID-19 continues to rage in Mexico. Passing the buck and demonstrating sheer
stupidity, Biden’s press spokesperson explained that the administration considers testing a state or local
responsibility. As if not knowing migrants are spreading the coronavirus absolves the Biden administration of any
culpability. Sorry, that’s ridiculous.
Some cities, like Brownsville and El Paso, Texas, are using rapid tests to identify migrants with
the virus. Other cities do not. But either way, city officials explain they have no authority to stop infected migrants from
traveling. In Texas, only the feds can do that.
When Brownsville officials tested migrants last month, over 6% tested positive. Six percent sounds
small, but 6% of 1 million migrants adds up to 60,000 - a steady stream of COVID spreaders being knowingly dispersed
throughout the nation.[8]
In all of the heated arguments about immigration – legal and illegal – into these United States of
America, there are several questions that need to be asked and answered:
Does America want to be a nation that promotes law and
order? Are those who illegally enter the United States guilty of breaking the law? Should those who illegally enter these
United States be allowed to stay while those who legally apply for admission are not? Does America want to have laws that
define who can legally immigrate to America? Will America enforce its laws that govern immigration into these United States
or will it simply ignore its own laws? If America does not enforce one of its legally enacted laws, why should anyone obey
America’s other laws? Does America want to be a nation of law and order or does it want to revert to a lawless society with
everyone interpreting and obeying the law as he/she wishes? Do we want America to be a nation in which each citizen picks
and chooses which law he/she will obey and which he/she will ignore? How can America ensure its security if it does not
control its borders and those who cross those borders?
POSTSCRIPT: Letter From a Legal Immigrant
“I am an immigrant who came to this wonderful land legally. I am now a US Citizen. I have a brother
who would like to settle here with us in America. His whole family are US Citizens and if we partition for him to come here
legally it is going to take 13 years for that to happen. He is a highly skilled Computer Software developer which means, he
would be an absolute asset to the American work force. A person with his skills earns top dollar which also means, he would
contribute handsomely to the American Tax system. And to add to that, he is a respectable law abiding citizen!
“I have many friends that have spent 10’s of thousands of dollars on lawyers to be able to live in
the US, and other countries in the world legally!
“No matter what country you may want to live in throughout the world if not born there, you have
to apply for the applicable permit to be able to reside there. If you get caught living there without legal documentation
they will deport you immediately and you will not be able to return for at least 10yrs.
“It’s not about compassion, it’s about the Law!
“Without Law there is no Order. To sum it up:
“Any country without Law and Order results in corruption and chaos.
“I speak with authority as I have lived in 2 countries that have fallen because of the lack
there of.” (Ref. 9
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References:
- ‘Viva Biden’ – Illegal Migrant Groups Swarming U.S. Border Wearing Biden T-Shirts, Paul Crespo,
American Defense News, 5 March 2021.
- Analysis: Biden Administration Creates Border Crisis, Denies Its Existence, Guy Benson,
Townhall,
4 March 2021.
- Biden creates a new border crises, Rich Lowry, Boston Herald, Page 15, 6 March 2021.
- Trump: Reversing policies causes ‘tsunami at the border’, Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald,
Page 10, 6 March 2021.
- Democrats Are Now Warning Biden His Immigration Policies Are Causing a Crisis, Katie Pavlich,
Townhall,
1 March 2021.
- Record 3,200 migrant children stuck in Border Patrol custody, with nearly half held past legal limit,
Camilo Montoya-Galvez and Adam Verdugo, CBS NEWS, 8 March 2021.
- Illegal Immigration, FAIR, 2021.
- Biden’s border policy a lesson in COVID hypocrisy, Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald: Page 11,
12 March 2021.
- Illegal immigration is illegal and legal immigrants are punished for doing it legally.,
reddit,
Accessed 7 March 2021.
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