I don't trust or buy fresh food from Mexico or from most other third countries anyway, preferring whenever possible to buy or grow local, and I welcome paying more to buy products made (completely) in the USA. Not only is it environmentally important, it's a matter of national security to be sure we can depend on our own production for vital industries and not be held hostage or risk cyber attacks!
16
Central America is over populated. And they still have more babies. This is a world wide crisis. And the US can’t be the dumping grounds for over population forever. People go nuts over climate change but seem just fine with destroying the earth with too many people.
52
I’m seeing a lot of comments condemning Trump’s strategy. I’m not sure I understand why. Is it because you all are in favor of unlimited immigration? If so, have you thought about what this will cost - either in increased taxes on the working class or in diversion of tax revenue from higher return investment opportunities? Or is it that you think that illiterate/uneducated/unemployed/homeless migrants will provide a good return on investment of those tax dollars? If so, how exactly? Saying this because I see them working for less than minimum wage at very low skilled jobs so wondering how the return on investment will actually happen, in economic terms? And if you’re not in favor of unlimited immigration but just don’t think the tariff threat is a good strategy, how do you propose we stop > 150,000 people/month coming over illegally?
446
@KitKat A better strategy would involve a few things:
a. Recognize where the problem is coming from. It's not Mexico, it's the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador (even if Fox News called them the "3 Mexican Countries"), which are facing a massive refugee crisis.
b. Identify the causes of the refugee crisis. There is massive gang and gun violence in those countries, often targeted at women and children. The problem is fueled at least in part by American guns being smuggled there, but in any case, gangs have influence over the police and so government struggle to fix the problem. Those countries also have a history of American interference exacerbating unrest (see: Reagan funding the Contras).
c. How can we best address a. and b.? The answer isn't by raising taxes for Americans on goods imported from Mexico. No, we need to engage in a concerted foreign policy effort which involves foreign aid to local NGOs that will use the money wisely, restricting the pipeline of our guns that travel south, and supporting the governments in their efforts to wrest control from gangs.
Tariffs against Mexico are so off-target (the wrong solution aimed at the wrong party) that they will do nothing to address the problem.
351
@KitKat Our Secretary of State is supposed to be negotiating a resolution to the refugee crisis at the border -- not paying all his attention to trying to start a war in Iran.
Have you considered that Trump is perhaps not running his government very intelligently?
126
@KitKat
you are a country with vastly more resources than Mexico and you can't stop it. And the way you are going to help Mexico solve the problem is weaken them economically to make it even more difficult.
If you want somebody to do your dirty work for you .. you shouldn't spit on them at the same time.
232
Maybe if the Democrats in Congress would temper their hatred for the president and stop pandering to their open borders wing we could come together and secure our border But instead the Democrats said for 2 years “there is no crisis, no emergency” And this week they passed in the house a bill for amnesty that a 10 yo would know is never to be taken up by the senate The democrat party proves again and again that their partisan hatred trumps working for the security of our country
13
The deep, pervasive and perpetual corruption of the Mexican state is responsible for the uninterrupted flow of illegals. It would be impossible for millions of migrants to navigate the desolate border region without the coyotes that work hand in hand with local, state and federal Mexican officials. Law enforcement in Mexico amounts to a cartel paying the cops, PF, and army to kidnap and kill their rivals.
7
If Putin had built robot to install as President of the United States to weaken us as much as possible, it would be programmed to everything that Trump does:
-Divide the Country
-Attack the Constitution
-Weaken our international alliances
-Break our hard win treaties
-Attack the global world other we built to benefit us without replacing it with anything except a part vacuum. (I would like to change the world order, but in an literally takin, not just knock down what we have built.)
-Give encouragement to Neo-Nazi, Neo-Confederate, Neo-Soviet (Putin is a product of the Soviet KGB) white supremacists, increasing hate crimes and domestic terrorism
-Call for violence against the press
-Call for investigations and arrests of political without an violence of cronies.
-Refuse to do his job as Commander in Chief which is to defend our elections from attacks by Russian Intelligence, not attack the FBI.
I once read a U.S. military research document about weakening other countries. It says that attacking the military is not enough. By attacking all of the institutions at
the same time, the institutions are not able to come to each other's aid, so once enough institutions are weakened, a tipping point is reached and the whole system decays together.
That is what Trump is doing to the USA.
I suspect the Russia thing is Trump's hoax, part of distracting us.Destroying the USA is probably just what he feels he must do to take his rightful place as king.
Make America Grovel Again.
9
Mexico is not the source of this swarm of self=identified "refugees"....it is the corrupt despotic brutal societies south of Mexico. Mexico, despite proving itself to be a great trade partner, has difficulties dealing with its own legacy of corruption and benign neglect for rule of law, it too is overwhelmed.....shamefully so.
The California Border....a mere 200 miles or so....remains the only section with reinforced Walls, increased Border Patrol, and aided with Advanced Military surveilance. The rest of the USA-Mexico border is pathetically under developed....about 1600 miles of it. The Mexico-Guatamala Border is only 400 miles wide, from Caribean to Pacific......nearly 200 miles of that is inpenetrable jungle.....the main north-south routes are all confined to the Pacific Coastal areas(where the people are massed).
The solution is for USA to "loan" Mexico the funds and construction methods to build a 200mile Wall at the Guatamalan Border................good for trade, gives the appearance that Mexico did, in fact, "pay for the wall"....and solves the "refugee" problem in both USA and MX.
3
Pres. Trump has been fighting against establishment Republicans who have long ago sold out to the U.S. Chamber of Crypto-Fascist, Crony-Commerce in Congress at the expense of middle-class, working Americans. Mark well their names.
3
This is all about Race...
Italians, Germans, Irish, etc... all immigrated here and helped to build a stronger better America. Why is Trump so hostile to people immigrating here from Central America and Mexico? Most are asking for political asylum. They want to escape danger and will work hard to provide for their families.
Trump wants to build a wall; Trump separates children from their parents at the border; Trump doesn't care that some children have died in US custody and been assaulted; many children have been "lost"; Trump dehumanizes hispanic people by calling them names; Trump clearly hates people from Latin America...
Could it have something to do with the color of their skin? Of course it does.
Many "hispanics" have an indigenous background. Their blood lines mixed over centuries ... "White" Spaniards, "Brown" Aztec, "Brown" Maya, "Brown" Inca, etc... Yes, many have dark skin because of their backgrounds. So what?
If you agree with Trump on these racist immigration policies, you are probably a racist too...
8
It's very interesting that the Times is reporting the surge in border crossings as part of the summary of this article and in the opening section of the story, without mentioning where the number came from.
It is written about as though this is a verified fact. My assumption, because the Times was reporting it, was that it came from an independent organization. In fact, the only source is Trump's own Customs and Border Patrol, who have a clear motivation to inflate numbers.
Despite the questionable source, the Times claims this number underscores Trump's argument.
5
While everyone whines and complains about Trump Mitch McConnell snickers and shoves it in our faces. Democrats need to start flexing some muscle and Impeachment proceedings is a good start. Ask yourselves this, if Obama committed even one little infraction do you think Republicans would have sat around debating whether or not to impeach? What’s that old saying, fight fire with Fire!
6
Isn't it true that Trump prefers looking at graphs and graphics over reading? Someone should show that first graph in this article, showing how low illegal boarder crossings were during the Obama years, although his head may explode.
6
Not to promote undue skepticism or anything, but can we trust that these "new figures" released yesterday haven't been artificially inflated to bolster a reckless & counterproductive policy? This administration is known to have the occasional credibility problem...
6
Mexico is not East Germany, they can't force people to stay. I don't see how this is Mexico's fault.
7
The man who wrote "The Art of the Deal" is incapable of making even one.
4
Humanitarian crisis needs a level-headed leader who looks for humane solutions. This president is instead intensifying the problem by instituting cruel, inhumane policies and making threats. Just detestable.
7
It's too bad that we didn't have such a 'forward thinking' President in the White House when Trump's mother arrived at our shores. Then she could have been arrested, deported back to the country of her birth and we all would have been saved from our present predicament
8
This is ridiculous. Trump wants Mexico to do what he can't. And Mexico is now supposed to bend to his 'demands' and do what?
Trump says do X, Y and Z. Mexico tries but then, and this is the kicker, Trump changes his mind and says X, Y and Z are not enough, Mexico must now do A, B and C.
Sure Mexico would like to avoid the tariffs but is this incentive going to work? Because no matter how many threats from Trump, he remains a lousy negotiator who changes his mind depending on how many votes he needs that day. Mexico needs to get something signed and ratified by Congress. How else can they move forward knowing there is an 'end' to their compliance. If they don't Trump will USE Mexico even more until the 2020 election by blaming them for his failures, threatening and punishing and hurting them.
6
Trump: "I have a great idea. I'm going to stop undocumented people from flooding over the border by raising taxes on Americans! Should work great!"
Put that way, you can see how stupid the idea of raising tariffs actually is.
4
Come on Trump...impose the tariffs..if that doesn't work in about three days, close the border. And..increase the tariffs on China...do it today. If you want to isolate America...do it! This is the quickest and easiest way to get rid of this whole bunch of Trump and his sycophants. Impeach Trump? Lets let the Republican Senators do it...
3
All these immigrants upon entering the US should immediately be bused to Sanctuary Cities.
6
This is what you get when you put an IMBECILE in charge - downward spiraling of everything.
10
Nice little country you got here. Be a shame if something happened to it. Like tariffs or something. So you better cooperate if you know what's good for you.
This is called extortion. It is a crime.
8
Does Trump really know what he is doing? Yes, we probably need better control of out physical borders. Yes, despite the problems back in their home countries we may not be able to accommodate all the refugees fleeing violence in Central America or elsewhere. Nevertheless, are tariffs the way to improve the situation at the southern border? I don't think so. Trump needs to come up with a more concrete plan to deal with the border crisis. Mexico is not to blame. Mexico needs to be enlisted as an ally to help solve this problem. Trump is the BULL IN A CHINA SHOP. He is a bully in orange face paint with the vocabulary of a ten year old and a very limited understanding of how the real world operates, as opposed to what he believes in his fantasy world. You don't fix problems by fighting your neighbors. If Trump remains in office much longer America will have no friends left in the world. Of all the people vying for the Presidency in 2016 Trump was the worst we could have chosen to advance American interests at home and around the world.
6
Fortunately there is no emergency or crisis at the border as Trump claims.
3
By their cowardly silence for more than two years, Republicans have created a monster that cares little about what they think and does whatever he wants. Sad.
10
If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on Russia targeting Mexican social media to suggest that the wall is coming soon, so you’d better hurry across the border. Chaos in the US=a happy Vladimir.
7
I live in a North Jersey town overrun by illegal immigrants — 20-something unskilled young men who speak little English. Signs for unskilled workers are in Spanish — “busco cocinero con experiencia” etc. If anyone were serious they’d go after the employers. The immigrants are decent people but many are swaggering and marginally hostile. It’s corrosive to the social atmosphere. It’s the reality. The employers including wealthy people’s landscaping services are to blame.
12
If we do not help the other countries in our hemisphere deal with the underlying causes of refugee creation - poverty, violence and especially climate change - the number of asylum seekers at our borders will continue to increase. These are desperate people who have no other alternative.
Trump and Miller propose the very opposite of a solution, to intentionally try to make things WORSE in Central and South America, coupled with taxing the American consumers who can least afford it.
Truly, they must be geniuses. Idiots would be incapable of such terrible ideas.
5
Another success story by the Master Negotiator of the Universe! The Greatest Pretend President Ever!
5
With every federal agency politicized to the hilt, why would I believe a “spike in arrests” by the already quite fascistic border patrol was caused by anything but the border patrol arresting everyone in sight to cause a “spike in arrests”?
8
I think the roots of the President's rage, as your writer put it, goes back much further than Mexican immigration.
4
Will the Times headline writers please wake up? of course he's in a rage, that is his state of equilibrium when he is not preening. and as usual, he has created the source of his rage.
5
The art of the schlemiel
2
Build a wall. They will come.
2
Migrate South! Central Americans should be encouraged to migrate to South America where the cultures and language may be a match. Cruise ships under private contract could deliver the economic migrants to areas that would be a good fit. The Catholic church would, of course, help in this relocation. Is there a private group that would put up the money to reverse the direction of this Migration, since the US can not continue to take more.
We should insist immigration to the US is availble by lottery opportunities for English speakers with proven skills.
9
Any fifth-grader who has learned how to read charts can tell you all you need to know. When the president is a republican, the border crossings increase, and during Obama's admin, it decreased.
5
I despise Trump's personality but that is one thing. His anger toward illegal crossing over our southern border is nothing to do with his personality.
Americans did not vote for him just because of his personality. He was elected our president simply in that what he promised to us makes sense to the majority of Americans. Illegal immigrants has been national security issue for decades and decades and Trump happened to be the first and only president who has been "crazy" enough to break open our nightmare closet and throw into our face reeking skeletons we do not want to face and our vested interest elite class politicians has been cowardly avoided for fear of loss of Hispanic voters.
Somebody has to do clean up this skeletons filled closet in our room for our next generation.
7
The roots of Trump's rage are racism, xenophobia and his own impotence - not increased numbers of crossings at the border.
2
Trump and his administration lie so often it is impossible to trust anything they say...
5
After saying yesterday she wants Trump in prison, Nancy can forget about getting anything done in the House before the election.
4
Mexico's economy benefits greatly from immigrants in the US. Tens of billions are sent to Mexico each year. This is one of the costs that our economy bears. It is fair that we ask Mexico for cooperation in return for that.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/02/10/514172676/mexicans-in-the-u-s-are-sending-home-more-money-than-ever
8
Why does no one look at the causes for so many migrants appearing at our southern border and craft policies to address those causes instead of policies that are big on bluster and small on real change? In 2017, the last year before Trump made policy changes, the Border Patrol apprehended 310,531 people crossing the border illegally. Today, that many people are trying to cross into the US every month. So what has changed? First, Trump has cut off economic aid to the countries migrants are leaving, adding to their need to leave. Second, climate change has caused crop failures and contributed to the extreme poverty. Trump didn’t cause climate change, but his policies are making it worse. Third, gang violence is very real in countries like Ecuador and El Salvador, forcing many families to leave or be killed. Could the US help countries address this issue?
Which brings up the fourth problem, namely corrupt governments that support the gangs and have no economic policies for creating jobs for their citizens. The US is currently spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to house and feed migrant families. None of that money is helping to address the conditions back in the migrants’ home countries. Maybe it’s time to work with Central American countries to help address economic opportunity, government corruption, and extreme poverty. It would seem to be in our own interests to do so.
5
President Trump's policies seem to be based upon engaging countries bilaterally and then using American economic and military strength to muscle them into submission. That's why he is trying to break any economic or political union that does not give the US an ultimate leverage and where other countries don't surrender to American might completely. His efforts to break EU by openly supporting Anti EU politicians is one such example. Poor Mexico is at the receiving end of this. By pressuring Mexico, he is trying to make them do what our border agents do without generating an outcry at home about the any aggressive tactics. The danger is that such policies will work with countries who border us or have stakes in receiving international support with American help. But with countries who are willing to suffer economic and political consequences or who don not share borders with us, his policies may fall flat on their face. In such scenarios, he would either attack them militarily, or if that's too costly, would go and hug those leaders like what happened with North Korea. In other words, the least friendly countries who won't succumb to such pressures and are willing to suffer (rogue states and non state actors) are likely to get the best treatment from Trump. I guess the strategy seems to be "Bully your friends and hug your adversaries".
2
Trump’s followers put a great deal of trust in him concerning the border and yet, after two and a half years of his presidency, he’s achieved nothing.
The man has been unable to work with Republicans, Democrats or even, at times, members of his own cabinet to effect change concerning this important issue. Many of the actions he attempts to take unilaterally are blocked by judges.
There might be a lesson here in that a president can yell and scream endlessly about an issue but if he doesn’t play well with others, he’s not likely to achieve much. The border is Trump’s signature issue but so far the only thing achieved has been the release of a lot of hot air.
4
It looks like President Trump's own rhetoric might have worked against him. I think he gave the smugglers talking points to make people in those countries more fearful, and that the time to cross the border is now or never. How else can one explain more than 100,000 arrested in May this year of undocumented children or migrants traveling as a family? Back in March 2017 shortly after Mr. Obama left office only 2,000 of same people were arrested at the border crossing. All the human rights violations Trump pulled by taking away children from their parents failed to stop the movement of migrants. They became more emboldened with his paranoia during last year's election, and his constant fear mongering.
3
When did the US appoint a king who can make so many decisions without involving other levels of elected government?
I thought the US was founded on getting rid of a king, and letting the people decide.
4
Trump's policies have helped create this crisis. Migrants flee north to escape violence and to find economic opportunity. Trump has cut aid programs that help address both of these root causes in the host countries. Historically most migrants seeking asylum turned themselves in at ports of entry. Trump has sabotaged that system as well, forcing migrants to seek other border crossing locations (they still turn themselves in, just not at ports of entry).
Finally, the data show that illegal immigration is a net positive to the US economy. References to drugs, crime, and the cost of processing these immigrants ignores their low crime rates and huge contribution to our labor pool (and to the solvency of Social Security).
Much of the current crisis is of Trump's own making, and we should not be surprised. All of this was predictable and predicted prior to Nov 2016.
On the topic of impeachment, while there's little doubt that an impeachment effort would fail to remove Trump from office, it would give Congress more investigative and oversight tools in the fact of a total unprecedented stonewalling of Congressional oversight by the White House. For example, the White House has argued in court that certain information requests and subpoenas serve no legislative purpose. Such a standard does not apply under an impeachment inquiry. Impeachment would also allow Congress to deputise staff and even consultants to take testimony, expanding the bandwidth of Congressional committees.
5
the numbers are at historically high levels under Trump so how can he blame the Democrats? the real problem is Trump: he ALWAYS makes things worse. his solutions are ALWAYS worse than the problem.
predictably he postponed a decision on tariffs till Monday so he could dominate the weekend news cycle upon his return on Friday. Fox News is more than happy to accommodate the "stable genius".
4
The graph could be interpreted to show that Trump is the reason for the increase in immigrants at the border.
5
Of course there's a crisis at the border: Trump's caused it. By withdrawing aid to countries in Central America and by not working with their governments to help with their problems we've increased the flow of refugees from violence. And by allocating expenses to a futile wall (which won't stop the determined) instead of funding extra immigration judges, Trump & Co. have created ghastly conditions in internment camps.
88% of all claims for asylum are rejected by immigration courts, their claimants sent back to their home country. When we stall, these people are released into the general population. Trump has a problem because he won't attempt to solve it—or can't. I doubt he understands more than: these are brown people, and my base doesn't want them.
3
The key to understanding all this to admit Mr. Trump's fundamental allegiance to Mr. Putin (and other tyrants).
Every action of Mr. Trump is intended to damage, divide, disrupt, and sow disorder. He strives to harm America's relationships with our neighbors, divide American from American internally, and fan the flames of bigotry, hatred, misogyny and ignorance among our peoples.
This behavior is the most compelling evidence of Russian intervention in American government. It is all around us, as plain as day. The first step towards putting a stop to it is admitting that we see it.
The constitutional crisis that we face is that an entire administration and political party is compromised. Our entire electoral system has been hijacked by years of intentional Russian efforts. The Russian involvement in the NRA is no random coincidence. The NRA has been a potent political and financial force within the GOP and within GOP donors for a very long time.
Impeaching Mr. Trump is the necessary first step, but it only lances the boil. Toxic matter will continue to ooze out as the impeachment investigation shows how many of the rest of Mr. Trump's Collaborators are themselves acting as Russian agents -- wittingly or unwittingly.
America has never faced a President and party so completely hostile to America and American interests.
1
As long as Central America continues to have both an institutional and an ecological meltdown, people will stream toward the United States.
It would be useful if Mexico could or would stop them, but then you would see hundreds of thousands of starving people on Mexico's Southern border.
The world is stumbling towards institutional and ecological failure. Those countries that are still intact cannot let themselves be overrun by the people from those that are not. Eventually America will have to do what other countries do when too many refugees appear at their borders: erect refugee camps and park them there while deciding how many to let in.
That's how the world does it. It isn't nice and tidy, but neither is being drowned by the person you're trying to save. It is the best solution to an intolerable situation.
4
Maybe more of them are making one last dash before the going gets even tougher, given Trump's rhetoric.
