November 5, 2022
Last month Florida governor Ron DeSantis transported immigrants who entered the United States illegally and were sent to his state by the federal government, to Martha's Vineyard, a wealthy enclave where elites have weekend or summer homes, in the eastern part of Massachusetts. Was it a brilliant move, or a shameless attempt to win points with supporters, at the expense of migrants and the immigration debate?
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The immigration war between the two rival Republican and Democrat parties and the activists for and against this contentious issue was given a new twist in this conflict. Governor DeSantis of Florida sent 50 migrants, mostly Venezuelan citizens, to the very wealthy and exclusive community in Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard. It received a lot of coverage on national networks, especially conservative outlets like Fox News, and has drawn attention again to the impasse of what the country should do for its immigration policy.
Whatever your opinion is of the plight of these illegal immigrants, and their relationship to our broken immigration system overall, they are sadly being used as pawns between these political parties and their donors for political gain. This is unacceptable. The United States has a myriad of problems, and finding common ground for solving this contentious issue should be a priority.
There is urgency for a resolution to this challenging issue. It is not productive for both political parties to go back and forth, placing blame on the other without trying to find a more pragmatic and humane treatment of these people. This vacillation, the lack of initiative, non-cooperation, and deferring legislation is causing serious conflict between various citizens, organized groups, and large companies. It has generated anger and conflict between American citizens who want to limit immigration rules and activist groups that argue on behalf of their desire to enter by any means necessary. It will generate vigilantism amongst those worried about the "invasion" from our southern border, where over 2 million have come across during the first two years of the Biden Administration, based on reporting by national media outlets. Under the Trump administration, curbing illegal immigration was not successful, but inexplicably it did reduce legal immigration, according to the CATO Institute. It seems neither party has any real or substantive record of dealing with this problem and seems to paradoxically reduce the right kind of immigration in favor of uncontrolled immigration.
Activists seem to bypass and ignore government regulations and laws already on the books and try to change those laws to bring in more illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America, in my opinion. Ignoring this aspect of the immigration issue is not healthy, or useful. It is essentially "gaslighting" (pretending a viewpoint does not exist) those in favor of sound immigration policy, and could lead to great discord and violence if there is no resolution. That is why hammering out a pragmatic official U.S. policy is a priority that will bring down the temperature of disagreement for all involved. More importantly, it brings about fairness for those wishing to emigrate to the United States while protecting their dignity.
Why does this problem persist with no reasonable resolution? My belief is that donors to both parties enjoy low-cost labor that does not require benefits and livable wages that rise with the cost of inflation. This results in larger corporate profits and does not incentivize the Democrats or Republicans to work out a solution. Listening to podcasts, national media, and reading online print publications, there is an argument made by conservatives that Democrats promote this policy because they want to provide benefits (social entitlements) to new immigrants and build relationships to promote party loyalty that produces predictable and dependable voters.
This "demographics is destiny" idea does have weight, especially when you see it being promoted loosely on MSNBC and CNN by their media personalities and paid contributors. Fox News opposingly scares citizens into a fear of immigration from regions different from the early 20th century (people fleeing famine, war, and religious persecution in Europe) such as Central and Latin America, the African continent, India, and Asia.
What are we to do about immigration? Here are some of my suggestions:
- "Remain in Mexico" policy: Any persons seeking entry into the United States from nations south of the U.S.- Mexico border should adhere to the "remain in Mexico" policy, which would require submitting a request to the U.S. government and stating the reason for being granted entry before entering the United States. Those immigrants would then have to wait in Mexico until their own case is ruled upon by a U.S. government asylum officer. This would alleviate any issues at the border and prevent any future humanitarian crises similar to what is happening now along sections of the U.S.-Mexico border. In countries where there is a stable democracy or human rights are upheld, perhaps those seeking immigration into the United States can get on a waitlist, or seek special consideration for an expedited process? Another solution would be to send any immigrant back to their country of origin to begin a legal process to emigrate to the United States. This places the onus on Mexico's government, which may lead to discouraging illegal entry from other Central and Latin American countries to that country as well.
- Enforce indefinitely "Title 42:" The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) instituted an emergency regulation, pertaining to health law in the country. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was enacted to prohibit persons who may have a communicable disease from entering the country so they can be screened. I think this should be applied to all persons who seek entry into the country so that in addition to requiring it of American citizens, new immigrants are held to the same standard. This can be done at a country of origin rather than at the United States border.
- Give priorities to high-skilled workers: Continued importance should be given to any persons seeking entry into the United States who have a skill that can be useful and productive to the communities where they will live (IT professionals, physicians, engineers, lawyers, etc.) as well as serving the American economy. Anyone who can improve their communities and bring an important, necessary skill should be streamlined against those who have no persecution as their primary reason and have lower skills. This idea should be incorporated into any new and updated immigration policy. Seeking a better life for the less fortunate is fine, but there needs to be a limit on how many of those qualify under that standard so the system of the social safety net is not excessively burdened.
- Updated Immigration Laws: Republicans and Democrats in Congress must work cooperatively for a decisive and fair immigration law that the country can use as a uniform policy, where there are definitive directives and U.S. codes that federal agencies and state governments must strictly adhere to. Anything less will incite anger and conflict. Rules, such as "Remain in Mexico," and Title 42, must be incorporated into any new policy for it to be humane and effective. Taxpayers will likely agree to fund if this legislation meets their goals.
- Find where taxpayer money can be used for greater effect: Most immigrants who come, both legally and illegally, from Central and South America usually have family or friends already here who can provide them with some assistance (housing, food, resources, etc). I don't think housing is the real problem. The crux is where to best spend taxpayer funds, and I think that is for healthcare, education, and job skills training. Perhaps states or municipalities can provide better data on where tax money can better be used to help immigrants assimilate and become productive in American society.
- "Encourage" nonprofits who support illegal immigration to help finance costs through taxation: One of the many problems with illegal immigration is the massive financial costs that are paid with taxpayer funds. Since these activist groups are in favor of this type of immigration, perhaps they can be taxed and those funds used to help provide shelter, food, and any other forms of assistance to better assimilate into our communities?
The general public must push members of Congress to work on any new bills since corporate interests and activists for undocumented immigrants will be against any proposed immigration law. The American people need to be aggressive in reminding their representatives that fixing the corrupt and broken immigration system is of enormous importance, and needs to be done in the near future. The sad part is that for either political party, anything that is done is usually based on a two-year political cycle and whether it will affect individuals, their professional, and the party's fortunes at the ballot box, rather than what will protect our border and improve immigration for all. Pragmatism and common sense are never motivators for progress in the halls of Congress, and that needs to change.
