For years, the American political right has demonized immigrants at the Southern border with Mexico. While we condemn any racist attacks on religious or ethnic groups, we must also stand up for immigrants. The number of racist attacks against them exceeds those on Jews, Arabs, or Asians. Yet, the media and even our supposed allies rarely express the outrage they should.
Why is only the Mexican border singled out for a wall when our border with Canada remains porous? Don’t forget our numerous seaports, historically gateways for undocumented immigrants, and documented individuals overstaying visas. Additionally, immigrants arriving at the Southern border come from all over the world.
Some have been manipulated into believing the lies that immigrants illegally vote Democrat, take American jobs, are drug smugglers and murderers, and come north to violate women and kill. Over the years, politicians have cherry-picked examples of immigrant lawbreakers, conveniently ignoring that most are hardworking individuals doing jobs many wouldn’t, valuing family more than the average US citizen, and often more religious.
This upcoming election will likely see hateful rhetoric targeting immigrants and their children. Ironically, Donald Trump’s mother and two wives were themselves immigrants. Did we err in letting them enter our country?
Immigrants did not fly the planes on 9/11, they were not responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing, school shootings, attacks on places of worship or shopping malls, nor were they part of the Capitol insurrection on January 6th two years ago. Hate crimes are rising against many groups, and we must work towards a society where everyone feels welcome and respected.
Early in his term, the Biden administration proposed a comprehensive immigration reform bill, but it was rejected by House Republican leadership. Recently, the Senate has been working on a compromise package that progressives oppose, while some conservative senators hail it as their dream bill. Yet, Donald Trump pressured Republican senators and House members to oppose this restrictive bill, fearing it would undermine his key campaign issue – the border conflict – and benefit President Biden.
The House of Representatives attempted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to enforce border policy and breaching public trust. However, they were unaware that Mayorkas and his staff had been meeting with Republican senators for months to negotiate this very restrictive bill.
Following an incredibly narrow vote (214-213), Mayorkas became the first Cabinet member impeached since the 1870s. However, removal is unlikely due to the Democratic-controlled Senate. While Republicans claim they are upholding promises and exercising oversight, Democrats argue the impeachment is baseless and politically motivated.
House Republicans lack legal grounds for impeachment, yet Trump pushed them to take this risky step. It appears Trump opposes any action on the border, fearing it would aid Biden’s re-election.
Senator Kevin Cramer (North Dakota) expresses frustration with his fellow GOP colleagues who seem to defer to former President Donald Trump on major issues.
«I just think it’s unfortunate that we, as individual United States senators, can’t take the time and the effort and intellectual honesty to study something on your own and make a decision,» Cramer told Politico. «Donald Trump has his opinion too. That’s great, but ours should be our opinion.»
According to Politico, Cramer represents a growing number of GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are increasingly troubled by Trump’s influence. This influence will be on display in the coming days as lawmakers prepare to release a bipartisan immigration and Ukraine aid bill, which Trump has attempted to block. Additionally, they await Trump’s public stance on a major bipartisan tax bill that trades an expansion of the child tax credit for the reinstatement of some corporate tax breaks.
Adding to the border conflict, a group of right-wing radio DJs organized a self-proclaimed «Army of God,» raising approximately $157,000. Their initial claims involved mobilizing 40,000 vehicles, primarily 18-wheelers, to three border entry points to halt immigration. However, the «army» reportedly consisted of only 20-50 vehicles, highlighting internal divisions within the group. It’s worth noting that Jesus, whom they invoke, was not a military leader but a man of peace. As a hypothetical six-star general, he would surely advocate for peaceful solutions.
We require fair and efficient legal procedures to swiftly determine legitimate asylum claims. The Trump administration created a bottleneck of legal frustration by neglecting to hire additional judges and staff to expedite processing. Furthermore, their policy of separating children from their parents resulted in many being lost in the bureaucratic maze.
If Mexico and Central America offered better jobs and safer living conditions, fewer people would migrate to our border. However, it’s important to recognize that people from all over the world, including Russia, China, and Africa, also transit through Mexico seeking a better life.
Hypothetically, sealing the border completely would result in a threefold increase in food prices and similar hikes for hotels and restaurants. The people who currently perform low-wage cleaning and yard work for these anti-immigrant voices would likely no longer be available or demand significantly higher wages.
Maybe the expatriates from Mexico, Central, and South American countries who are living comfortably in a less expensive economy south of the border should be sent back to the USA.
Perhaps we should consider prohibiting US citizens from seeking services from dentists and body sculpting doctors who undercut plastic surgeons and dentists in our communities.
Ultimately, practical solutions exist that would benefit everyone. This necessitates eliminating the hysterical, racist rhetoric and its proponents, paving the way for a reasonable path forward.