2
Trump understand these folks better then anyone. The best way to get their attention is to hit them in the pocketbook. Besides military action, thats the only thing they'll understand.
Of course Mexico could put an end to this. Its hard to believe they cant stop tens of thousands of foreigners from walking through their country and invading our border. I'ts ludicrous to think they cant.
And if they dont, the only other way is to finish walling off the rest of the border. These "family units" with little kids arent scaling our current walls. They are just walking around them.
5
-How exactly will a policy that hurts the U.S. & Mexican economy slow immigration from Central America??
.. Mexico can't handle all these migrants any more than we can.. AND if tariffs slow the Mexican economy, then we can expect to see even more migrants coming from there..
..Trump has done nothing to try to address the cause of the Central American migration..
..We live next to some very poor, unstable, and unsafe countries.. Naturally those people are going to look to the US as a safe haven.. Unless we can help those counties, then the immigration will only get worse.& worse..
2
Don Trump is one slick little deflector, yes?
After campaigning and governing on the solemn promise to shut our borders and dump our immigrants, he achieved none of what he promised other than spectacular instances of abusing hapless people doing what we wish they would: working hard, paying taxes, improving their communities, breaking no laws.
Like all Conservatives, he jumps at low hanging fruit and claims courageous victory.
He also claims, despite his own massive (if unsurprising) failure, it would "so easy" for Mexico to turn the tap and shut off illegal immigration. So easy. Just, apparently, to hard for Trump.
Then we get the brilliance below from commenters like DMS, below, who argues Mexico is a failed state because "If it weren't true, then Mexico would be welcoming every single person in those caravans, assimilating them into their culture, finding them homes, giving them jobs and healthcare, and educating their children. But that's not at all what Mexico is doing, is it?"
Apparently DMS, and his spiritual brother John (also below) wish we would be very much nicer to illegal immigrants, or they think that, under Trump, we're a failed state, too.
The emotion and illogic here are stunning.
There is one undeniable fact: despite repeated Democrat efforts Republicans have refused even to discuss immigration for forty years. And they still refuse today. This is a Republican problem, and they have no answer.
So, blame Mexico.
2
Looks as if the unelected Miller is commanding Executive actions. Trump is unfit to be POTUS and needs to be removed.
2
.. Tariffs will do nothing to fix immigration... And, if they hurt Mexico's economy,.. Then tariffs will probably lead to an increase in Immigration..
.. American's pay the tariff's
... Immigration has Increased under Trump... Because of his failed policies..
... Trump cut aid to Central America.. aid that was used to help those countries and stop immigration..
.. Tariffs on Mexico are just another sign of Trump's incompetence as a President..
... Next he will levy tariff's against the floods in Oklahoma
2
Why dont we just build a wall from sea to sea and have Mexico pay for it using the escalating tariffs money until its paid for?
Problem solved. !
Riiigghht.
..Another of Trump's failed, juvenile policies.. Immigration from Central America is not going to be affected by Mexican tariffs..
..However American car manufacturers Will be greatly affected by the tariffs, as will the American economy..
.. If we want to slow immigration then we need to address the causes of that immigration.. by the time all these people get to our border its too late..
Poverty & violence in Central America has been sending families fleeing for safety & a better life.. BUT Trump cut aid to those countries, which has only led to an Increase in immigration..
.... So Trump's policies have been a total failure..and they continue to be..
2
This, like almost everything most outrageous to emanate from Trump's White House, comes from pseudo-President Stephen Miller. Dig deeper press and make Trump answer for his cabinet's constant bomb throwing.
2
The political gravy train of the illegal resident industries, that US citizen taxes pay for is an international plague. It's sometimes revealed as unfunded entitlements. It is the silent drum beat disguised by fake humanitarianism. It is also the middle class worker destroyer that keeps foreign elites and domestic puppets living high.
Free healthcare, education, jobs, food, shelter... Sadly such notable sages as Sonny and Cher accidentally said it succinctly years ago
"Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain"
It's on view daily, at least it is now exposed by DJT.
2
Where are Trump's policies on punishing the wealthy business owners that hire and therefore encourage migration? Why are all the penalties targeting the non-white participants. It is similar to the concept of arresting the prostitutes ( poor, molested, and drug addicted children) but not the well to do patrons or pimps. Let's ask a huge Trump supporter that happens to own a football franchise his thoughts on the situation.
5
Lets just charge an entrance fee and give 10% of it to the Trump organization.
A dollar spent in Central America trying to help stop immigration there, would be ten times more effective than a dollar spent processing migrants at our border...
.. But Trump cut aid to Central American countries..AND immigration has increased..
Trump has failed in his Immigration strategy, and tariffs against Mexico would only lead to an even bigger increase in migrants because of the negative effect on the Mexican economy..
... Trump's policies are generally a failure, and tariff's have been a big failure..
56
The LA Times did better reporting. Their front page news stated Federal "Agents apprehended 132,887 people in May, the largest figure in more than a decade."
There is some malevolent force, other than the violence created by the cartels, moving this body of people toward, in my opinion disaster.
California has a housing crisis that is unparallelled anywhere in the US at this moment, created by the more than 29 devastating fires throughout the state in less than 2 years. Every county facility I enter, I encounter an entire Mexican family with a child at their side. Often there seems to be no connection to the companion child, and no resemblance, either. Other foriegn families act without guile and their kids move in every direction.
Every one of those "migrants' is headed to California. The single Democrat who initiated the "sanctuary" state in California failed to consult with the 40 million registered California Citizens of the U.S.
Listen up Democrats. People like me who are ardent liberals do not want any persons who are demanding to enter on so-called asylum status in the U.S. 10 million illegal aliens live in our state, and we have enough to deal with.
Clearly these migrants broke fences and gates to cause them to be apprehended. Collectively, though without the minors, they committed felonies. If two people conspire to break a law together, any level of law is raised to a felony, in California.
P. Trump, communicate to the migrants.
28
@RR
Entering the USA without proper documentation is not a felony. That’s a misdemeanor. Making an illegal Campaign contribution through a third party to influence an American election IS a Federal Felony.
11
Last time I checked, the United States of America is THE land of immigrants unless you happen to be a Native American. Trump’s own mother hailed from Scotland, a product of chain migration and began her employment as a house servant. The misogyny rampant in the Oval Office is truly repugnant and anti American. It is reminiscent of the dark times of the 1950s known as the McCarthy era.
12
Note that people coming with families are migrating permanently to the US - legal or illegal is the US's problem to deal with. Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children are sent because they cannot be turned away. US laws force education and caring for the children until they are sent to sponsors. This is a very systematic and planned movement of population. Mexico is allowing the passage and the smugglers are reaping benefits. At this rate, there will be one million unskilled/semiskilled adults entering the US this year.
The Dems in Congress still do not agree to help CPB with more funding. They do not believe there is a crisis at the border. There is no coverage in CNN or MSNBC, they still want impeachment.
20
Mexico would be crazy to cave into Mr. Trump. Call his bluff - he's not going to impose tariffs with an election around the corner. Don't be afraid of him; he's a chicken.
Besides, this is Stephen Miller's dumb idea and he needs to be held accountable for his lunacy.
1126
@NE1410S
Thanks to trade agreements with our country and Canada, Mexico has become the 15th largest economy in the world. Countries with large economies have moral responsibilities to the rest of the world. After WWII, countries signed an international agreement saying that they would allow foreigners who were fleeing persecution of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group to request asylum. Even though Mexico signed this treaty, it has not accepted large numbers of people who qualify for asylum. It has always expected the U.S. to absorb them. The U.S. and Canada have an agreement that an asylum seeker must request asylum at whichever country he first enters (through an official border crossing). This means that Central Americans cannot travel through the U.S. to an official border crossing at the Canadian border and ask for asylum there. They have to request asylum in the U.S. As a large world economy, Mexico should sign a similar agreement with the U.S. This would mean that Central Americans who need asylum would request asylum in Mexico instead of traveling through Mexico to the U.S.
87
@AZPurdue
Like it or not, or for better or (mostly) worse.
5
@AZPurdue, just like he said he said he would close the border.
14
I'm surprised to see readers comparing this situation with Trump's face-plant dealing with the North Koreans.
As much as I despise Trump, the fact that Mexico has both nuclear nothing, and ballistic missile nothing, makes this a very different situation.
Uncontrolled anger will not, in any way, help get rid of Trump. Stay calm, and get ready to knock him out in 2020.
And one more thing - Don't like Pence? Then how would impeachment, even if possible, clean things up? What kind of victory is replacing a thieving incompetent with a well organized fascist?
Forget the fence - Knock down Trump/Pence
394
@Peter Zenger Agreed. We are almost in full swing election season. Focus on policies that will beat Trump, and a strategy for flipping a portion of swing voters. Impeachment will simply distract and draw more support to Trump.
25
@Peter Zenger Impeachment by the House is not conviction by the Senate, let alone removal from office. Impeachment is a process whereby the public can see a full picture of Trump's many transgressions. It would not lead to removal from office or even resignation, but it might sway enough undecided or previously supportive voters to ensure Trump's defeat next year. Impeachment may also allow the House to hold its head up, and go a long way toward mending the nation's damaged reputation abroad.
34
@Peter Zenger - Pence may be worse, but impeachment proceedings themselves are the right thing to do to punish a criminal President and signal to the world that he must be held accountable for lying to the American people, to Congress and grossly abusing his power.
31
The charts on border arrests and breakdown of families. children and adults are nice, but the far more relevant context could be provided if additional data were provided on the first chart for the U.S. unemployment statistics (demand for more labor) or U.S. economic growth, as well as some context for the situation in the situation in the source country for the surges of migrants.
4
@Peter M: Employment in the US is another topic of cognitive dissonance. It makes no sense for Trump to enter into any trade wars to increase employment in the US when he boasts that it is already fully employed.
2
@Steve Bolger: Trump doesn't have enough "cognitive" to recognize the "dissonance".
1
The fundamental reason for this situation is that the governments of Mexico and other Central American countries can't maintain order because they aren't as wealthy or well-equipped as the organized-crime cartels. Part of the reason is because of domestic policies imposed on those government by the United States -- having the United Fruit Company draft the tax code and labor laws (backed when necessary, by Marines) is great for the United Fruit Company but not so much for domestic revenue or local income. But another part is because the organized crime cartels derive most of their immense income through their control of the drug trade and -- lets face it -- for the last 60-odd years successive American governments have adopted polices which seem to have been specifically designed to maximize revenue in that particular business. Seems it (and the "right" in general) didn't learn a darn thing from prohibition.
There are problems here all right, but the "border" crisis isn't one of them. It's an effect -- not a cause. If Trump (and his supporters) were actually serious about dealing with the issue, then we'd be hearing a lot more about the legalization of recreational drugs and a lot less about a wall.
11
@curious
Mexico has a military. The second an American steps foot in their country illegally they are thrown in jail. You mean to tell me their military is so weak, they cant stop tens of thousands of foreign migrants from walking through their country?
2
@curious
I don't disagree with what you are saying, but I think that huge increases in penalties on employers of undocumented workers would have a much bigger impact on reducing illegal immigration than a change in U.S. drug laws.
The key to reducing illegal immigration is to target those with the most to lose (wealthy employers). History has shown us repeatedly that those with the least to lose are willing to take the greatest risks.
If the demand for undocumented workers dries up, the supply will surely be impacted.
2
are you saying we should legalize opioids?
Trump always comes up with solutions to problems their are No solutions for .
genius at work
2
What an incompetent hypocrite.
1. In 2013, Obama managed to build a political agreement allowing him to get a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill through the Senate with a super-majority of 68 votes. It contained all border security increasing measures that experts had asked for and that had been proven to work - including tripling the number of border patrol agents at the southern border, e-verify, and drones.
Why are there still only 18,000 border patrol agents at the southern border six years later? For two reasons:
2. The GOP House has always refused to even allow a vote on that bill (knowing that if they would do so, it would be signed into law, and they wouldn't be able to cultivate the for their own "ratings" crucial fake news that Democrats would be "weak" on national/border security).
3. Once Trump took over, Democrats tried again to get something serious done. As the GOP had massively won the 2016 elections - and as they are democrats - they now accepted to include FULL funding for Trump's (proven to not be effective) wall.
Why didn't this happen either? Not only because Trump is such a bad negotiator, who constantly undermines the trust needed to build common ground. The main reason has been ... an Ann Coulter tweet attacking the bill because it included the bipartisan Dream act, supported by 80% of the American people. The tweet made Trump tremble with fear, to then decide to cowardly put his ratings before country and reject the entire bill.
11
Obama had it under control. Trump wants it out of control. To fix the problem get rid of Donald Trump.
14
As I recall, under Obama, small Central American children ventured up to the United States due to his immigration policies. This led to a disastrous humanitarian crisis with a large number of children being abused, assaulted, separated from families, etc.
Obama did not have this under control.
Stopping illegal immigration takes direct action. Whether it’s a wall or whether it’s tariffs, something must be done.
1
Dear Mexico,
Please keep sending more people over the border. Just to show Trump that he is powerless to stop it.
3
If Trump’s border strategy is working so well why are more people than ever trying to cross?
5
@SH, it's easier to sneak into a chicken coop when all the chickens inside are running around like they are without heads, naturally.
Even if the thorny immigration issue remains unaddressed die to political expediency it will continue to be an electorally rewarding issue specially for the populist denagogues like Trump who has successfully built up a case of national emergency by manufacturing a border security threat along the Southwestern border.Interestingly there's a large constituency in the US who with their deep rooted migrant fears are easily susceptible to this anti-immigrant propaganda drive.
3
This is so deliciously ironic. We always bring about our worst fears, don’t we? I am enjoying watching Trump writhe.
4
@Concerned, personally I'm enjoying watching the other side rising to the writhe even more.
Migrate South! Central Americans should be encouraged to migrate to South America where the cultures and language may be a match. Cruise ships under private contract could deliver the economic migrants to areas that would be a good fit. The Catholic church would, of course, help in this relocation. Is there a private group that would put up the money to reverse the direction of this Migration since the US can not continue to absorb more?
8
Ummmm, the answer would be a resounding no to that one....
It is interesting that Latin Americans don’t want to emigrate to other Latin American countries. Is there something fundamentally flawed about the Spanish Experiment in the New World?
1
We seem to have a handle on where these immigrants are from. FROM is the key word here or in other words the source. Mexico is not the source! What if anything can be done with the source? I have my thoughts and I am sure you have yours. The far east is secondary to our needs on this continent.
2
Can no one stop this President from punishing innocent children, treating them like animals, and denying them the basics of education in English and exercise? Can no one stop him from levying harmful tariffs? Can no one come up with humane plans for immigrants and trade that involve strengthening countries south of us that are suffering in so many ways??? We're a "nation under God"?? We're "America the beautiful" that honors brotherhood (and sisterhood)?? What has happened to our nation that makes us forget where we all came from and the help we've all received???
4
The intransigence of Liberals regarding our border is what caused Trump to be elected in 2016.
This continued and increasingly nasty support of foreigners over working Americans - now combined with our soaring Trump economy - will give Trump both a landslide re-election and control of the House.
10
I believe one of the first items the Trump administration did was to stop supporting the South American countries that depended on American dollars to help their economies to encourage their citizens to stay at home.
The statistics actually do speak for themselves and I really wish American journalists would start to do some serious research to try to identify from where this crisis originally began. Having all the facts may give our elected officials the impetus they need to do their own research and make the best decision for everyone.
9
If the US which has more resources than Mexico cannot stop the asylum seekers at its borders, how do we expect Mexico to do so--especially when we are going to hit its economy (not to mention ours)?
7
Human population growth has far exceeded biosphere carrying capacity so we're an anthropogenic mass extinction event.
It has also exceeded economic, social infrastructure and civil society carrying capacity, and the migration crisis worldwide is one of its symptoms.
The main countries whose citizens are desperately flooding our southern border are countries that have outlawed abortion and otherwise make it almost impossible for women to say no to unwanted gestation and pregnancy.
Any discussion about human migration crises should include the human overpopulation crisis, and empowering women to control when and if they have children.
8
Immigration was Trump’s signature issue, and he has been unable to do anything about it, in fact it is getting worse under him.
5
@Fred
Hes not King. He needs Congress. You proclaim he hasnt been able to do anything about it, but completely ignore the fact that Democrats have been fighting him at every step.
Would you rather he ignored Congress?
Did you support the emergence declaration? With that mindset, you should have.
1
For all the whining on all sides about immigration reform, does anyone one really want to change this? Where are the incentives?
I have not heard either party propose a credible solution, and the president simply blusters and threatens with no solution behind his outbursts (except, of course, blame the Mexicans)
Let's face it, underpaid workers make products (agricultural and others), and they do it for less thereby making more money for their employers and for all of us who buy the products!! Certainly there is little economic incentive in this situation to get those hiring illegally to stop. Imagine if we actually mandated a living minimum wage in the US how much more important this would be.
So who really does want to change this situation? When we come right down to it, what is the upside?
2
@BillC
The best, and quickest solution is a wall.
Want to prop up those govts so these folks dont want to leave? Great idea, but that will take years.
In the meantime, 150k per month illegally crossing the border - and these family units with little kids arent scaling walls. They are just walking around them.
We need more walls, period.
1
Trump is trying in his own way to resolve an issue that is getting worse. The problem is he thinks in tactical ways only with no real strategy to end the problem. Lets punish these countries economically when a major cause of the migration is poverty in the nations people are fleeing. Trump would put a bandaid on a hemophiliac and think that he has solved the problem. All he does is to temporarily minimize the symptoms. The bandaids fail eventually.
2
I am for improved border control. But none of it will work until the government stops turning a blind eye to the flagrant abuse of illegal immigration by the dairy and meat packing industries. Why do they get off free while the workers they exploit are jailed?
7
ironically, the liberals claim we should stop eating meat. so if the price of meat increases due to higher union wages it is a win-win.
If Trump is so bent on stemming the flow of immigrants, then he should buy the Mexican and Belize southern borders, build his "beautiful wall", and station troops in a 5 mile wide DMZ. Certainly much cheaper than what he wants to do at the northern Mexican border. Maybe he can even set up labor camps, then he can be just like Kim Jong-Un, a person he aspires to be.
By doing this, not only eh stops immigrants; he stops drug trafficking out of Central America.
Each day, of the Trump Administration, brings just more distress and uncertainty to not only most Americans, but most of the planet. The questions are who is he going to go after next?
3
Maybe instead of funding the wall, send more aid to countries that these asylum seekers are fleeing. And for goodness sake, send birth control and don’t take away the women’s reproductive care.
5
@Just the Facts
Weve been sending them aid for many years.
This started in 2014.
Doesnt seem to be working, does it?
1
@Just the Facts: That will only work if you can dislodge the entrenched oligarchs both there and here.
Much ado about nada. Trump's threat to punish Mexico was issued to take attention away from the Mueller Report. And the media swallowed it. The media always does...
5
I detest Donald Trump. However, so-called immigrants are playing our liberal political asylum laws. There are 5 criteria based on a well-founded fear of persecution based on nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, religion and perceived membership in a social class. One or more of these applied to Guatemalan Indians 200,000 of whom were massacred in the late 20th century. None of these criteria apply to Central Americans migrants who admit they are looking for a better life and work, making them economic migrants. The Hondurans who are feeling horrible conditions are no of another nationality, not being terrified because of their ethnicity or social class, are not Quakers who want the restoration of the Spanish monarchy in Honduras.
6
If the U.S. can't stop the flow of illegal immigration and asylum seekers across its southern border, why do some Americans think Mexico--with far less resourcess--can?
Anyone who thinks 100,000 humans attempting to cross our border each month is anything less than a humanitarian crisis has to think these people are less than human. The notion that people seeking asylum from failed states should "stay in Mexico" smacks of White nationalism. This is textbook authoritarianism: create or inflame a crisis, then propose that drastic measures are the only solution.
2
Has anyone seen the latest news about the Homeless problems in California lately? Policemen are contracting Typhoid Fever in the Sanctuary City of LA, San Francisco has become a giant homeless shelter and the streets are drug infested and it too is a so called Sancturary City. The people that run these places are all Democrats and are guilty of the same inaction that has lead to the Border Crisis. Pelosi is from the Bay Area among others who lead the charge to do nothing.
We are reaping what has been sown and with thousands streaming in everyday its going to get worse.
All we heard from the Democrats for months was that there was no border crisis it was all created by Trump to hype his base. Folks he was elected to solve this problem and now you are finally beginning to believe that its real after all this time?
This inaction is cementing DJT's hold on 2020. There are zero ideas coming from the Dems in Congress except impeach impeach impeach.
7
I am proud to have President Trump at the helm and handling this tragic crisis. The US will pay for this in the future by taking funding away from Americans that need it—it's the only way. Do you really want that? We need to fix the border crisis now.
131
@David Kane it'd be nice if DJT and his ilk weren't hiring so many 'illegal' immigrants, though,wouldn't it?
69
@David Kane I agree with other commenters who say that Trump created this issue with his threats to close the border, build a wall, etc. Reference the chart accompanying the article. Note how illegal immigration was dropping in general, then takes off when Trump comes onto the scene. His vitriol on numerous issues causes crises that he then heroically tries to "fix".
44
@jeffk
Trying to force Mexico to solve a problem we can’t isn’t leadership - it’s called passing the buck.
42
To negotiate and to deal is not the same as to demand. Trump demands, it is all he knows.
2
There are an unusual number of emails which begin "I didn't vote for Trump, but" and then go on to extoll the virtues of his conduct. Genuine? Also, the latest Mexico Tariff War has effectively redireted public and media attention away from Mueller statement's about obstruction of justice. Just saying.
5
All of us on this planet are deeply connected. The United States has the power be a positive influence in the world or a negative one. Unfortunately, the latest mode of operation is to behave selfishly with disregard and contempt for other people around the world as well as toward our own citizens. On the surface, we see an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants crossing over the border from Mexico and instead of focusing on why and going to the root of the problem to solve it, we want an instant solution, a tariff, which is held threateningly over Mexico’s as if it were a misbehaving child. The situation is so much more complex. We should be working with Mexico as an equal. Not from a position of superiority.
3
if migrants who are fleeing poverty, crime,drugs, et all...don't want to stay in Mexico, sounds like we are a superior country
So, a rich country penalizes a poor country for not securing its borders (though the rich country also cannot secure its borders).
Because of the tariffs, the poor country gets poorer. This leads it to be _less_ able to secure its borders.
Following the cause and effect "logic" of this sequence, the tariffs go up five percentage points per failure.
The upshot is that a poor country becomes impoverished, making it (voila!) *much more able to secure its borders.* Right?
2
I think it is very easy to summarize: President Trump’s “strategy” at the border has completely failed. The numbers are way up compared to his predecessor. He is now desperately accusing anyone - but him.
3
I suppose Trump was telling the truth when he said Mexico would pay for the southern border wall? Every tariff levied against Mexico, China, etc. goes directly into the control of Trump to pay for his initiatives?
Minor problem: Tariffs aren’t paid by foreign countries, they are paid by American importers, who then pass them on to American consumers. Therefore, tariffs equal taxes on consumers.
1
As with cutting aid to Central American countries, ruinous tariffs, although paid for by the US public, will exacerbate conditions to our south that increase the flow of economic migrants to the border. Even the Trumpistas (although perhaps not Trump himself) realize this. What gives?
Hard to believe the Republican Senators and Representatives may have just found an issue that they might be willing to buck Trump on if only they can find a way to do it without making their perpetual 3-year-old throw a tantrum.
Now, Texas is very much involved here, probably taking the brunt of the economic hit the tariffs will bring, greater even than California will have shoved down its throat. Our two fine Senators have both made noises sounding like they are considering maybe to try to convince Trump to take another path, but that's all it is is noise. Neither John Cornyn nor Ted Cruz will carry through on any effort to bring Trump to heel. "Lyin' Ted" and Go-along" John can be counted to buckle and knuckle when face with their president's steely glare.
Unless, that is, they've suddenly developed a bone structure along their dorsal midline.
Naahh. Ain't gonna happen. Their history with Trump is just gonna, Groundhog Day-like, repeat itself.
It funny to me that anyone believes he wants a solution to this and is a rational to think this is the solution. For 50 years the most powerful country on earth has been trying to control this situation and now he thinks Mexico can solve it in a week? Or maybe he just needs regressive taxes to cover up for the rich guy tax cut he let Paul Ryan talk him into derailing his own (also terrible) agenda for.
How is it that "the system is broken" now, with an average of 40,206 apprehensions per month during the Trump administration; when it wasn't "broken" in 2001-2008 during the Bush administration with an average of 81,588 apprehensions per month? This is racism and pandering to his base; further amplified by this president's inability to understand complex problems and his inability to attract capable government professionals to his administration.
The fact remains that immigration of all sorts into the US has been an economic boon to the country. I know, some people don't care about this fact, but I will keep on stating it no matter many times others ignore or deny it. It is also true that borders are political fictions and are porous all over the world. The willingness to take in people suffering elsewhere has been a significant source of our soft power, i.e. the idea that we are a better country and people because we are willing to shelter others from the world's unjust storms. Now we are an unjust storm. People are crashing the border because for decades, racists have refused to strike a reasonable deal to reform the immigration system to take the poor into account. Trump is emblematic of those who would only ever allow a token few of the impoverished to enter legally. So they crash the party. And with respect to the Southern border the party is: The ongoing white conquest of the Americas. Wittingly or not, by crossing many are taking back some of what was stolen from them, by partially repopulating a white occupied land. Meanwhile, the Trumpies are so obsessed with the social construct of race that they are willing to chuck everything to remake the country as some fictional, ideal Whitiestan of the past. In this regard, what Mexico is doing does not concern me. What concerns me is that white nationalism is at the heart of US policy. They might as well wear sheets.
1
I don't hear the open border crowd clamoring to let in oppressed Syrians and oppressed Africans from war-torn countries. Is that xenophobia?
1
I find the 'reader Picks' comments fascinating.
Do these people actually see what is happening? Close to 150K/ month uneducated mono-ethnic folks streaming in.
And we begrudge 85,000 educated, tax paying, job creating H1b visas that are give each year?
Does the left envision this to be modern day Cambodia? Get rid of the educated and fill the country with uneducated laborers?
Well, I for one, thank I dont have children. This country will not be the same one, I love so much, 20 years from now.
3
It is with a sigh and resignation that I admit that this issue catapulted Trump into the presidency. I accept that there is a need for border control, and that previous administrations, both parties, have not only failed to control, and even subtly encouraged. The election result was a loud and clear call for a reset that Trump is heeding. A tough approach may or may not work, but middle America is grateful for his efforts. A reset on this issue with tougher policies that make sense to the general public will prevent future candidates from riding this issue to the presidency.
7
Yes. The roof is leaking and someone has to fix it. Reality check time.
2
So now we can see the fruits of Trump's get tough position on the southern border, with illegal border crossings at a seven-year high. That makes me think that perhaps an intelligent approach might work better than his dim witted reality show impression of governing.
Maybe his tactics work when cheating investors and stiffing contractors but they don't seem nearly as effective in dealing with complex situations in the real world.
22
@Jim Dickinson: Trump is a product of a court system that allows itself to be used as an extortion racket by not deciding anything and never penalizing lawyers for filing frivolous lawsuits.
1
Unfortunately the Arc of our history comes to bite us AGAIN! Just remember when We helped overthrow all the Leftist governments of the South. Then right wingers took over and descended into criminal organizations that destroyed the social contract. Sounds just like the Middle East doesn’t it? What we did in Iraq caused in Europe what we had in our South American adventures,a flow of displaced people causing worldwide discontent. We reap what we sow. Right wingers are the grim reapers,John Bolton is lost without a scythe.
At the base of all these problems are Greed and Religion.
20
It is a strange situation where the most powerful country on Earth led by the master of the deal is asking another country to control its borders.
The US should fix its immigration system and stop causing instability for Mexico.
21
The far left has lost its mind. We will all pay for their self destruction of this country. One need only look to San Francisco, Seattle, Portland Oregon and NYC to see the end result of total Democratic control. Rampant homelessness, vagrants coming from all over the country to camp out in these cities and surrounded by buildings of extreme luxury that only the tiniest fraction of the world's population can afford (that Democratic politicians approve the building of). That is the Democratic model.
God help us all if they take total control of this country.
11
@MM No homelessness in Kansas? Georgia? Florida? Reagan didn't contribute to massive homelessness in America when he eliminated funding for mental health services? The lack of jobs, health care, public services and education in the South alone speaks volumes about what "total control" by the trump party can do to a state.
2
@MM And the opioid, meth and rampant alcoholism, along with using disability benefits as the new "unemployment" that is happening in the red states means nothing to you/ You can partially thank Republican policies; the easy peasy mergers and acquisitions and offshoring that effectively ruined jobs in this country from Reagan's deregulation for doing that. Cities are cities, there will always be city problems, along with the need to address them financially and socially, but the good country folk? Their problems? Many of them you see them were slowly manufactured by the GOP.
3
@MM
No, that's not "the Democratic model", that merely what tweets and Fox News fake news tells you.
We will only have safe borders the day GOP voters start engaging and doing some basic fact-checking.
1
The “crisis” of those seeking asylum at our border was created by many factors that are outside of Mexican control, such as the U.S. cutting off economic aid to Central American countries and our incompetent know nothing “president”.
In short, the primary problem is Trump. He needs to go away.
12
No doubt many people are coming to our border. There “house” is on fire. Fleeing gangs, murder, corruption. Understandable.
As a former analyst and bean counter who questions the current administration, my question is to what extent, if any, have we changed the way they count “arrests”? Are arrests just illegal border crossers or also those who seek asylum?
6
Trump "says" now that we are done ruining our export market, let's ravage our imports.
It really sounds more like something Putin would say.
Just what DID Trump and the Russians talk about during those secret meetings and during private phone conversations.
Inquiring minds - especially those of us who actually read the Mueller Report - want to know.
7
This wouldnt be the problem today if CONgress and the last 3 Presidents would have done their job over the last 30 years. Both sides of the aisle share the blame. Many of these current issues could be easily handled by fixing the exploited legal loopholes, but God forbid the Dems to give an inch to this President. I am thankful Trump is trying to force the Do-Nothing CONgress into action.
5
Trump is enraged by a crisis he started and has made worse, every chance he got. Now he's throwing more tantrums and threatening higher and higher tariff penalties for American companies and consumers to pay him. This could end in less than a week if Mitch McConnell woke up to his real responsibility and met with House leadership to regain control of trade that Congress ceded to the office of the President back when trade got too complicated for them.
They have to stop cutting endless slack to a man who has clear dictatorial ambitions. The crisis that must be dealt with is not on the border, whatever Trump's stooges might claim.
It's in Washington, and must be dealt with there.
8
@Tim: Mitch McConnell is probably a stooge who distributes Taiwanese money to the US Senate to maintain US support for Taiwanese independence from China, which was occupied by the Kuomintang government of Chiang Kai Shek when the communists took control of the Mainland in 1949.
1
Why do so many so willingly provide comments clearly indicative of their desire for open borders? No other civilized country in the world allows that because it is destructive and detrimental to the citizens of their countries both economically and culturally. Maybe that is what the open border people want?
9
in fact, just about every first world country has had enough.
2
What is happening on our southern border is an emergency and a humanitarian crisis and needs to be addressed. How ludicrous it is for the Democrats to deny what is happening in front of our own eyes and then try to blame Trump. Trump is trying to stop this massive migration of illegal aliens into our country who are falsely claiming asylum for which they aren't eligible and the Democrats and their hand pick Federal Judges have blocked Trump's efforts to stop illegal immigration at every turn. Trump is not getting any help from the Republicans either. The Republicans had an opportunity to fix our broken immigration laws and support enforcement and under Ryan didn't do anything toward that nd. Obama also had ample opportunity to fix our broken immigration and also did nothing along those lines except made it worse by issuing illegal executive, DCA, "Catch and release", orders that the lefts judges will not allow Trump to reverse or stop. Illegal immigration will be the number one issue in the next Presidential election. Stopping illegal immigration is the only way to save America and the only way to stop it is to give complete control of Congress back to the GOP and re-elect Trump. If the Democrats get elected America will no longer have to worry about illegal immigration in a few years because we will no longer be a desirable place to come to anymore. That is my opinion and it is likely a fact as we see millions illegal enter our country each year arrested and released.
9
And what will Democratic candidates say?
"there is no border or immigration problem, Trump is wrong and mean"
Trump will win again. Most Americans want border security and immigration reform. But the PC police has handcuffed the Dems.
12
the sheer number of refugees indicates a huge problem in Central America. Ordering Mexico to deal with it alone is just passing the buck. This is everybody's problem. I dread what will happen as the effects of climate change add to the problems farther south.
7
The first executive order every new republican president signs is one that reduces reproductive support to poor countries. Two years later immigration demand rises. See the correlation? This is our fault
Guatemala population has exploded way past the country’s ability to care for itself. 9 million to 16 million in 25 years and that doesn’t even count the millions who have migrated already.
3
"Trump says no deal is reached with Mexico"
Trump says no deal is reached with Democrats.
Trump says no deal is reached with North Korea.
Trump says no deal is reached with Iran.
Trump says no deal is reached on infrastructure.
Trump says no deal is reached on Obamacare.
And the list goes on and on.
Can anybody please let us know WHEN Trump actually reached a deal?
We were supposed to become tired of "so much winning", but almost three years later, we still didn't win even once yet.
By this time in his presidency Obama had signed all his signature campaign promises into law, AND turned a -8% GDP into decade-long steady GDP growth.
So what is mister "Art of the Deal" actually waiting for ... ?
17
Study the graphs again. Illegal border crossings of families rose dramatically over the past six months as a direct result of Trump's incompetence. His administration precipitated, then politicized what is now, finally, a true humanitarian and economic crisis at the border.
Violating human rights is an extremely bad precedent for the United States. This entire scenario has become a nightmare that a wall and/or tariffs will not resolve.
7
@Sunny
Apprehensions are not automatically a measure of flows of illegal aliens.
Apprehensions can go up or down as a result of more or less efforts to make apprehensions.
Also, the massive flows of Central American "asylum seekers" is a very recent phenomenon, which followed widespread news of discoveries of ways to abusively game the asylum process with fake claims to try to take advantage of gaping loopholes in the asylum laws.
2
Just look at the chart showing apprehensions over the last three administrations. Trump, for all his impotent bluster, has failed. He won’t acknowledge that because the buck starts, rather than starts, with him. If we had a real business person at the helm s/he would realize the opportunities presented by this wave of migrants who are overwhelmingly hard working and law abiding (aside from our immigration laws). A clever President would take advantage of the fact that these people would gratefully pay a high price in fees and demonstrated productivity for a path to citizenship. At the same time, they would help America reduce age imbalance (a huge problem for China and Japan) and push more money into social security. All those benefits in return for America following Christian values and economic self-interest.
7
Why do all the pundits on cable and some of their favorite historians tell us all the time that the GOP is historically in favor of free trade. NOT TRUE. From its founding through Herbert Hoover it was protectionist. The Democratic South was the one in favor of free trade in its own economic interest. Thus Trump, as nuts as he is, is not out of line with GOP tradition.
1
Why don’t we give more help to NGOs to create opportunities and hope for young Guatemalans and Hondurans? How about addressing the billions of dollars Americans spend on drugs that flow through these countries and destabilize them? Enforcement is not a solution. Build safety and security for people in their own countries.
2
If Trump were serious about this matter he would stop blaming Mexico and address the decades of failed U.S. foreign policies in Central America that created this problem and take corrective action.
If you don’t like refugees stop creating them. Strive for stability in policy. Not chaos.
4
Our hospitals, prisons and social service agencies are already overwhelmed and underfunded. It’s time to take a stand on illegal immigration.
8
@Sue
And also our schools and other public services.
4
Interesting to see how many comments in the first two sentences have some combination of, “I dont like Trump . . . But.” I feel the same way. This is truely a crisis. The United States is being attacked. If we do not have a response to that attack, if it goes unchecked, the results are devastating.
If everyday, increasing amounts of people were breaking into our nations retail stores, smashing windows, knocking the doors down and stealing all the merchandise . . . Would we negotiate that? Would we examine what towns the violators of laws came from and set up community outreach meetings? Would we say, unlimited breaking into retail stores and stealing the contents is ok? Would we rationalize each case or would we say, this needs to stop now . . . Wouldn’t all of us want it to stop now.
That is what is happening, everyday, tens of thousands of people are breaking into our nation and stealing our goods. If you just look at it from a financial standpoint, forget the very real health and safety issues . . . Where in the budget is the line item dedicating the millions of dollars required to sustain the criminals who broke in? This is a crisis. Like Trump or not, he is pulling out the stops . . . And he should.
5
@Calvin
Except that from a financial standpoint, it's the SAME people who eagerly employ undocumented immigrants so that they can contribute to our wealth all while exploiting them and escaping US law as employers, who for five years now have blocked a vote on ALL the proven-to-work measures to protect the southern border: Trump and his GOP.
And the only president to get a bill through the Senate allowing us to act OURSELVES, as country with the strongest military on earth, rather than outsourcing our national security to a poor and corrupt neighbor, as Trump is doing here, has been Obama, in 2013.
That bill would have TRIPLED the number of border patrol agents at the southern border - which is exactly what all experts have shown is needed.
Why isn't Trump signing this FINALLY into law today, rather than refusing to act and merely talk and talk and talk about the border?
NO president has been as incompetent, when it comes to southern border security, as Trump.
Just start doing some fact-checking rather than blindly falling for his reality tv show, and you'll see.
2
Do you leave your front door open for all to enter it? Why is it we have doorman building - seems strange......
The border is the exact same thing - it's not so much the sea of humanity storming our territories unimpeded but rather for the tens of millions of immigrants before us who arrived on our shore through a very long arduous wait and qualification before being allowed to enter, settle and in short order apply for citizenship. That was your parents, a sibling, an aunt or grandparents to pioneer being the first to arrive and then support those family who followed years later as their wait ended. We are a nation of rule of law and treasure and value our security.
3
I agree that this is the best possible solution. The US can only become more self-sufficient through these tariffs, and I do not mind paying more for goods from China or Mexico if it brings a few factories back to US and gives us valuable bargaining chips in the fight for Mexico to take due responsibility for the flow of migrants though it’s country.
4
The refugee crisis at our border appears to be a product of two principal things: the inept diplomacy of incompetent diplomats, and Trump's fear that his Wall Strategy has misfired into a Big Government boondoggle that will force him to run in 2020 against the slogan that He Built the Wall That Didn't Work.
Trump himself has not come to grips with the reality that the border crossers have become asylum seekers and their families ... not just immigrant scofflaws. He will probably continue wasting his time trying any angle to conceal the refugee issue, as he can ultimately shift the blame to others.
Not only has he failed at building a wall, fixing immigration, and resolving the refugee crisis, he has made all those problems worse.
24
“Fixing immigration”? What would that look like? Given the numbers currently, there is no “solution “ or fix, only mitigation. Our country already has “11-20” million unauthorized-illegal “immigrants”; how many more would be enough please?
3
@Levon "What would that look like?"
Valid question. But it definitely wouldn't look like A Wall.
Illegal immigration from Mexico shouts be stoped. I don't want my grand children have to speak Spanish as their primary language. Trump is right to pressure the Mexican government. enough is enough with being timid in the illegal immigration situation.
12
@lieberma
He should finally stop talking and start acting.
In 2013 already Obama has managed to get a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill through the Senate - and with a super-majority of 68 votes.
It contained ALL science-based southern border strengthening measures, including tripling the number of border patrol agents.
As the main work has already been done by Obama here, ALL that Trump had to do to sign in into law was to convince his GOP House to allow a vote on it too.
He never even tried to do so.
And of course, playing around with tariffs, which undermines America's position in international trade negotiations for years to come, and starting to try to make Mexico poorer in the hope that that will somehow help them protect their own borders better than what the wealthiest country on earth, the US manages to do, won't change anything either - on the contrary, as poverty is precisely one of the main things that motivates people to cross the border.
Conclusion: if you want better southern border security, stop voting for Republicans and do everything you can to allow Democrats to control DC, because they alone refuse to politicize national security and listen to expert and are competent enough to ACT. We don't need poor countries to protect our own borders, we obviously CAN do so ourselves. All that is needed is political will, rather than a president merely interested in "messaging" and his own "ratings".
20
@Ana Luisa: Trump has established that no commitment of the US is reliable. None.
5
@lieberma: I find your concern over your grandchildren speaking Spanish as their primary language ridiculous; and it shows the phony sense of paranoia Trump has contrived, and you apparently have bought into.
Yes; there is a problem. But between Trump's "big beautiful wall," which is becoming his folly; his tariffs, which will ultimately backfire on the economy; and the inexcusable separation of chidren from their parents, shows how sloppy and misguided this is being handled.
Looks like Trump needed a crisis to rave against, so he created one. What Obama was doing was working, so naturally Trump reversed it. Sad!
20
@Richie by
What Obama was doing was "working" only because Obama's made it legal for many illegals to stay with DACA and with reduced interior enforcement.
Anybody can reduce illegality by legalizing the illegality.
Anybody can reduce apprehensions by reducing apprehension efforts.
4
No other president has been more candid about the crisis at the border than Trump.
15
There is no crisis at the border. It was manufactured by Trump to deflect attention away from the real crisis: Trump himself.
1
The irony that immigration dropped significantly under President Obama.
And his administration treated them as people.
15
@Gabel
1. He didn't threaten to end immigration or close the borders, so he didn't create any panic among potential immigrations, who are now rushing to the US before it becomes too late.
2. He worked TOGETHER WITH both Republicans in Congress and Central American countries to enforce US immigration law, reform it, strengthen border security, and improve the situation in their home countries so that the need to move gets reduced.
Call it "being strong on national security".
17
@Gabel Immigration dropped under Obama because the economy was bad and unemployment was high - not enough jobs.
3
Mexico REFUSES to sign on to a “third safe country” treaty, which allows them to dump asylum migrants on the USA. Why hasn't the USA done anything about this egregious abuse until now? Why does the open borders lobby insist refugees MUST come to the USA?
When Trump is wrong, he is very wrong.
And occasionally, when he is right, he is very right.
9
@Alexander Magno
Indeed, why did the GOP block ALL expert-based southern border security strengthening measures since 2013, the year when Obama already got them passed in the Senate?
Why do they oppose e-verify, drones and tripling the number of southern border patrol agents, as the 2013 would have done, for instance?
Their motivations here are perfectly clear for anyone passionate enough about national security to have paid attention for five years now:
1. the GOP (and as a consequence Trump) opposes e-verify because it would punish employers (such as Trump himself at his Mar-O-Lago resort) who adore employing undocumented immigrants.
2. Trump and the GOP oppose all other, truly effective measures allowing the wealthiest country in the world to protect its borders ITSELF rather than to outsource national security to a poor and corrupt neighbor, because as long as the border isn't seriously protected, they can use the situation in order to spread one of the most important fake news "messages" that they depend on to still be able to win elections: the idea that if nothing gets done, it must be because of the Democrats, whose anti-racism must necessarily turn them into supporters of "open borders".
What helps the GOP tremendously to keep its "ratings high", is TALKING about the border, and spectacular, meaningless decisions such as Trump's tariff rhetoric and some talking with Mexican diplomats today.
Only when GOP voters start to fact-check will be have strong borders
4
The Trump logic: Quit importing products from Mexico and Central America by making them too expensive to buy, reducing demand for labor in those countries causing workers to be laid off and factories closed thereby creating more people who want to get out and enter the U.S. BTW, also create economic policies and treaties to stifle investment in Mexican manufacturing and prevent creation of jobs to put what would otherwise be illegal immigrants to work in their home countries. Sounds like great reasoning to me, NOT!
6
Tarrifs reduce the deficit as well. They bring us closer to paying for the government we receive.
1
His rhetoric and threats are worsening the problem. Is he aware of this?
7
People wouldnt come here if there wasnt work. If this was only about illegal migrants taking jobs then the administration would be going after all the businesses which continue to hire them.
Along with increased border patrols let's see some surprise inspections from Dept of Labor checking these businesses and holding the owners accountable to the existing laws.
I'll wait...
11
We had comprehensive immigration reform in 1986. We were promised effective border controls, mandatory employment checks and strict enforcement of both. In exchange, for practical and humanitarian reasons, there would be a one time amnesty, never to be offered again. Why were only one of those three components ever acted upon? Where has the media been the last 33 years? Where is reporting on this today?
11
" Mexico has already tried to secure its own southern border and has long fought transnational gangs".
This statement from the NYT article is not accurate. Mexico only recently began doing what anyone can see is the minimum to help stop the masses of people that stream through their country headed right for our border. Even worse, Mexico has done very little if nothing about the smugglers. The corruption in the Mexican police is well known and they and smugglers have made a fortune bringing in illegal immigrants and drugs to the US. It's time the U.S. get serious with our southern neighbor. Mexico has prospered from NAFTA at the US. expense. They can't have the goodies without taking responsibility for their borders and own immigration policies (or lack of).
10
Mr Trump seems to see every issue as one in which he can impose his will on others. What may have been true in his actions toward women and toward small business contractors does not work when dealing with other nations. They will not be bullied into submission. Solutions to international problems necessitates some give and take. Mr Trump is only a taker.
6
Tripling the number of border patrol agents, installing e-verify and using our outstanding hi-tech expertise and tools to catch drugs, that is what Obama and Democrats proposed the GOP to do about the southern border, in 2013.
The GOP Senate accepted.
The GOP House never even allowed a vote on it - not under Obama, and not even under Trump, although the four-star generals in Trump's own cabinet publicly told us that this is what we urgently need and has been proven to work, rather than extending the current wall.
And instead of finally rolling up his sleeves and get serious about border security, Trump now creates an international media storm by proposing to make Mexico poorer, which then somehow must make it possible for the Mexican government to achieve what Trump himself can't achieve.
So what about Border Patrol agents? All that they get, once the GOP takes over DC, is "talking".
In 2016, Trump told us that Democrats are "such a weak negotiators" and that he was SO much better at obtaining deals.
Today he complains that he's unable to get a deal from Democrats (after not even trying), and unable to protect the southern border effectively, so his idea is ... to ask our neighbor to do the job in our place.
Obviously, that won't lead to any "deal" either - let alone better southern border security.
The only effect it will have is that it will strongly weaken America's position in international trade agreements, as this tariffs violates trade law.
5
I am sorry but this is no way to handle this. And it's not a crisis or emergency like Trump says. We're getting invaded by women and children. And Trump, stop blaming the Democrats. A deal could be done but you can't be trusted to keep your word. What a pathetic president we have. So divisive.
16
So Trump who can't stop migrants at the boarder with force is threatening all Americans with a new tax, if the President of another country does not magically stop migrants.
Makes sense.
16
How can a high-quality 21st newspaper quote an attack by the president on Democrats and then not fact-check that attack ... ?
The ONLY president in two decades to have been talented enough, as negotiator (including interested enough in real policy details and national security), to successfully work across the aisle and get a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill through the Senate - and with a super-majority of 68 votes - has been Obama, in 2013.
Why was it never signed into law? Because since then (= including under Trump) the GOP House refused to even allow a vote on it.
Instead of unilaterally making poor countries poorer and then claiming that that's what will somehow (= here too, Trump clearly has no plan) allow them to protect their borders better than what the US does with its southern border, the 2013 bill contained ALL the proven-to-work measures required to strongly increase southern border security OURSELVES.
That means that five years before Pence goes "talking" with Border Patrol agents, Obama already managed to obtain a bill that would have TRIPLED the number of Border Patrol agents (and added all the necessary tools to detect smuggled drugs - 90% of which come in through official points of entry anyhow).
Today, nobody who does some basic fact-checking can still believe that the GOP is serious and competent, when it comes to national security and border security. Only Democrats are, while Republicans are talking and focused on their "ratings".
12
@Ana Luisa
It is a travesty that some American politicians claim to achieve "bipartisan compromise" by "negotiating" on behalf of foreigners.
Granting amnesty to foreigners for breach of our laws is not a case of "bipartisanship" among Americans for "compromise" among Americans about the plusses and minusses of various legitimate interests of Americans. It is a case of giveaways to foreigners for breaching our laws.
True "bipartisanship" is "compromise" among Americans about the plusses and minusses of more or less legal immigration from the point of view of this or that benefit or detriment to our own economy, fiscal capacity or employment structure.
But once the debate is resolved and enacted into law, it ought to be enforced.
And, over time, changes can be debated and enacted into law. But, until we Americas, among ourselves, reach agreement on changes, after a debate among ourselves, how to make a "bipartisan compromise" of our own various interests, the law that we previously enacted ought to be enforced.
1
@sam finn
That's all very well, but mere theory.
In practice, a decade ago already Senators Dick Durbin (D) and Lindsey Graham (R) introduced the Dream Act, a bill that would grant a path to citizenship to 2 million undocumented Americans who were brought here as children, never committed any crime, and got a college degree or served in the US military.
80% of the American people, including a clear majority of GOP voters, agrees with this bill.
THAT is what makes it de facto "bipartisan", you see?
As to the main pillars of the 2013 bill: we HAVE had a very long and serious public debate. A majority in both parties happens to agree on those pillars, as does the American people.
So no, there's NO excuse to wait to act anymore.
And there's certainly no excuse to give up acting at all and now trying to outsource the protection of our own border to poor and corrupt neighbors, as Trump is doing today - and obviously trying to make them a little bit poorer (and as a consequence even more corrupt), as tariff increases would do, will NOT lead to better law enforcement - let alone better southern border security.
@Ana Luisa
Lindsay Graham in 2013 was the leading GOP water carrier for the pro-cheap-labor business crowd. Recently, his pro-cheap-labor instincts have gone into hiding.
As for the American people, the only "poll" of American people that counts is the election. We'll see what November, 2020 brings.
In my opinion, amnesty for foreigners is not in the interests of the USA and I will vote against politicians of any party who support it or who give it away as some kind of supposed "bipartisan compromise".
2
Though I am not a great of fan of Mr.Trump as President, I admit with him for once in this issue. Those countries that voice against the action of Trump administration should undergo such experience to known the problems better. This is a headache that will collapse the entire structure of the society. Left with no money or place to stay, as a last resort, the immigrants would take law into their own hands, which will threaten the peace of the society. Police would have no clue or data base to track on these offenders. Even if the immigrants manage to enter the State and win a decent job, they would be without any protection for medical or otherwise, as they have no records in their favor. Literally, they are on their own without a Country or State to call their own. As someone whose State is feeling this heat, I could very well understand the problems faced by the U.S.
5
@T. Anand Raj
Except that objectively, the problem that you're talking about doesn't exist, in the US.
At the same time, those SAME immigrants travel through Mexico, so they are suffering more from it than the US, you see?
To imagine that somehow Mexico, a country that is ten times poorer than the US (the wealthiest country on earth), would be able to protect its borders BETTER than America does, or to imagine that making it even poorer, as tariffs would do (rather than helping them deal with their borders), is to be entirely new to this debate ...
3
Well said sir. It is time to open up our borders a bit. Our country is founded byimmergrants. Yes the Southern countries are difficult to absorb we should understand that our "great country was founded by immergrants
1
What nobody mentions is that there is a social media campaign going on in Central America encouraging people to make the trip to the USA. Add to that the question: Why is it that Fox News always has a crew on the ground as the "caravans" form and move?
8
George... i thought the same thing. At a crucial time in trumps campaign against immigration, a human train was started in Central America. It did not get the kind of attention he wanted. Soon faux news stopped featuring it. Coincidence?
1
@Robert Black, et al.,
Could Fox be initiating or amplifying the social media campaign to get people to join "caravans" and make their way to the southern border? That would not surprise me at all.
Maybe the NYT and Wapo editors and readers have not noticed, but Don the Con was attacking China. Now China is pushing back, so he attacks Mexico, and the EU. Why don't the reputable newspapers point out that Don is leading his followers in circles in a deliberate attempt to keep himslef on the front pages with some new program to show that he knows best and is in charge. Don is good at what he does, but is unfit for the office he holds. I hope every reasonable person will vote out Don in Nov 2020 to end this charade.
5
I read these comments from a Trump supporters decrying the flood of immigrants and the associated costs and what else are we supposed to do to stem this flow.
Here is an idea for you, jail the employers for a mandatory minimum of 20 years. Oh what those employers are for the most part rich white people, can't do that can we. These employers include Trump himself, at construction projects and golf courses. Until you are willing to hit the people making money off the situation you are part of the problem.
22
@Chris
The illegal aliens know better than anyone that they are illegally here.
Employers do not know, and ought not be tasked with making an investigation.
The federal government ought to enact a mandatory, nationwide, uniform, biometric (photographs, fingerprints), on-line, ID system for all persons authorized to be here for work for work that will tell every employer who is and is not authorized, and employers ought to be required to use that system to determine who to hire, and the employers ought to be able to use that system without obstruction from "sanctuary" states and cities and without legal liability to foreigners who are denied employment or fired from employment when they do not pass the biometric on-line test of legal authorization to work.
Such a biometric, on-line system is technically feasible at reasonable cost. No reason whatsoever not to make it mandatory nationwide --
for all employment (including "household help"),
and also for all government benefits.
To the extent that the mandatory biometric ID system makes mistakes, in some individual cases where the individual himself/herself is not at fault (e.g. by trying to "erase" or mutilate the surface layers of skin on his/her fingers), then the government, not the employer, ought to pay reasonable compensation to the aggrieved individual.
2
Trump had a deal, which included The Wall and pathway to Citizenship for Dreamers, with Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi, until Stephen Miller disapproved and killed it.
9
Wow, what a bunch of brave guys . Pence and his entourage of overweight border guards, all prepared and ready to take on the threat of Guatemalan women and children with backpacks and entire families fleeing for their lives. Unafraid to face down the evil of starving refugees! Makes me SO proud to be a red blooded Bona fide American.
9
Trump wants this crisis.
10
"Trade wars are good and easy to win," said someone who once bankrupted his own casino without suffering the consequences himself
8
As many already know if you live in the South the dinner conversation is usually about the weather, if you live in the West the dinner conversation is usually about real estate, and if you live in Mexico the dinner conversation is about immigrating to the USA.
That has been my experience anyway. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
4
These figures need further explanation - what is being illustrated by the first graph for example - is it that overall more people were attempting to cross under Republican Presidents and as a result more were caught, or that the number has remained steady but Democrats are weaker on policing the border? Or finally - any combination of the above. However you dice it that is a striking graph and the devil is in the detail. For Democrats the only way this looks good is if it can be shown that some policy in/with Mexico reduced crossings, or vice a versa that a Republican policy is directly pushing migrants across the border from S America.
3
With the price of oil dropping every day it is just a matter of time before Mexico will be bankrupted and resemble the chaos of Venezuela. Cuba has its own problem and can not prop-up two large countries and save itself too. I hate it but they will not listen to reason and stop this influx. Enough is enough!
2
Republicans are the only ones bothered by the immigrants . Get over it. We were all immigrants at one time. I am with Pope Francis remark to Trump build bridges not walls. Nine states that border Mexico said they have no crime wave. All this is to excite the people to hatred and overlook the real issue Trump is corrupt and needs to be impeached and fast.
14
No mention of those who employ the newcomers? Like the war on drugs’ focus on the source not the user. Record percentage of people not in the workforce yet lowest unemployment numbers. A nation with its head in the sand, to be polite.
6
Trump provoked this. What a sorry mess the USA has become.
11
It is up to us how we respond. I knows if I made bad choice after bad choice eventually I would be...There would be a Cost. Yet what has the @gop allowed?
Apprehensions at the border were more than double under Bush, but Trump is the one who's vilified.
figures are very clear. Obama was much better to limit illegal immigration than Bush or Trump. I guess Republicans are better at generating fears than solving their causes ...
6
THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES is at work in this case. By the threats Trump is making with the goal of stopping the flow of migrants, the opposite effect is created. Migrants, afraid of the border closing soon are making a mad stampede to the border before it’s too late. This is the proof that shallow and simplistic solutions to very complex situations will only add fuel to the fire and make a bad situation even worse. And this is the proof of incompetent leadership.
10
So I want to be sure I understand this strategy..... Trump will tariff Mexico for not doing enough to stop economic migration to the USA; inflicting economic pain and misery on Mexico, which will only serve to accelerate / exacerbate economic migration to the USA.
7
Don’t forget about the pain these tariffs will cause Americans as well. Perhaps the soon-to-be disenfranchised of both countries will make their way to greener pastures...in Canada, perhaps.
6
If the U.S. admitted the entire population of Honduras and El Salvador, they would only be 5% of the U.S. population.
The problem with gang violence in central America started back in the 1970's when we deported lots of gang members from Los Angeles. We did reduce gang violence in L.A. by deporting it to central America, but what a mess.
5
Question: In the graph, what does the strong pattern / interval consists in? Seasons?
It’s so regular for like 13 years, then...
The "crisis" is being caused in large part by the Trump Administration keeping this a front page story everyday across Central America and Mexico. Each article contains a paragraph describing record unemployment in the U.S. for context. Unintentional consequence of our immigration polemics being turned into an advertisement for desperate people.
I lived in Mexico 4 years during the 90s, and saw how U.S. news spreads from newspapers and TV to the local plaza and dinner table. This is a self-created mess, a dearth of foresight and critical thinking. Disgraceful.
6
Illegal immigration will be the defining issue of the presidential election. Our system is broken and in crisis, and Democrats are only the party of "NO" to Trump ideas, offering no constructive ideas of their own.
9
So apprehensions data reflect actual crossings or apprehensions only? And how are these apprehensions data reflective of administration policy?
2
Matters of immigration aside, trade relations with other countries are serious, long-term matters that run long standing agreements and treaties supporting complex international supply chains. The arbitrary and capricious use invocation of an "emergency" unrelated to trade issues destroys our county's credibility as reliable trading partner in an era where goods cross borders frequently during manufacturing processes, nowhere more than in Mexico-US.
Congress needs to act quickly to ensure that relations with Canada, the European Union, and Japan aren't further shaken. It's also time to take another look at the abandoned Trans Pacific Partnership, the big trade agreement that was to have included Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and I think Peru and one or two others.
11
It pains me to say this but I do not think the Trump administration went into this in good faith.
1. The Mexican media reported that the Mexican delegation sat waiting for an audience for days. Wasn’t this a case of National Emergency?
2. Do they really expected to resolve such a complex issue in a few hours? Really?
3. Can the US dictate how Mexico ought to control their Southern border? Really?
And finally, is it really a coincidence that there has been a spike during the Trump administration? Wouldn’t it be fair to say that it has been Trump’s caotic policies which have cause this situation? Have they really study the issue instead of simply being bombastic about it?
Do not get me wrong, if Mexico has the ability to do more, it should do more. It is in their best interest too. But, are we, the US going the right way about it? This whole thing does not feel right at all.
12
So this self-acclaimed stable genius plans to factually impose a sales tax for American consumers and companies using goods made in Mexico to force it to rectify the problems the USA can"t fix themself and which have in part even been exacerbated by the USA cutting its aid to Guatemala, Honduras etc.
This is pathetic, even for the low standards of this apprentice POTUS.
Bullying may yield some short term gain, but in the long run it's doomed to fail.
14
The writers assert that "Figures released Wednesday showed that illegal border crossings have spiked to a seven-year high, underscoring the roots of the president’s rage." That's incorrect: the data ratify his judgment. Why the word "rage" is used is quizzical, other than the obvious motivation to take whatever opportunity his detractors can to villify him. The border otherwise isn't about Trump and it isn't some political game for media to report on: it is indeed a national emergency, and has been for a number of years. It is in fact far worse than even the President indicates.
6
@Matt Andersson
“Rage” is exactly the word, Individual-1 has no “judgement”.
3
There's no telling what will satisfy Trump. This latest nonsense fits his modus operandi as a wannabe dictator. More certain is that he is an immigrant magnet.
8
Look at the graph. Maybe he should do what Obama did.
14
This reporting leaves so many questions unaddressed. The article states that "New figures released Wednesday showed that illegal border crossings have risen to a seven-year high," but doesn't say who released those figures (apparently CBP?) or how the data was collected. How are illegal crossings measured at all, if the only evidence described in the article is the number of apprehensions? Could the increase in apprehensions simply reflect a shift in priorities of CBP? The graph showing apprehensions by month since 2001 suggests that the current "surge" would have been unremarkable during the Bush years. Did migration really slow significantly during the Obama years, or were resources simply diverted away from apprehending migrants at the border? If so, couldn't CBP create the appearance of a crisis by returning to Bush-era enforcement practices? These are the questions I expect to be asked and explored in the New York Times.
One graph is captioned "People traveling with family have crossed in far greater numbers over the last six months," but the chart only shows "apprehensions", not "crossings." Given the flat trendlines for other categories of apprehensions, it appears this likely reflects an effort by CBP to focus on apprehending families. Why would CBP do this? Is it possible the "full blown emergency" is a humanitarian crisis of their own (or the president's) creation, given the additional stresses created by processing families and dealing with custody of children?
4
The "roots of the presidents rage" are in his deep, abiding racism.
14
The last time atmospheric CO2 was today’s value was several million years ago and sea level was high enough that today it would force 10 percent of the human population to move.
Throw in those displaced by drought and heat and conflict and the numbers go way up.
If we don’t change our ways very soon it is easy to imagine the planet becoming ungovernable during the second half of this century.
10
I could care less if the tariffs go up to 25% if Mexico doesn’t stop aiding immigrants from passing through their country to America. These people are required to apply for asylum to the first country they enter seeking it. If America was bussing these people across our country to rush the Canadian border, does anyone think Canada would graciously accept them? Mexico immigration laws would reject asylum request at their borders quickly, and turn them back, as would Canada. America has become patsies for asylum seekers other countries wouldn’t tolerate. If congress won’t act, Trump has to. This is a federal problem. The Senate and Congress must act together to solve the problem. It is no longer acceptable for states to represent their interest over America’s. There must be consequences for Mexico allowing cartels from profiting from these illegal activities.
20
@Jay
41000 and counting over the past two years. That is the number of illegal border crossers from USA into Canada. This is not a joke.
https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/statistics/Pages/Irregular-border-crosser-statistics.aspx
6
Perhaps the US would have fewer illegal immigrants if, I dunno, there were actual consequences for hiring them. Illegal immigrants are an important source of labor in the US. It is hard to see rates really dropping as long as those job sources remain. The fact that there is not more attention being paid to the employer side of the equations says much about the motives of Mr. Trump’s policies.
32
It seems just that Trump/Republican states like Texas and Arizona will be hit the hardest. Maybe there is karma after all.
9
We in Canada would appreciate if the USA did something to stop the 46000+ illegal border crossings into Canada within the past two years. We are fed up with it and want an immediate stop. Trump is not doing nearly enough and we may have to put accelerating tariffs in place to stop this nonsense! Now, we say, now!
16
Trump is full of anti-immigrant blather because his base fears immigration is destroying the country in which they grew up. Neither they nor he cares about facts, what they care about is having their feelings expressed and the country being as in was in the 1950’s. If that means Central Americans living in want and terror, so what? Life is hard and then you die—they use to excuse their revulsion for the golden rule.
10
@Casual Observer
Most central americans arent living in fear. Do people not realize central america is huge. My grandfather still lives in a central american country, he came here legally than retired after 60 years. Most are coming here for economic reasons.
Its not substainable, if they continue to come here and abandon their countries for both the US and venezuala, guatemala and honduras. It will have dramatic effect long term
3
Since this problem, particularly the increase in family crossings, is driven by the policies of this US Administration, it is almost impossible for Mexico to fix. The trade threats are a violation of the rules-based system the US did so much to create. The absence of consultation and failure to follow advice of more knowledgeable members of this Cabinet is outrageous enough, but as tax and trade are under the jurisdiction of Congress under the US Constitution, this is a dangerous threat to our own social contract.
3
I would like independent confirmation of the Trump administration's arrest numbers, based on eyewitness monitors on the ground, by a non-profit, non-partisan organization or the U.N.. Mr. Trump has lied about so much and covered up so much that I cannot trust him. Neither do I trust his motives. It would also help to get migrant numbers from the Mexican government. If they are Central Americans crossing Mexico's southern border en route to ours, we would have some numbers to compare.
3
The blueprints of your home have borders for each room; there's a[n imaginary] property line for your next door neighbor.
Cities have imaginary lines that constitute the city limits; a series of imaginary lines make up the number of counties in a state; a series of imaginary lines and rivers make up the borders of 48 contiguous states as well as two other countries.
If someone either trespassed into our backyard or broke into our apartment and decided to take up residence would that be okay?
Should a multi-income household then become responsible for the care of this individual? It's certainly not that simple but look how simple and personal the invisible lines on the blueprint personalize it.
12
The left lacks the strength to get anything positive done, all they want to do is let things slide. Mr. Trump is the only leader standing between America and disaster.
11
Think how the Indians must have felt at the influx of the Europeans--Europeans who were well-armed and backed by powerful nations and who had God on their side.
5
The Mexicans are correct to argue for a "Marshall Plan" style program for Central America. If we want to address this problem properly, we'll acknowledge that the economies of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are broken. Mexico is not the problem. They just have the bad luck to be the "in between." They don't want to go the way of Turkey who agreed to the third party country to stop Middle Eastern refugees fleeing wars that were a US creation. What did Turkey get for their efforts -- political instability. The Mexicans know better than to fall into that trap.
As for Trump, he's a one note bigot. I say, let him impose those tariffs. I look forward to a purple Texas. It's about time they got sane again.
7
Just looking at the chart in this article it's clear that Trump is CAUSING the sudden rise in numbers. Even as he mistreats the immigrants they are better off here than home getting killed by the gangs and the cartels. Even if somehow Trump managed to build the wall, they would still keep coming, because a wall of ANY height can still be gotten over or under. It won't solve a thing.
Trump declared the border as an "emergency" then went on vacation. So far, all he's done is repeat he rally talking points
and spend taxpayers money to cheat at golf as his own resort, meanwhile charging taxpayers for his rooms and the rooms for the SS. Every golf trip fattens Trump bankroll.
The really sad thing is other than the wall, Trump has NO other plan to fix anything. Zero
8
@Tom Jones
They are coming here because they fear, trump is going to stop the flow soon. According to my grandfather who lives in belize, thats the sentiment. People are trying to get in before its too late. The majority for economic reasons
2
So it's all about assuaging and mollifying Traitor Trump's anger? The criminal,king of power abuse must have his emotions placated? Forget real problem-solving, truth, and justice--now we just try to avoid being the target of Traitor Trump's temper tantrums?
4
Government is a service, not a business. President Reagan's handlers did our country a disservice when they persuaded many Americans that government should be managed as a business. Now we have a ruthless business man in the White House who thinks he can make deals across the world, and he was elected by uneducated voters who think also think so. The first thing the next Democrat in the White House should do is fund universal education and require students to pass civics in the eighth and twelfth grades.
7
What is the definition of illegal immigrant used in this story? Someone who crosses the border anywhere and presents him/her self to an immigration agent and requests asylum is not an illegal immigrant.
2
We should be proud that our President is so resolute and is determined to make America great again. Over the last few weeks he has worked hard and systematically in a very rational manner to solve our trade problems. He has also managed to get a team of very smart negotiators like Navarro and Lighthizer et al who are very tough indeed. We should remember after all that he has authored " The art of making a deal " which is probably the most authoritative treatise on the subject. Although we have failed miserably in both the negotiations we should not lose heart and soldier on. He should probably be re-elected so that he can continue the good work that he has begun.
8
Sarcasm? Brandishing taxes, threatening depression-inducing policies, and belittling former allies - the London mayor recently - is not art nor worth countenance nor acclaim.
6
Actually, “The Art of the Deal” was ghost written by Tony Schwartz, who openly regrets having had anything to do with the sham of a book. Much like the man whose name headlines said tome...
5
Come on - everybody knows that The Art Of The Deal was ghost written. Trump didn’t write it.
4
The best way increase the number of immigrants at the border is to tell them that you're going to close the border. Trump has said, in effect, "you better hurry up before I close the border."
9
What does that mean “close the border”?
Trump complains every day that he is UNABLE to prevent illegal border crossings.
Completely meaningless. All he would do in that case is shut down trade completely.
Trump aside, the general media implies that the whole issue is made-up. This article at least sprinkles in some reality. Why can reporters do their job telling the real story, and holding all politicians and branches accountable?
8
it is important to list the reasons that immigrants are flooding into the u.s. first a nation of laws next low taxes third a private medical system that actually works 4th a strong military v a booming Economy based upon a free market and ...in summary everything the democrat Mob is against.
7
We are a nation of laws; laws that our president repeatedly violated and for which he has shown nothing but contempt. We do have low taxes; low taxes for corporations and millionaires that enable the rich to get richer and the rest of us to struggle just to make ends meet. And do you really think that the desperate migrants at our southern border have the slightest interest in our tax laws? As for our medical system, it is indeed in private hands and until the Affordable Care Act excluded millions of our fellow citizens from adequate health care. Do you really think that poor migrants are coming here because they find the most expensive medical system in the world appealing? And yes, we do have a booming economy; an economy that is booming in large part because it has been rescued by Democrats (FDR and Obama) from irresponsible Republicans (Coolidge, Hoover and Bush the Younger).
5
Also it looks to me that if anyone gets any "credit" for reducing illegal immigration it should be Bush. I mean the numbers bottomed out in year 1-2 of Obama's term, which is too early for Obama's policies to have much effect.
And the numbers start to increase about year 4-5 of Obama's presidency. The only anomaly also in the whole graph is 2016, which we dont see the spike we see in the summer every year before or since, which makes me believe in an issue with either data collection or the definition of an illegal immigrant. Take out the anomaly there as bad data or outlier data and what we see is a decrease under Bush policies followed by an increase under Obama's, with the Trump effect being an exacerbation of the Obama effect due to the fact that his policies havent been implemented. Rather, it's the expectation of restrictionists Trump policies that have motivated people to use the Obama policies to full effect.
So far Trumps policies have had little objective effect on immigration, mostly because they have not had time to be implemented or work. Rather, the expectation of Trumps policies have caused migrants, especially ones with children, to make a dash for the border before Trumps policies actually take effect.
Also one must consider that the immigration graph almost directly matches the graph of the economy in general. The biggest dip occurred right in the middle of the Great Recession.
Things are always a bit more complex than "Its Trumps Fault!"
4
The situation at the border is a study in human behavior. When people perceive that they will be shut out of the U.S. they are even more passionate about coming here, before they can't. If the President hadn't made such a spectacle of the fake border crisis to begin it probably wouldn't have become a real one and the border crossing numbers probably would not have been this high.
7
Its paradoxical that the unprecedented economic growth of the american economy, during Trump's tenure as president, is now the magnet for the increase in illegal immigration. What started as Trump's sound economic policies to improve employment for all Americans, but particularly for African Americans and Hispanic Americans that historically suffered chronic underemployment, especially under Clinton and Obama, is now the main factor that attracts thousands of people around the world who naively believe they can share in the economic growth just by claiming refugee status. Unless we want those masses of desperate people, who lack the work skills and English language proficiency, to live as second class citizens we must insist on a systematic and fair process to enter this country. The process has been in place for a long time, but why go through it when you can just turn yourself at the border? Most Americans are for immigration, but not the type that overwhelms American borders and demands extraordinary expenses on long-term housing, health, education, and job training programs. Let's take care of our own first.
8
Unfortunately Trump Derangement Syndrome has blinded some on the left to the illegal immigration crisis. It is a real issue. And both parties need to come together to deal with it asap.
15
How’s that going to happen with Stephen Miller running things?
4
Another connivance by Mr. Trump. Create a phony crisis, watch everybody squirm (including Republican congresspersons this time), then claim a phony victory and walk away.
2
More and more people are coming because the prez keeps threatening to make it harder and harder. It’s an “it’s now or never” situation: if we don’t try now, maybe next month things will be worse. Trust me, I rushed to get my citizenship application (my permanent resident status wouldn’t expire until 2023) in back in 2017 because I was scared Mr. T would change the rules any time. And I know I’m not alone.
6
People who illegally sneak in need to be turned around at the border and shoved back over the border into Mexico.
Give them immigration applications and encourage them to apply to obtain legal entry.
These people sneaked into Mexico over its southern border and traversed the entire country before arriving at our border. This should be Mexico's problem.
11
Let's try this argument with Trump out of the picture.
Large number of people enter the country illegally and we have virtually no information on who they are. Is this a problem? I think yes. We spend significant resources housing, educating, and medically taking care of them. Yes, the last part is true, we end up taking care of their medical needs one way or another. Rapid influx of illegal immigration effects the country in a myriad of ways. From eroding public schools in concentrated areas to driving down wages.
You can like and respect the Hispanic culture but still be against unchecked illegal immigration. This is not about whether they are good and kind people or how much you despise Trump. We have an acknowledged problem and he's trying to tackle it. It doesn't help the situation at all to stand by the side lobbing insults.
There seem to be some who are warning of dire economic consequences but tariffs will ultimate not change one's economic status. Yes, it will be harder for the lower income folks, like everything else is, but it won't be the doomsday scenario painted by those who are arguing for the other side.
8
@cari924
Thank you!
Put aside the partisanship, sit down and talk about reasonable solutions.
If it involves providing financial assistance to Mexico or resuming the aide to the northern triangle of countries, than do it. Maduro is a leader in hiding; if/when the people revolt, despite the bloodshed, their freedom will be restored.
3
The entire DJT administration's management of immigration does not pass a routine smell test. For example, given the chart displaying 20 yrs of border apprehensions how does the DJT administration explain why now, why only April 2019 is a crisis with its rate of 10thousand apprehensions when apprehensions are clearly periodic peaking in spring months with 100-150 thousand apprehensions? Why these months not moments of national emergency? Under what conditions is a national emergency periodic?
3
i dont think we can rely on USA anymore, we should start to do more business with other countries, like china for example.
4
@cesar leon
What is Mexico actually doing to enforce its own laws? Not just at Mexico's southern border but all those walking thru the country to the U.S. border.
3
Trump's apprehensions are so low compared to Bush's, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Trump is allowing them to enter so they can go to work for his donors in the agricultural sector.
2
Interesting that the highs in border crossings are occurring under Republican presidents. So many have commented that it was worse under Obama. Of course, they are listening to the propaganda from the news channel that makes sure the GOP is never at fault for anything. What caused this high count under Bush and Trump? One thing I noticed in my neck of the woods was that businesses (who hire illegal immigrants) were given great leeway under Republicans. For sure, one business, near where I live, was caught under Obama. That business owner was livid and went whole hog on campaigning for Trump and the GOP in our county. Perhaps if the businesses were held accountable....people would not come here to work. Just saying.
6
Americans loved themselves some slavery for hundreds of years... and are happy to bring in slave labor from other nations to do their lawn work, construction, tree cutting, berry picking... for less then minimum wage. "Keep 'em illegal", those employers are surely cackling. Trump himself pretty much uses borderline slave labor at his resorts and golf courses.
Whats amazing is, he ran on ONE issue - came down the stairs in 2015 like Norma Desmond in SUNSET BOULEVARD, whining about the rapists and murderers - and STILL he is unable and simply too incompetent to resolve it. EVERY president before him did a way way better job in this area. But look at how many "illegals" are coming in NOW!—because they know... they can get over on this not-very-informed president. They keep coming because they know he's just not able to stop it. And with his lame messaging, its working! Ol' "Open Borders Policy" Trump.
6
The villain here is the Democratic Party. If they would do anything reasonable on immigration and American citizenship this would all be unnecessary.
7
@Samuel Spade
I agree. Let's start with revoking some citizenship of people who don't seem to be on board with the American program. Let's start with... Alabama, perhaps? Also Louisiana. After all, they seem to be a pretty big drag on the US economy.
3
Looks like Obama ran the best system. If Trump ever read this article, which he won’t, I’m sure that would kill him.
2
This is ridiculous. Build that wall. It won’t solve the problem but it sure will slow them down.
6
Many fly in. Wall isn't high enough to stop planes. Waste of money.
2
2000 miles. Try going down there and taking a look.
4
Stopping illegal immigration is a foolhardy goal.
Can Mexico do better in curbing the flow? Yes.
Rather than implement tariffs, use a "carrot and stick" approach. Fast track the USMCA which would encourage some manufacturers to open additional operations in Mexico to help their economy; creating more jobs; benefitting the USMCA.
In exchange, Mexico does much more to encourage those crossing its southern border to apply for asylum there, in Mexico.
Then set the bar at a reasonable number of illegal border crossings monthly apprehensions. If that number is exceeded impose a human capital tariff for the next month.
This may encourage a top [northern border] down effort to stem the flow of human trafficking, illegal migrant crossings into Mexico as a one way street to the U.S. and cut down on the flow of drugs.
9:57P CDT 6/5/19
most immigrants come through legal ports and/or overstay their visas.
Time to impose tariffs on US products ...
6
People keep commenting on how “great” he is proposing tariffs and he is “doing” something. Wonder if these simpletons understand who actually pays these tariffs?
The buyer (i.e., the US business) importing goods into the US pays the tariff to the US. To maintain profit the buyer passes the extra cost onto the customer (i.e., the people in the US who buy said goods).
7
Much of this is of Trump's own doing. He won't be able to solve it with his usual method of governance: lies, demonization and fear. As we've read in this paper, Mr. Trump's own policies have caused the number of undocumented immigrants and asylum applicants to spike. For instance, Trump has been outspoken in his support for corrupt brutal undemocratic leaders in the region who are abusing their own citizens and mismanaging their economies. Trump has withheld foreign aid from countries in the region that are even now in the throes of unprecedented drought. Trump and his administration don't have the competence to handle the present situation well. For example, they've lost track of children that they have ripped from their families. It goes without saying that they don't have the good will and the decency to handle it humanely. They couldn't care less about breaking our own laws regarding applicants for asylum. They are handcuffed by their own racism and white nationalism, and are therefore unwilling to provide the aid that would encourage folks to stay home. Trump cancelled NAFTA which was responsible for a large drop in immigrants.
8
That graph is amazing. The nastier trump gets about immigration, the higher it climbs. Maybe it's time to try a little kindness?
10
The chart proves what every honest person already knew. Obama and his progressive leftist cohort walked away from their responsibility to enforce immigration law and left the border wide open.
It would be nice, if he could be prosecuted for that.
Thank goodness Trump is willing to take the bull by the horns and do something to resolve the problem, despite the subversives in the Democratic congressional leadership.
8
What about George Bush? Are you looking at the same graph?
2
@Objectivist
The chart shows very low and steady apprehensions throughout the Obama era. (Apprehensions are directly correlated to the total number of arrivals.) President Obama's policies were not perfect but they were smart, humane, realistic and largely successful. The spike happened as a direct consequence of Trump actions, as described here in this paper. You don't care how dodgy or incompetent Trump is so long as our first black president ends up in prison.
6
What does the leader of the free world say? I mean Mitch "triple chin" McConnell. The day djt doesn't do his bidding is the day he signals to the Democrats to impeach the toddler. So this must be his doing. What does his wife stand to profit?
11
Hey everybody: let's brainstorm ideas of how to solve this problem
3
Where is Vicente Fox when we need him, to deliver a choice message about Trump!
3
@C.L.S. He's well and laughing. Old Vicente is enjoying the millions he made protecting the narcos and setting the conditions for the huge wave of criminality that plagued decent Mexicans. You might think his vulgar speech is something to admire, but he is just another member of the Mexican elite who wants to make more money off the back of hard working people.
4
Hey everybody: let's brainstorm ideas. Let's
propose suggestions for fixing the large influx of migrants. Yes, the cause is the situation back in their countries, but that has not changed significantly. Let's hear some ways to deal with this.
2
"...illegal border crossings have risen to a seven-year high..."
These folks arrive broke, many in poor health. They are broke after paying thousands of dollars to smugglers and cartels and other free enterprise yet criminal human traffickers to get here. Poor health? Likely not perfect health when they set out and just got worse on the long trek. I truly feel sorry for these folks; many if not the majority come from countries that receive millions of dollars in economic aid from the USA government and charitable organizations yet receive little benefit due to their own government being corrupt/enriching themselves. Then there are the bandits, or in Africa, bands of terrorists. I do not blame them for wanting to come here. But once here, they overwhelm our system. They are housed and processed humanely and as fast as humanly possible but that is not good enough for the Democrats, the far left and the press. To this day, the "crisis" is still being referred to as having been manufactured by Trump. NO! A sympathetic and enabling Democratic and left leaning party with a sanctuary mentality produced this 7 year high and it continues to get worse. They are as bad as the foreign government and bandits and terror groups who pocket the aid we send. And by their open arms policy, they are enriching the cartels, albeit indirectly. It is time to close and secure our border. And reform our immigration policy. And give dreamers who speak English and have a profession citizenship.
4
It looks like Obama did the best.
7
@Areader. ...his best no to deal with the root of the problem that gave Trump the fuel to inflame the American psyche.
Trump's tariff game is nothing but a scam. What a clever way of fooling 95% of Americans into paying "tariff' to make the up deficit of 3.5 trillion dollars created by tax break to 5% of the Americans by trump. This is the crafty game Republicans alway play to rob the country to line their pockets. And they claim they are not raising the taxes.
6
I wish there were more shots of Pence attempting to look less like the second-most stupid person on the planet; he does a good job of it, though. . . Look at his serious face; almost as good as the one he puts on when in the presence of his beloved master.
4
Trump needs to get the leaders of the two parties in a room and work out a bipartisan solution. We need comprehensive immigration reform. He’s the president, it’s on him.
2
Won’t happen until 2 weeks before the election.
Trump needs the issue to be re-elected.
He needs his based ginned up.
He if he actually resolves to soon, he will have nothing to run on.
So, don’t hold your breath.
4
From the chart at the top of the article it’s pretty clear Democrats are WAY better at reducing numbers of immigrants crossing the Southern border than Republicans.
Maybe actually taking steps to instill confidence in US leadership, saying what you mean and following through, and supporting Central American efforts to combat crime and promote economic stability actually work better than threats, lies and cages.
6
"Any way the wind blows..." Consistency is clearly not a presidential value. Mexico is so confused ... or confusing.
According to Mr. Trump, the British love him; there were no protesters anywhere, and nothing at all to indicate that Mr. Trump is perceived as anything less than a god or a rock star. Perhaps the British would like to keep him there? Please?
2
How is the discussion not about how Trump has managed to exacerbate the immigration problem. That far from solving has made it way worse.
3
Who cares what the morons are saying. On this D-Day memorial remembrance, let us remember the words of the great and unsung hero of World War II and post World War II, General George Marshall, who rose to the Rank of Chief of Staff and was in charge of directing Eisenhower as the principal director in the vital battle to defeat the ultra-nationalists in Germany. General Marshal and Secretary of State George C. Marshall said few words and meant everyone of them. Of those I've reviewed, these seem most indicative of what is called upon in men these days. I refer you to the following word: Tyranny inevitably must retire before the tremendous moral strength of the gospel of freedom and self-respect for the individual, but we have to recognize that these democratic principles do not flourish on empty stomachs, and that people turn to false promises of dictators because they are hopeless and anything promises something better than the miserable existence that they endure. However, material assistance alone is not sufficient. The most important thing for the world today in my opinion is a spiritual regeneration which would reestablish a feeling of good faith among men generally. Discouraged people are in sore need of the inspiration of great principles. Such leadership can be the rallying point against intolerance, against distrust, against that fatal insecurity that leads to war. It is to be hoped that the democratic nations can provide the necessary leadership."
4
The graph says Trump is doing something to exacerbate the problem.
8
Imagine you were told you had to flee for your life, or your children’s lives because you were soon to be put in a jail, with no escape. Imagine you fled because you were tortured, or a family member was tortured, but you are able, with some family and friends, to escape. Imagine you cannot eat or feed your children. Imagine you are a climate change refugee. Imagine you just want to eat and be safe. Perhaps if this happens to you, you will get it. In the meantime, try reading a book called Refugee. It is a pretty easy read, and most people know reading increases empathy. If you ever have to flee a place because you are truly in danger, when you reach out, I hope you remember this day, and your ideas. “Even Jesus of Nazareth would not forgive what you do.” ~ Bob Dylan.
4
Can Trump solve problems, or what?
Answer: "Or what!"
Trump does not solve problems, he creates problems and almost always manages to make a bad situation worse.
Note the chart on rising immigration under Trump's leadership. The more his only solution is to treat children and adults coming to this country cruelly and use punishment as a deterrent, the worse the situation gets. The 5% Tariff Tax makes it more "worser."
So why is Trump uninterested in developing a reasonable approach to managing immigration at the border? He is simply on a 4-year crusade to get himself elected King of America. How to do that when he has accomplished nothing but tax cut for the rich and made a mess of everything else?
Trump figures--like some other well-known demagogues and dictators in history--that the best way is to create a hardcore voter base by trumping up some group of people as "the enemy" in order to build solidarity among the whiners and haters in the US, who would much rather see some group of unfortunate "others" punished.
After all, if the Republicans and Trump came up with or endorsed a rational path to citizenship to deal with the surging "immigration" problem (that Trump obviously made worse), then they would just have to identify some other group of people to target for hatred in order to reinforce white power.
Meanwhile, our businesses, consumers and economy will suffer if the 5% Tariff Tax goes into effect.
When flailing, failing, and falling, blame it on Mexico
10
We have been through this before ... wait. Wait for tomorrow, when somebody tells trump, the real repercussions of his folly. His folly is his unilateral tariffs on China, India, Europe, etc. and for what? His promise to bring back jobs to the US? We passed down manufactory jobs to the developing countries years ago. Instead of developing scientists to reach for the stars, trump wants his band to dig in the dirt for coal, and dirty oil. Let trump begin "The Tariff Wars" where no nation wins ...
4
He and his republican cronies create the crisis
8
Why does Mexico resist entering into a “third safe country” treaty to grant the migrants asylum? They should be sharing the burden of helping their neighbors just as much as we are.
4
Uh oh. If Mexico agrees to stop the migrants and erect some effective barriers in exchange for not imposing high tariffs, then the President can claim both Mexico built the wall and paid for it. Imagine the campaigning that he will do. Brilliant. Oh how the left will be outraged that he kept his campaign promise.
I hope you’re holding your breath
3
“Barreled”? That is, out of control? How about trying for some objectivity in news reporting?
3
Where are those people coming from? What are their reasons to come to the USA? Was there a change in what people are counted in this "illegal border crossings" statistic, e.g. regarding asylum seekers? You know, actual information, not gossip and speculation.
Many immigrants, both documented and undocumented, come to the US in search of liberty, freedom, good will, and the chance to make a safe and happy life for themselves and their families. Seems that these folks may be carrying the torch for the beliefs we native born residents are purposely forgetting.
Perhaps new generations coming into the US can exemplify to us what we've lost touch with. When did we decided it is justified to demonize the "...huddled masses, yearning to breathe free..."?
8
@EveBreeze
Oh stop.
They have for 50 years come for the money, jobs and generous welfare benefits shelled out by Americans.
These are mostly men, just as was the Mexican invasion for 30+ years. The Central American influx needs to man up, stay home and work to fix their own country + stop breeding so many babies and so much poverty into the next generation. But it's always been the path of least resistance to head over the border to sponge off America.
6
How about a big, beautiful wall on the Mexican southern border. A lot shorter and cheaper.
5
The only way to deal with the thousands of people seeking asylum is to work with the governments of their countries to quell the dangers that they are living with every single day. They are only trying to stay alive and keep their children alive...hard to do when gangs are running their own nations. If we actually did the work needed to rid their countries of the gangs and to get their governments working again and serving their people, they would not be leaving their countries to come here. They don't want to be here where they are not wanted, they just want to live. If we help them in their own countries, they will be very happy to stay home.
11
@lynchburglady
American taxpayers have been sending $hundreds of billions to all these Central American countries for decades. And we got zilch in return, except more troubles, MS 13 gangs, now this.
7
Maggie, the USA has worked tirelessly to destabilize the governments of Central America for decades. We have done both to help them. This is the result of our tireless work.
4
@Maggie
Throwing money at those nations isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the Peace Corps, diplomatic work, and, if necessary, even the military to do the reverse of the destabilization that Steveb talks about. To actually shore up and stabilize those nations. We've done so much harm in South America, it's time we did some good.
3
Only the former Soviet Union, and other "communist" countries could forbid their citizens from traveling outside of their own country. Is Trump telling Mexico that they should behave like a communist country?! If that's the criteria, perhaps we should be rewarding China, or for that matter, Cuba! Sheesh, what a lunacy!!
5
@lf The Trump administration seems to be working with the Honduras and Guatemala governments to set up internal checkpoints. I'm rather sure that's what they would like to see in Mexico.
US citizens are of course being restricted from visiting Cuba.
1
The Trump administration has been caught lying time and time again about its claims, and he and his people simply cannot be trusted, particularly where these policies intersect with Trump's racism.
I'd like to know how badly these immigration numbers have been inflated, to learn the extent to which falsified numbers are being used to manipulate public opinion.
2
Ignore rhetoric and look at the numbers: illegal border crossings was tapering off in Obama's term but spiked during Trump's tenure. This is the direct result of his disastrous Central/South America foreign policies.
We should trust this ignoramus to handle a "crisis" he created? No, thank you. Shooting one of our feet is bad enough already.
8
Will they be using that collected 5% tariff to hire more judges to speedily deny these asylum seekers and send them on their way home.
2
I happened to be in Canada while this soap opera was playing out. The media there reported on an issue that was largely missed here in the U.S. This was that V. P. Pence negotiated a trade agreement with Prime Minister Trudeau that seemed to be a bit of a breakthrough—yet Pence's efforts were undercut later that same day when President Trump tweeted his threat against Mexico. Now—no surprise—we find the Mexico deal won't go through, so this seems to torpedo the Canada deal also.
Let's sum up:
The old NAFTA trade deal with Canada that teams of negotiators spent months coming up with was ripped up by an intemperate US president for no special reason. A promising new deal was then also undercut by the President.
The old NAFTA trade deal with Mexico ditto. The new deal was undercut by the fantasy of the Mexican immigration deal.
Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of D-Day. On June 6th 1944 73,000 US troops landed in Normandy alongside 21,000 Canadian troops; they fought and died together. Now, for no reason than that our President sometimes awakens in a bad mood, we have kicked our most loyal allies the Canadians to the curb and treat them like trash, while this same President regularly plays kissy-face with murderous dictators.
Can this get any more insane or evil? Why do any Americans continue to support him? More to the point, where are the so-called Republican leaders. Forget McConnell, he’s hopeless, where are Senator Romney and the others? Have they no integrity at all?
14
@Jerry Schulz
The United States and Canada have a compact which says that a migrant who is seeking asylum must request it in the first safe country he enters. This means that Canada does not have to hear any request for asylum from a Mexican, a Central American, or from anyone else who is migrating from a country to the south of the U.S.
Mexico should sign a similar compact with the U.S. It would require anyone coming from a country to the south of Mexico to apply for asylum in Mexico, and anyone who enters the U.S. from Canada to apply for asylum in the U.S. rather than in Mexico.
(Prime Minister Trudeau’s party recently introduced a bill to the Canadian parliament that would forbid anyone who has been turned down for asylum in the U.S. to even apply for it in Canada.)
6
@ann
A simple google search will allow you to find out that thousands of people seeking asylum are illegally crossing into Canada from the US.
"In August, Royal Canadian Mounted Police caught more than 5,500 people trying to illegally cross from the U.S. "
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/08/canada-warns-immigrants-u-s-heading-north-border/683297002/
Also, it has been widely reported that if you cross into Canada on one of many "unofficial" crossings, Canada would not deport you once you have set foot there.
1
@ann, I wish you were on the team negotiating our immigration deals with Canada and Mexico. But we have two problems here.
#1 - You or reasonable people like you aren't on that team, and even if you were you'd run the risk that President Trump would blow up anything you negotiated.
#2 - VP Pence worked hard to get us back to a reasonable trade deal with Canada, but what you're talking about is NOT trade but immigration, it's NOt with Canada but Mexico (yes, I know they're our other NAFTA partner), and what we're asking, reasonable or not, isn't something the Mexicans are going to buy.
So, again, because of this we kick our long-time allies, the Canadians, to the curb as our way of celebrating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Was I unfair when I called this evil? Insane?
1
As someone who lives right here, a half an hour from our border with Mexico and Tijuana, it is no surprise that the border crossings are at a 7 year spike: our economy is super strong currently, so there is more money to be made and sent back home. As our economy was tanking at the end of Bush and before Obama, you could see that there were fewer domestics and laborers around (since they wait on every corner to become employed for the day). Total scarcity. Many simply stayed home to tough it out in Mexico or Central America’s. Now that it’s raging again, they’re back, to work hard.
As someone who trumpets the economy and how Bigly he’s made it, he seems to be completely misjudging the real
Reasons it’s so high right now. (Venezuela, Brazil and Honduras excepted)
2
Is it possible that the increase in border crossings is a result of Trump's threat to build a wall? That people want to cross while they can before the wall is built?
3
This is a problem entirely of Trump's own making.
The numbers of people arriving at the border may seem high, but they don’t equal the numbers that were coming here during the Clinton or Bush Administrations.
In 2000, more than one and a half million people crossed the border. In 2006, nearly 900,000 people crossed the border… still three times number we saw last year under Trump.
The difference is Trump instituted a heartless zero-tolerance rule in which every single person who arrives at the border (many seeking asylum) MUST be taken into custody and detained indefinitely. The current detention system was never meant to be operated that way.
You see, Trump created a so-called emergency, then claimed that he has the right to wield vast powers to "fix" his self-made emergency. Not coincidently, this is precisely what dictators do when they are trying to consolidate authoritarian power for themselves.
_____
“Illegal border crossings have been declining for nearly two decades. In 2017, border-crossing apprehensions were at their lowest point since 1971.”
– https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/11/us/politics/trump-border-crisis-reality.html
6
Immigration reform is needed, but it can't be negotiated with Trump in power. He simply can't be negotiated with, and he has no credibility on this issue. He blew any credibility with his bigotry on the campaign trail and since taking office.
It will have to wait for people of good faith to negotiate.
8
This surge from Central America took place after Trump became president. Before that there were no huge Central American caravans coming here. Mexican illegal immigration to the US was down and continues to be minimal today. Then Trump started talking about the need to expand the wall, build a new one and "make Mexico pay for it". Suddenly, we have all these Central Americans coming here. I wonder who is really behind this whole thing and who benefits from it. Certainly not Mexico. But it does help Trump make a point about uncontrolled borders and blame Mexico for it. Trump is a bully. He shows this type of behavior dealing with other countries as well: Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, China, Iran etc. etc. Sanctions, blame, threats, blockades etc. And Trump is not alone, there are many in this country who support his behavior, as there are many who oppose it. In the end, Congress will not oppose anything and will find a way to go alone with these crazy policies. Now Mexico, a neighbor, trading partner, with a democratically elected government, with no nuclear weapons or foreign troops, with hundreds of thousands of Americans choosing to live there, is being victimized. Other will be next and no matter what Mexico does, Trump et al will come up with another excuse to blame Mexico. I'm not Mexican, by the way, but a citizen who votes in almost every election and respects the country's law. The current atmosphere being promoted at this time in this country is most unhealthy.
5
But there is no crisis at the border!
2
Good! Mexico need to control their own southern border. Do you see people form Central America looking to settle in Mexico? Of course not! They want to come to America where handouts are the name of the game.
The Democrats can wring their hands all they like but they have been derelict in the face of a humanitarian crisis. It won’t be forgotten. All they see is an army of potential voters marching over the border. Sad.
6
Hey, Trump ranted about illegal immigration during the campaign. He won. The House and Senate were majority-GOP for two years.
Why didn't he fulfill his campaign promise when he had both houses of Congress?
20
From the moment he so poetically descended on an escalator to declare his candidacy for president, Trump has chosen to make the demonization of immigration the heart and soul of his approach to governing. The grandson of immigrants, married twice to immigrants, his racist words and actions against the people who are the very heart and soul of our country are Karmic crimes that will haunt his entire time in office and, with his economy destroying tariffs, eventually bring him down.
11
Trump demonstrates his inability to judge a situation by not addressing this problem at it's root - Central American countries who are nominally our allies who won't/can't address the problem of lawlessness in their own countries. Sealing all the borders in fact means denying the tragedy of families trying to escape but actively bottling them up to be attacked and killed. Trump conveniently wants to minimize the human right to escape violence and our responsibility to help them.
Trump can and should attack the problem where it occurs, in Central American countries. We need to aid those willing to strengthen resources to maintain lawful conditions and protect their citizens. But Trump be bothered to attempt solutions as much as to have others cover up the symptoms. Trump is not a believer in protecting law and life in our hemisphere. He knowingly accepts the symptoms of a problem even if it continues the cycle of death and oppression. He could care less as evidenced by this administration unwillingness to attack the problem.
10
It's surprising that so few New York Times readers have made the connection between democrats' fighting every Trump move to close the border, legally and politically, and the surge in immigration. Do they really not understand that immigrants understand that democrats are on their side and will do everything to help them get into the country?
13
Do you mean the way trump and the republican held senate and congress did for the first two years of his presidency (or didn’t do for the sarcastic challenged)? When he chose to not do anything for years they must have felt welcomed from that moment on.
8
You use the term 'apprehensions'. Does this include people who voluntarily surrender to American authorities and request asylum?
If so, this is a sickening misuse of the word that plays into the inhumane agenda of virulent racists like Trump and his Yahoo supporters.
Here is a dictionary definition:
Apprehension: the act of arresting; seizure
This is absolutely not applicable to supplicants. For the New York Times to use this word in this context is appalling.
Dan Kravitz
7
So why does Mexico think they can't be a country where people can get asylum?
12
Billdin a big wall and diportin all them illigals is the only way we can keep America safe and fix that Central Merican problem!
Yeah Right! I'm definitely voting for Trump this time so he can fix everything & drain that swamp!
Trump has no plan aside from bullying with a cannon and a hammer. This latest tweet-inspired piece of garbage policy was no more thought out than anything else Trump does. He frets about a problem that he created, and then tries to find someone to clobber with some absurd action on his part to cower them into doing something that will show that he is DA BIG BOSS. We don't have a president. We have a thug who wants to run America like a crime mob.
The tariffs are already costing the average family $1000 per year in increased costs. There goes the tax refund. Now Americans will pay even more! But "MAGA! MAGA! MAGA!"is so much fun to yell (even if it is a lie) along with "Lock her/him/them up!" It must be worth a thousand bucks to get to scream and cheer for Emperor Donald.
5
I am a liberal. I want our country to be a place where people can come, work hard, and create new beginnings. But, I also freely recognize that dealing with a steady, high volume number of immigrants from many countries must be managed, and not with open detention.
How can we intelligently and compassionately address this on- going situation?
I ask anyone reading this, what would you do if 6,000 or more people showed up tomorrow, in your town, with no where to go, and without a job? Frankly, I don’t know if I could offer anything other than provisions from our food bank.
Someone please help us all figure this out, and help us be the best America can be. Congress, are you listening ?
7
@Ceil H, create new beginnings? What is America? One giant AA meeting hall? Is it really America’s job to rehabilitate the world? We’ve tried in the past only to be called the Devil for it. I’m not sure what people want from us other than our money and to live in our backyards.
3
As so much immigration is taking place across the Mexico-Texas border, the obvious solution is to allow Texas to do what it has long sought to do - declare independence and succeed from the United States. Go from being the Lone Star state to Lone Star Country. Then all the immigrants would stay in Texas, and the problem would be solved. Texas has been successfully dealing with immigrants for decades, so not much would change. We could then tariff Texan imports and live off of that income stream. So simple, I'm surprised that Trump has kept this card up his sleeve.
1
@Walterk55, but Ted’s his pal now, remember?
I deplore the dire conditions the Central Americans have to endure, and sympathize with them. However this tsunami of illegal immigrants is beyond belief.
Luckily the president is taking the appropriate actions to fix this this problem.
However, we should not forget that the most effective solution will be to help Central America become a more livable place.
4
We created this mess 50-years ago when we propped up west leaning despots/dictators in Central America. Now there's a civil war going on in Central America and we're hiding our heads in the sand saying the killing/war is their fault. We're worse than England (not by much thou).
5
We can't have tariffs. No wall. We can't deport people directly to Central America.
We can't hold families more than 20 days.
We can't keep track of people released into the general population.
I'd like someone to tell me what we can do to step the flood that has overwhelmed our system and borders.
And granting citizenship to 11-23 million people here illegally isn't going to do it.
6
@Talbot
March them into the desert. ?
Call it relocation.
No water. !
1
I'm confused: In what sense does Mexico have any leverage over the United States of America?
4
Incredible. NOT ONE person is blaming employers. Why?
8
The Trump/Pence plan to punish Mexico for allowing Central Americans to illegally enter the U.S. by forcing American importers, retailers, & consumers to pay punitive tariffs to the U.S. Treasury on goods of Mexican origin makes a lot of sense!
It doesn’t??????
3
I am even more confused than I normally am.
Ever since Trump's election we have been told
by the New York Times and many, many commmentators
that Un-lawful immigration was down, down, down
but it seems up, up, up - at least 1,000,000 be arrested
a year and who knows how any slipping by the authorities.
And yet we are told again and again we don't need a wall.
8
@John Brown
That’s the problem.
Nobody has any confidence in what the government says.
The Republicans had both houses for two year. Why didn’t they do something. ?
And a wall can’t stop tunnels. Although it will slow down the big crowds.
Maybe we can we send them to Cuba?
Thank you Donald. Results are important, so isn’t it time we say “You’re fired?”
6
So the wealthiest country on Earth can’t stop this problem - why don’t we demand some other country do it for us.
All you have to do is jail any American who hires illegals. Of course, starting with the owner of Trump Golf Course and Mar a Lago.
6
Typically, these folks pay one to five thousand dollars in smuggling fees to cross the 1000 miles though Mexico to the border. 400000 people a month paying the low fee is $400,000,000 to criminal gangs and many corrupt government officials from top to bottom. $3 Billion per yr. Altruistic Democrats have gained seats in Congress though Sanctuary city population growth but,acting as a magnet bringing ever more too. One wonders how much of the smuggling $ reach political pockets in the US. hopefully Politicians here can resist the pernicious corruption of our neighbor...
4
Southwestern Border Apprehensions have shown a year over year monthly increase since February, 2018. Since February, 2019, the year over year monthly apprehensions have doubled. Eight months into this fiscal year, the border apprehensions are greater than totals for the each fiscal year from 2014-2018. Almost 2% of the population of Honduras has been apprehended at the southwestern border.
The administration's policy of deterrence through cruelty is not working. In fact the size of the problem has doubled.
If I had hired someone to reduce southwest border apprehensions, I would fire him and get a new plan.
6
From the graphic on apprehensions at the border, it is clear that the only way to control immigration is to elect a Democrat.
10
@Michael James
Like the 1 million illegals PER YEAR that poured over the border during the Clinton 1990s and half that during the Obama term.
2
I read an article last week in another journal where the author compared migration to reparations -- for all the decades that the West dominated and stole from other lands, now those people are coming to the West to seek recompense. There is a certain logic to this.
3
It's unfortunate that this has come to this point. However, the real blame lies with the Congress, both houses of which have resolutely refused to do their duty, not just this year but for decades. They had so many chances, in so many ways to fix this problem permanently, but they would not do it. Even something as simple as passing mandatory E-Verify would have a great impact. Instead, nothing. No action, only words of condemnation of those picking up the mess Congress made.
10
Is the increased level of apprehensions a success or failure? If the goal is stopping illegal immigration, isn't whatever Trump's doing working? If the goal is to reduce the need for apprehensions, then I don't get it. It seems to me that successful border defense would mean a large number of apprehensions if more people are trying and/or if border security is better. So what is Trump so frustrated about? The numbers suggest that the Border Patrol is doing its job, even without a wall. Who cares how many try if they fail to get in? Remember a tariff is a tax on Americans, not on Mexicans or Chinese or any other foreigner.
1
All the employers who do not follow E-Verify guidelines should be severely penalized. If any potential applicant that fails the E-Verify should be reported to USCIS. It is the greed of American companies that creates demand for cheap labor. This in turn creates a surge of migrants to the US. The migrants may be facing hardships in their countries and the US should send more aid and personnel to the countries to help the people. But the main change has to come from within the US. Penalize employers severely who do not hire legal applicants and see the change.
20
Why would Trump want to resolve the immigration problem? Those videos of overcrowded conditions are the best re-election campaign video he will get. It got him into office, in his mind it will get him another term.
Except after four years some might wonder if he actually knows what he's doing.
At this moment he's playing golf in Scotland, taxpayer funded, at a resort he owns.
7
As if we need another example, here we see where governance by a narcissist leads us: rather than see the immigration influx as a personal challenge that requires more than a knee jerk reaction (an educated middle school student could see the complexity of the situation after one class), he sees this as an insult because it does not conform to his wishes (and behaves like a middle school bully).
3
Reduced American consumerism is the ultimate environmental conservationism. I for one welcome tariffs. Let Americans “suffer” a day or two without their mountains of single use plastic trash.
6
I thought Mexico was paying for the wall! Just another Trump lie I guess.
4
Trump knows full well that Mexico cannot possibly control the refugees from seeking asylum; besides, international norms demands a spirit of justice, if not compassion, towards the least among us; would this thug behave humiliating another nation if the folks escaping violence at home were 'white'? THis may be a racist move again, as if we didn't have ample proof already. Shameful. Besides, Trump's irrational, hysterical, off the cuff moves shall have consequences, and not for the better.
3
yes Mexico can seal it's border..
however they choose not to...if these migrants decided to stay in Mexico...do you really think the Mexican government would allow it...I don't think so...also many Latinos do not believe in the rule of law...look at all those Latin American countries...the corruption is rampant...from the gangs..
the police and government officials...who suffers...the little person...our tax money is going to people that are not American citizens...why can't the money be used for our schools...and people in need...I'm all for a guest worker program...however no citizen for breaking the law...President Trump was right it is a crisis on our southern border...give him credit...
and the democrats sit on the sideline and do nothing...
6
I guess Trump never heard “The buck stops HERE!” It’s always somebody’s else fault. Illegal crossings are up on Trump’s watch. It’s HIS responsibility.
He’s flailing around without a clear path. Close the border, don’t close the border. Put children in cages. Build a wall. Put tariffs on Mexican goods.
It’s a MESS! He’s a mess.
11
Trump is all Fake Drama, hurting real people. Make Humanity Great Again. As for Trump's ignorant apologists - READ THE REPORT.
7
Mexico will pay. Seems to me I've heard that one before.
I guess there's no reason for Trump to stop saying it as long as his base keep buying it. Not to mention the southern border problem has gotten worse under Trump's misguided policy.
7
Having just read and tried to digest a lot of the excellent comments. Here is where I come out:
1. We need to let a lot of the immigrants in (not the criminals) because in the long run they will help grow the economy, create wealth and bring more brain power to the country. The jump from generation to generation can be extraordinary (children of maids becoming doctors).
2. The immigrant coming in must become full fledged Americans (English speaking, valuing democracy, valuing diversity and loving education). They must assimilate American values for social stability.
3. We need to help the South American countries with their economic, crime and corruption problems, so that they become trading partners with us in the long term and more stable democracies. This is long term work, but if we don't do it, we end up brutalizing a lot of people and hurting ourselves. Love your neighbor is best policy, but it does cost in the short term.
3
Trump is doing so much damage to my country that I hate him and his supporters... it doesn't bother me to pay 5% to 25% extra on my expenditures if the Republicans will suffer and finally come to their senses and get rid of him.
Also, I worked tirelessly at Stanford Med Ctr for stem cell research which has made a HUGE difference already in saving lives, and now, Trump wants to prevent any more research and has closed down UCSF's lab (btw, UCSF is one of the top 5 med schools in the world)...If Trump and his pro-lifers are so adamant against stem cell research I suggest when they or their loved ones develop cancer, they only be treated w medical treatments pre 1990....
14
Trump has been president for going on 2.5 years. He owns all of this. His failed presidency is why there is chaos at the southern border. He owns it even though he refuses to take responsibility. Worst president ever.
11
What Liberals fear above all else is not failure - but instead that President Trump is succeeding.
8
@Dr. John Please, tell us his great successes. Oh, I know-Mexico is paying for the wall and Trump gave us the best health care plan that is better than Obamacare, the tax cuts had no effect on the deficit and we no longer have military in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
Now, as you believe in fairy tales, the above is a fairy tale.
9
I don't fear Trump succeeding because, if there is some measure of success, it is purely coincidental and will come to an abrupt end shortly. I know this because Trump himself admits that he never informs himself on any issue, no matter how critical. He just goes with his gut. Ignorance and arrogance rarely lead to success. Ergo, if you see Trump having success at something, you needn't wait long for failure to come to the fore because that is what inevitably happens when you operate like that.
1
@Dr. John
Succeeding in what? Making the US a laughingstock and leading us into another financial catastrophe? Oooookay . . .
3
Trump is exactly correct on this. Mexico and their corrupt government profit from the flow and do nothing to stop it. Empty talk has done nothing as the illegals pour over. Our bought and paid for Congress does not care and sold out the US working class decades ago. Maybe one day idiots will start thinking for themselves and enlighten to the reality that Trump's policies are smart and are working. Until then back to the politically correct delusion on immigration and the falsehoods of those pushing identity/class warfare.
51
What policies are working?
9
This is a complete bone headed way to attempt to solve this problem. Maybe if USA hadn’t worked so hard to destabilize Central America, this wouldn’t be a problem.
Immigration reform is not a goal of republicans, just scare mongering and creating crises where none existed.
9
@DecliningSociety Trump has never been correct in his assumptions to date.
And his policies are doing little to nothing to stem the flow of migrants.
So much for those policies that are working...
8
Trump’s tariff threat and promises of future aide to Central America is beginning to work.
The Washington Post is now reporting that “Guatemala is working with the United States to reduce the flow of migrants through the country, its interior minister said Wednesday, with plans to renegotiate a regional open-borders agreement, break up migrant caravans and subject families to DNA testing.” .
The New York Times report Monday in an article headlined “Mexico Cracks Down On Migrants After Pressure for Trump to Act that Mexico has begun breaking up caravans headed from the U.S. border and arresting and deporting thousands of migrants attempt to traverse Mexico.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/guatemala-says-its-working-with-the-united-states-to-tighten-borders-break-up-migrant-caravans/2019/06/05/3e7aa742-87bd-11e9-9d73-e2ba6bbf1b9b_story.html?utm_term=.dcdca4a0540c
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/world/americas/mexico-migration-crackdown.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
21
Trump just made the US a less attractive trading partner.
Businesses will not like the uncertainty. Who wants somebody else to be able to raise prices 25%?
Trump probably imagines that this will be good for US businesses.
But, if you think it through, it's more likely to hurt everybody.
8
Why this surge in border crossings? Well, consider the fact that Trump recently halted foreign aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. With conditions in those countries deteriorating, more people will become refugees. So this “crisis” at the border may be partly Trump’s own making.
The question is, was this deliberate? Did Trump intend to drive up the number of refugees, so he could have a border crisis which would arouse and excite his base? Or was it just an unanticipated side effect of sticking it to some poor countries Trump despises anyway?
8
@joshbarnes
Americans owe those nations nothing. They have run their own countries in the ground with their own corrupt, violent degenerate sons, fathers, grandfathers. And the Vatican is not off the hook here, either.
The $hundreds of billions American taxpayers have been sending to those governments for decades - out of U.S. generosity - is money down the drain, just like the same giveaway policies and same outcome we've seen over the same decades in sub-Saharan Africa: Bottomless graft, corruption, brutal deviant violence, murder, rape, phony egotistical macho militarism - in highly religious but semi-literate overpopulated conservative dictatorships. The third world is the third world everywhere around the planet, mostly due to the same poor choices generation after generation. The U.S. is not the trash can of these people.
9
@joshbarnes Both probably.
1
@joshbarnes
I think you make very good points there, probably reflecting the reality many do not want to see. I think you are right.
2
Why would Mexico make a deal if they know Congress is going to block the tariffs? The Master Negotiator has no leverage. Stable Genius, indeed.
7
I object to the characterization of "tens of thousands" of immigrants who cross the border as "illegal". Those who seek asylum are legal immigrants, their entry documented by the Border Patrol which releases them into the United States with documentation permitting them to travel in the country. These legal immigrants have submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the U.S. and the immigration courts which will decide their cases. I would like the Times to be clear in their reporting whether asylum seekers are lumped with others who cross without a legal right to be in the country.
7
@Carol Lindsay
They are not legal immigrants. They are economic migrants, and that is being generous. They want into the U.S. for the generational lifetime welfare and freebies.
9
This is an important point, because we have to realize Trump is asking Mexico to prevent LEGAL entry into the US.
Trump’s own efforts to prevent legal entry to seek legal asylum has included torturing children and imprisonments during the asylum process that Trump is causing to drag on for four years.
Now, since US courts would not allow our government to break the law by simply turning away asylum seekers, Trump is enacting illegal taxation on Americans to force Mexico to accomplish the illegal act for him.
Note, if Trump at any point wanted to change the asylum law, he could ask Congress. Why didn’t he, during the two years he had a Republican congress? Because Trump is not a well man and has a psychological problem. He wanted to be cruel and throw tariffs around. Solving a problem or following the law doesnt scratch the psychic itch he feels. And that’s where we are, Trump ratcheting up cruelty and aggression because he enjoys it while the problem has grown.
2
CBP seems happy to serve as a political prop. As for the “roots” of rage, it has nothing to do with the desperate plight of people fleeing climate change and violence and everything to do with asserting dominance.
1
In Guatemala about 2% of the people own 98% of the land and that 22 families (the G8 as people jokingly call them) control almost all of the wealth. And it is no secret that most of these elite families also run, in a brutal manner of speaking, the government. The “G8” has maintained their political and economic hegemony through a series of violent repressions and alliances with the military and foreign governments ( “The United States).
Honduras and El Salvador are similar.
This is a link from our Dept of justice.
https://www.justice.gov/eoir/file/889611/download
This situation will never change unless these Guatemalan families and their bond with organized crime are crushed.
8
Trump has changed from a dictator into a tyrant and still the Republican party is klinging on to him, while the Democratic party is still asleep and let Trump berate and accuse the world not willing to impeach him.
No wonder citizens have given up on Washington.
A new party has to be formed to rescue our country.
2
America similarly demonized the Italians, Poles, Greeks, Eastern European Jews and others from ‘s—hole countries’ who fled to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century. About 225,000 refugees came to this country every year from Italy alone. The U.S. put pressure on foreign governments to stop people from leaving. Still they came by the hundreds of thousands every year, fleeing poverty, crime, the devastation left by World War I, pogroms.
In 1910s, the majority of the population of major cities like Boston and New York were immigrants and their children. Racism and xenophobia - justified with pseudo-scientific ‘eugenics’ - was the pretext to ‘stop the invasion’ and impose draconian ‘quotas’ on immigration by nationality. At the same time, quotas for ‘Nordics’ were substantially increased. Hitler cited American policy as the inspiration for his own.
Because of these quotas, hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s were barred from this country. As a result, many of them died in ghettos and concentration camps. There was an effort to carve out an exception to allow 20,000 Jewish children per year to migrate here. Congress rejected the exception. The ‘America First’ advocates said these kids may seem cute now, but they’ll grow up to be ‘ugly Jew adults.’
Our restrictive, racist immigration statutes and quotas were repealed in the 1960s. We’re reverting to the shameless xenophobia and nativist/racist movements of the 1920s. Shame!
10
The Democratic party needs to get this message drilled into their heads: "If liberals refuse to guard borders and maintain law and order, fascists will end up doing it for them."
13
My rage as well. Tho I'm a Democrat. We are being invaded and it has to stop. I am disgusted that Dems are not dealing with this. It will lose them the election.
17
You have never been in a war torn country not actually gone to battle otherwise you wouldn’t use “invaded” in this context.
2
It shocks me that no one - no one! - on this thread blames the employer for this problem.
That tells me it is race and rank that people are worried about.
11
There are so many components to this I almost don’t know were to begin. I will say this if you monetarily punish people for hiring illegals life would change and so would this problem.
2
And hiring them is against the law. Enforce the law!
1
When Republican voters were against Obamacare even though ot largely benefited them I said the were fanatics who hates anything associated with Obama. I looked down on these less educated Republicans and thought Democrats could never be like that, but now I realize we're just as crazy. Look I hate Trump as much as the next guy, but this situation with South American immigrants is spiralling out if control and Congress has been arguing with no action fir decades. I have no problem with Mexico paying tariffs to help foot the bill of all these immigrants.
3
@M Except Mexico is not paying, importers are, and will raise prices on everything from Mexico, that WE will pay. And, probably Mexico will put on tariffs of their own, hurting especially our farmers again as Mexico is their number one country to sell too. Yes, stop immigration (help the countries where people are desperately fleeing violence to save their families), but do it another way..
2
NYTimes. This sentence should be updates
'He has set a deadline of next Monday, saying he will use broad emergency powers to begin taxing all Mexican goods at 5 percent and to increase the tax to 25 percent by October if illegal crossings do not completely end'
Should read as
'He has set a deadline of next Monday, saying he will use broad emergency powers TO INVOKE TARIFFS AND begin taxing all AMERICANS WHO CONSUME Mexican goods at 5 percent and to increase the tax ON AMERICANS VIA TARIFFS to 25 percent by October if illegal crossings do not completely end'
5
Why is it we never hear about Everify any more? People will not attempt to migrate here if they KNOW they cannot work.
8
@Cal It is used, but mostly Republican landowners and construction companies won't use it since they LOVE to hire illegals and pay them little and no benefits. Illegal immigration started with the big Republican landowners hiring pickers decades ago.
5
"New figures released Wednesday showed that illegal border crossings have spiked to a 7-year high, underscoring the roots of the president’s rage."
OK, now I'm confused. If Pres Obama's policies were so bad (as Trump claims), then why have illegal crossing increased under Trump's watch? (Notice that we're looking at illegal CROSSINGS, not just arrests!)
Maybe if Trump and his admin actually allowed LEGAL asylum seekers to enter LEGALLY into our country (i.e. according to the procedures of our own current LAWS), they wouldn't be forced to enter illegally!?!?
Trump has created the current crisis. Yes, the situation wasn't good before; but Trump has ineptly turned a bad situation into an actual crisis. Then he complains about the crisis that he created?!?!?
4
And this is why conservatives should welcome Trump's impeachment and removal: he is an utter incompetent, who is unable to do anything besides dish out insults and appoint the judges wanted by his handlers. He can't build a wall, he can't pass sanctions on Mexico, and he sure can't do a thing to stop one undocumented migrant from crossing over. At least with a President Pence, conservatives will have someone who can actually govern, not President Crybaby who can't do a thing.
2
Trump doesn't want immigrants crossing the southern border with Mexico, seeking asylum in the United States, because the U.S. is not equipped or prepared to handle the insurgence of immigrants from Central America. So how exactly is this Mexico's problem? Would it be Canada's if the reverse were true? Someone wrote: "I'm glad that the Mexican government is being called on the carpet to help address the tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing our border." I would be glad if Congress came to a reasonable solution addressing the influx of immigrants crossing our border. If Americans are paying for Trump's tariffs, they can just as easily fit the bill for increased hiring for ports of entry, improved infrastructure, tighter security, new sensors and drones, expanding refugee processing in Central America, revamping the process of asylum in the U.S. This is not a Mexican problem. It is a U.S. problem.
3
Since when does the USA order another country to do anything.
3
@Irene Cantu
ROFL.
Do your parents know you're on their computer this late at night and why are you not studying for your 4th grade history test - which would answer your silly ahistorical question?
6
Everything is a game with Trump and his promises cannot be trusted. The Mexican president should say "Game over" and refuse to play.
4
If this problem doesn’t get solved, and the obstruction continues, then what comes after Trump may make Trump look like a polite gentleman in comparison.
2
Remind me again, under who's watch?
3
I wish Mexico would stand up to this callous and simpleminded bully who has no understanding, and doesn't care to have an understanding, of the tragic complexities that drive this problem. If Trump antagonizes enough countries, I dare say they will band together and stand up to him as one. Time for that to happen.
4
I thought Republicans were supposed to be against raising taxes. I guess their utter terror of people of color trumps that.
4
@Sterling Texas will be hurt the most. That is why Cruz was complaining loudly. This issue could turn Texas blue.
3
So the great orange one sent his dynamic duo pence and Pompeo down to the border for some negotiating. Mexico must be shaking in their boots. Good luck. Maybe this time Mitch will do his job and tell these fools to actually look for solutions.
3
I think it has become clear that its is time to bring back "tar and feathering " Donald deserves his just reward.
3
Mexico needs to stop playing facilitator and start defending its own borders.
4
These is all made up another early 202 campaign crisis like Venezuela's have you noticed that there is no longer mention in the media about this country
Republicans are crisis specialist they create them never resolve them
from fake wars to illegal child detentions they are truly masters and the GOP minions lap it all up. #GOPathetic
3
Got to love Trump’s Mexico tariff trash talk.
He’s even driving Republicans into the resistance.
4
This should be part of a broad discussion about immigration reform - the old system didn't work and the new system is certainly not working. There can be a balance, but as more people come into our nation there are fundamental questions that need to be answered. Having over a million people migrate into our nation every year is a failure on both sides of the border.
122
@Tex
You think Mexico can do a better job of stopping them than we can? Why?
All that’s needed is to jail US citizens who hire illegals. But of course, that would require some self-examination and our President is both a hypocrite and a fool.
Putin must be amazed that Trump will damage the US even without instructions.
25
@Tex Congress failed us. President promised. Would he able to keep the promise. I will wait for another year to see what the President can do!
3
@Tex:
We need immigrants now, moreso than we have in the intermediate past; it's fundamental to our economy, regardless of what is deemed "high", or "low"-skill. A million people entering our borders per year, regardless of their means, can only help.
You should research US declining birth rates in conjunction with the value of US immigration; just a thought. . .
11
It's understandable that the average reader has a short memory. We've been trained to think that history is what happened last week.
But that's a bad habit for journalists and an even worse habit for policy makers. If you really look at history we will discover that in the first part of the 20th century we basically had an open border with Mexico.
After 1928 and the great depression we expelled Mexicans because they competed with Americans for farm jobs that had basically disappeared.
But when WWII started and we had a serious shortage of agricultural workers and we opened the borders and thousands of Mexicans supported our war effort by doing our farm work.
All the way through the 1960's we allowed Mexican farm workers to enter and work-all illegal, but all badly needed. And as was the custom they returned to their home towns when the picking season was over.
But in 1965 Congress changed the immigration laws making it harder to enter and even harder to enter and return to Mexico. The result was that many stayed and eventually brought their families.
This is why we now have 11 million undocumented people from Latin America.
A sensible plan for dealing with this issue isn't a wall or mass round ups. We simply need a rational guest worker system and a method for most of the 11 million who are already here to achieve citizenship or at least green card status.
Unfortunately common sense doesn't play to fears and stir up the base like walls and arrests do.
8
@Drspock
A normal, calm, rational, thoughtful response. Bravo!
@Drspock
The Democratic Party in 1965 repealed perfectly functioning existing U.S. immigration laws in favor of the Hart-Cellar Act, which all but closed the immigration door on sensible quotas, on educated Europeans and 1st worlders but opened wide the doors to illiterate 3rd worlders favored buy LBJ and Ted Kennedy. That law provided for 1 million legals, endless chain migration and soon also 1 million illegals.
And that is how the U.S. ended up with 35% of our population non-English speaking, high breeding, uneducated and unskilled 3rd worlders. Lucky us.
2
For all those crying foul on DJT's proposed Tariffs on Mexico, well what do we do to stop this unlimited flow from CAmerica? At this rate in the next few years, very significant amounts of people from Honduras/Guatemala/El Salvador will move into our country (even if we do simple math and assume 100K per month, that works out to close to 1.2M a year or 12M in a decade - a massive drag on our social services incl. healthcare and education). How do we stop this? Either we need some smart changes to our asylum laws or we stop them from coming to our borders.
11
I had a sudden realization the other day when I actually did some research on the DHS & CBP reports and non-partisan immigration reports.
The media and the Trump administration likes to lump the border surge numbers with the overall "immigration" numbers which makes it seem like we a Mongol horde running loose across this nation.
The reality is Trump is destroying American's livelihoods with his insane tariffs over incredibly spurious numbers. Overall illegal immigration is down. The border arrest numbers include families and individuals with improper paper work. They've been including people who have legal documents which may include clerical errors. Their skyrocketing numbers include an odd bucket called "inadmissibles" which is a vaguely defined category.
I had little faith in the DHS's stats under Secretary Nielsen, and with Kevin McAleenan as acting secretary we haven't seen him do anything other than tow this administration's party line.
5
Exactly what I suspected. Trump's misguided border policy has actually made the problem worse than it was under the Obama administration.
2
Immigration as a supposed "solution" to the supposed funding problems of Social Security ad Medicare is a giant Ponzi scheme.
All those supposedly young, hard-working, tax-paying immigrants will themselves reach retirement age when they will themselves start demanding Social Security and Medicare -- and if they are legal (or legalized), they will qualify --
and that will generate a supposed need for still more immigrants --
on and on ad infinitum.
A much better solution to the funding problems of Social Security and Medicare is to raise the retirement age.
The funding problems mainly result from increased life expectancies --
a 15-year increase (from about 68 to 83)
from the time about 80 years ago (1937)
when "normal" retirement age was set at 65.
Raising the retirement age to 70 or 71 or 72 would still allow everyone to enjoy and additional 10 years in retirement.
Keeping an additional 10 years in retirement (of the total 15 years increase in life expectancy) in exchange for an additional 5 years of work.
A bargain.
Much better than an immigration Ponzi scheme
2
@sam finn Much simpler is to remove the ridiculous income cap on Social Security taxes. You and I pay 7% of our income, the top 1% pay far, far less since taxes stop after $132,000. What's wrong with the rich paying their full 7%?
People must understand that Trump needs this confrontation to continue. It's his rallying cry to his base. Once people understand that Trump has to continue this chaos so that he win the next election, in his mind anyway.
1
Bad outcomes, like the Trump presidency, are often the result national issues that go unaddressed. The asylum issue is a good example. That issue has torn our country apart like no other issue since the Civil War. So go ahead America, provide asylum for escapees of corrupt and violent cultures. And hope and pray that the chaos that has engulfed central America does not cross our border.
It's obvious that we lack the leaders to stop it.
3
@Caveman 007 People fleeing crime and violence are usually not the criminal or violent.
1
Would Mitch McConnell be more proactive in opposition to tariffs on Mexico if the tariffs impacted his family shipping industry as described brilliantly in NY Times reporting this week? Multiple blatant conflicts of interest are eating at the heart of our democracy. No wonder McConnell Chou have not opposed presidential emoluments.
1
I don't really like the idea of tariffs on Mexico, but what other options are there? Ask Congress to pass reasonable legislation? Fat chance.
3
It's a pleasure to know immigrants that have come to our country legally, I don't blame anyone for wanting to call the U.S. their home. We are a country of laws and compassion must be channeled through those laws or we risk it all.
1
The problems in Central America aren't removed by killing off aid or putting import duties on goods from Mexico that are needed in the US. The threat to create a localized sales tax on US consumers and producers has no logical connection to immigration. There seems to be no understanding of cause and effect. If the US needs what Mexico sells and has no cheaper alternative, the tariff is just a tax that does no affect the border, except for the bureaucracy needed to do the collecting.
Women in power, in both government and in the private sector, now, more than ever, your compassion, your intuition, your moral courage and your ability to lead in time of crisis, is needed.
Please call for a conference of the Americas. Many leaders from each country, many women, not just heads of state, need to attend. Let the topic of the conference be Immigration/Staying Home.
Ask what has happened in these countries in the Americas that so many people need to leave home? Why are conditions so bad? And what can be done in the following time frames: for immediate relief, short term relief, and long term solutions.
Make decisions and when you get home, carry them out. Before leaving the above conference, set the date for the next conference, say in three months, to come back and reflect on what works and what needs to be done next.
In looking at the charts and graphs the failure of the Obama administration, as claimed by Trump, pales in comparison to Bush the younger and Trump.
What is the answer, an answer that makes sense? Economic aid to those countries where the migrants originate ends up in the corrupt hands of their politicians.
Inhumane treatment, the separation of families failed to stem the tide. The threat of tariffs increased the numbers.
Now Trump has first hand experience that G.W. Bush and Barak Obama experienced and the problem belongs to him at present.
But, given the statistics, Trump is in no place to criticize Obama for his "failure" to stop the migration.
Remember that Bob Marley song, covered by Clapton?
I got the tariffs.
Now I can't afford my groceries.
3
I can only surmise that open-border fringe libertarians and liberals aren’t doing their best to ensure Mr. Trump is re-elected. To argue we don’t need borders is a well-known part of libertarian theory. It just happens to cross with global socialist thought as well as pro-corporate zealots. This is the single issue most likely to hand Trump another’s election win.
I don’t expect any deal with Mexico will be quick or easy. Trump is going to milk this gift of an issue until November 2020. It will be excruciating for everyone except Trump. I think he loves the issue because it is a reliable winner for him in swing states. You know, that blue wall we used to hear about.
2
It has been 40 years since US agribusiness began fleeing to Mexico (pre-NAFTA). Why do you think the Republicans are standing up to him? It’s the economy.
I’m more than happy to pay more for goods to stop illegal immigration, or, for that matter, Chinese trade malfeasance. Economists lament the fact that we bear the cost—bring it on! It’s worth it. Besides some of that extra cost is paid to US manufacturers whose product will displace the “lower priced” but illegitimately produced foreign goods.
As for Mexico, they’re corrupt and money driven. Trump is right and capitalism once again proves to produce the right result.
3
In order to stop the northern flow of migrants, the wealthier Western Hemisphere nations must unite and prioritize the repair of the broken Central American countries so that they are viable democracies.
In the short run, it's a heavy lift. Corruption is endemic.
In the long run, it's the right thing to do.
It sure beats erecting walls.
Trump is the reason and motivation for this surge from Central America. Under the threat of this being the immigrants last chance to get to the US there is a rush to try to get in before it becomes impossible.
2
It’s well known that Trump likes chaos and seeing people camber to try to please or appease him.
Perhaps I missed it, but I haven’t heard of any bilateral meetings, discussions or planning sessions where tactics for slowing migration were covered. Nor have I heard any talk of the root causes of the migration. We can all assume what they are but in a matter this big it seems like real information would be crucial.
Trump, dissatisfied, fired people, makes demands and threats, and achieves nothing of permanence.
Organize, register and vote.
Trump: In his tweet, he added that border arrests were so high “because of Mexico and the Democrats in Congress refusing to budge on immigration reform.”
Reality:
- Democrats have presented Trump (and the Repulicans in Congress) with multiple plans for immigration reform; Trump and the Republicans have outright rejected all of them, without negotiating.
- "Immigration reform" is an internal US problem. Mexico, as a sovereign country, has NO responsibility as to how our country deals with our own immigration problems. They can deal with their own borders however they wish (including letting non-citizens pass through uncotrolled; that's their own prerogative!). Why should they care about whether we make more or fewer arrests within our own territory?
(Of course, we then also have every right to reciprocate with tarriffs, etc.; if so, then both sides have to deal with the consequences, but that's a different issue.)
Trump will impose his tariffs, don't forget he's "Tariff Man." But his tariffs against Mexico will backfire. Mexican companies don't provide the same level of protection for their workers and their workers don't have very much bargaining power.
Mexican companies will keep their costs down to compensate for the increased prices to Americans by imposing pay cuts to maintain market share and cancelling any planned salary/pay increases.
They will also more aggressively seek out other export markets.
As long as living conditions remain horrible in parts of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, their people will seek a better life here.
Wait, I thought a while ago Trump bragged about how migrant crossings had decreased once he became President. And now he’s whining that it’s gotten out of control under his presidency? And its Mexico’s fault? I do suspect however that he doesn’t care either way & is just using this to drum up the support for his base as the election gets closer.
There is also a surge in unnecessary deaths among children and young people, at the hand of ICE and other awful Americans who do not care about human beings who need help. And btw, donnie, it's 10's of thousands NOT millions, and they would not be coming here if it were not for the USA's interference, and destruction, in their home countries, over recent decades. I'm sure every one of them would rather live in their own country, if they weren't afraid of death and privation, originally caused by the USA.
2
@ChesBay
The USA did not cause those violent 3rd world banana republics. They are economic migrants with some fleeing their own sons, fathers, uncles, neighbors.
2
Maggie, for someone who preaches a lot , you know nothing of our history with Central America.
2
I hate to agree with Trump on something, but 100k people being aprehended does indeed sound like a crisis at the border: a humanitarian one. It will be useful to hear democrats propose policies to reduce the number of illegal immigrants and stem the exodus from Central America.
5
"More than 100,000 of those arrested in May were unaccompanied children or migrants traveling as a family when they arrived at the border, officials said. In March 2017, shortly after Mr. Trump took office, that number was about 2,000, according to government records."
This pea brain for a president and his incompetent staff haven't figured out that all of their actions have backfired. Threats of a wall, jailing children, threats of arrest and deportation, tariffs and even at one time orders to shoot people illegally crossing the border just may have caused an onslaught of illegal migrants fearing that they needed to get into the US before trump raised the draw bridge.
It would seem more logical and more productive to first try and deal with the problem of violence in these countries. I will not profess to know all of the reasons or the solutions but if trump had an effective state department this could be determined. Second if the bulk of these people are crossing the Guatemalan border could not the US work out an arrangement with Mexico to fortify their borders.
Finally can the Republicans finally see their way to immigration reform, please.
trump likes to throw as much mud against the wall to see what sticks. There are much better and more efficient ways to manage a problem.
1
This situation is truly a crisis. Yet Congress does absolutely nothing to address it. No meaningful reforms to rectify a broken system or additional funding to assist with caring for the tens of thousands with multiple needs. This is gross incompetence. Every single strategy that Trump has tried to mitigate a porous border has been met with resistance. Both McConnell & Pelosi must be held accountable for their inaction.
5
Everyone who, for any reason, ever thought of coming north for a better life is doing it now before The Wall is finished.
Believing if they don't do it now, they will be on the wrong side of The Wall.
Trump brought this on, it's 100% his own fault.
2
The immigration needs of the USA are very different today than they were 50 or 60 years ago. In 1950 only 6% of our population had a 4 year college degree. Today that number is 32%. Our economy doesn't need large infusions of unskilled, uneducated immigrants any more. And with increasing automation and AI developments we are going to need fewer still. We need educated and skilled immigrants. Any shortfall in unskilled labor can be mitigated with temporary visa programs. It is insane that democrats seem to have no interest in stemming the recent surge in Central American immigration. The burden on tax payers to provide for these people will be enormous. And to what end for our country? Yes I can hear people asking where is your compassion? It is in addressing the needs of our current legal population.
7
So all these Central Americans are allowed to enter Mexico, no visa no nothing ?
They just say we’re passing through ?
If I go to a foreign country I generally need a visa and the address of the hotel I’ll be staying in.
6
Bring them right from the boarder to the military recruitment office.
5 years mandatory service for all men and women.
The children can go to indoctrination schools. When they turn 16, straight to the military.
1
Automation is increasing all the time-- the last thing we need is more unskilled and destitute people, and we have never seen immigration numbers like these before, both absolute and percentage-wise. We need to adopt a more Canadian approach-- if you want to immigrate, what do you bring to the table in terms of skills or resources?
Building the wall absolutely will keep out huge numbers of the least desirable kind of illegal immigrant-- those without the resources for a plane ticket and the organizational skills to at least get a tourist visa. When you look at the staggering numbers crossing-- lured by our unsecured border-- and the inevitable deaths it causes, it has become not just a political, but a humanitarian priority also.
6
144000 arrested at the border in May? That strikes me as a crisis. You wonder how many Republicans can ignore climate change? The same way many Democrats can ignore the border madness.
6
@Sophocles
Tell the hyper religious to keep it in their pants and quit breeding so much. Climate change is 100% caused by too many humans on the planet. The world population has DOUBLED since the1960s. Ditto, the U.S. population. And that is the source of most American problems. We need to turn the spigot off that has been flowing full force since 1965.
1
May was the third month in a row that detentions of illegals at our Southern border topped 100,000.
Without what Mexico is already doing to slow down the flow, the monthly numbers would doubtless be several hundred thousand higher than they currently are.
If Trump actually does impose his tariffs, Mexico will be in a hard place between between economic devastation and knuckling under to a man they despise.
I personally am hoping that the Mexico’s contempt for Trump --in addition to some impossible-to-meet demands from him -- will win out in the end and Mexico will tough out the tariffs, while suspending all efforts to halt the flow of illegals.
As the fake news will describe it a few years from now, all of the illegals entering the country -- aided by corrupt Democratic officials -- immediately registered to vote on arrival in Texas, which ultimately resulted in Trump’s loss of the state and the Presidency in 2020.
And thus our story will come to a happy close with Trump defeated, the tariffs ended and the refugees fat and sassy in Texas now tending the crops.
What happens after this is hard to foresee, but I think it will end with Mexico and the illegals making a determined and ultimately successful effort to regain Texas for themselves by simply allowing the flow of refugees into the Lone Star state to continue by say, 10,000 a day, for as long as it takes to get even with Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/us/crossing-the-border-statistics.html
1
Those simple minded people who think that the immigration problem begins at the Mexican border, can and should line up with Trump and his simple solution. The immigration problem is heavily tied to foreign relations, primarily by the state department. Trump and his administration have drastically cut foreign aid to Guatamala, Honduras, Nicaragua and other Central and South American countries. The result is a proliferation of gangs (MS-13 was started in Los Angeles from deported immigrants) and a lack of opportunity to make a decent living. Trump can blame Mexico and all the Mexican subsidiary countries (the Republicans really do not differentiate between the Spanish speaking countries) - however, Trump's dumster fire is his own doing.
I am really tired of this child 'so-called president' throwing temper tantrums and creating chaos to cover-up his ignorance of world affairs. I for one. am gritting my teeth and working for any Democratic candidate who can bring and adult to the White House.
Trump’s solutions to the immigration problem—“build the wall” and “bully Mexico” with economically destructive tariffs—are immature and ineffective failures. It’s time for Congress to assert some adult supervision and halt the authoritarian madness of King Donald. First, reject tariffs as a violation of Congressional authority, and second revisit their role as legislators to produce bipartisan reform. The House has passed an immigration reform, the Senate should seek a compromise to end the silly fiasco of Trump’s folly of anti-immigrant bigotry.
1
America needs much stronger immigration control,
including much stronger workplace enforcement,
and that includes a mandatory, nationwide, uniform, biometric, on-line ID system,
for all employment (including "household help").
Dems and GOP water carriers for the business crowd act in Unholy Alliance to obstruct all such control measures.
Dems need to support such an ID system without bundling their support with giveaways to immigrants such as amnesty.
Repubs need to support such an ID system without bundling it to massive increases in immigration for employment.
The ID system also ought to be mandatory for all government benefits (federal -- and also state and local opt-in), including public or government-subsidized schools and government-subsidized or government-mandated health care.
3
Watch how once the Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump administration on the census citizenship question, the democrats will find no use for illegal immigrants and throw them under the bus and change their tune on open borders.
3
Why is there and has there been a surge? Let's see here....Our President has been threatening to lock down the border since the moment he got elected, thus causing Central Americans to try and get in before the "door"is shut on them "forever". It is classic human psychology, and feeds right into his narrative, yet no one calls it out. He created the surge that he claims he is trying to stop.
Shared Humanity. vermontague has it right. We need to share it with our international neighbors and of course share it within ourselves though corrections in income inequality and living wages.
I have lived and worked all over the world and Americans and most commenters in this column are completely delusional.
There is no country in the world that allows this sort of mass migration except for sub-Saharan Africa. The Sahara Desert is not the easiest thing to patrol.
I know that Mr. Trump's tariffs are just a stance and I concede it is a preposterous stance, BUT, Mexico is not a helpless state. They are corrupt, but not helpless.
They need to work on constraining immigrants from crossing their southern border and we need to improve our efforts as well.
In my opinion, the only way to get the situation under control is to automatically, deport anyone in Mexico or the USA who do not have their papers in order.
I would be willing to give the DACCA group a dispensation based on good behavior.
But the rest of them, should be deported immediately when they are found without proper papers. This is an international norm. Por ejemplo:
Our corporate attorney traveled with me to Kazakhstan and just before landing realized his visa had expired. Guess what? Upon entry into the airport they detained him and sent him back to Frankfurt without so much as a fare thee well.
The Kazakhs were right. You don't just waltz into a country because you think you are entitled. You are only entitled if you have a visa. Full stop.
7
Immigrants cost us less than billionaires! Illegal immigrants have taxes deducted from their wages, while billionaires and multi-national corporations pay no taxes whatever.
Of course we refuse to do anything about the real source of the problem, the employers. Star arresting them and making them do the perp walk. Once word gets to Mexico that there is no work to be had here, the illegal immigration will decrease.
Yeah, lettuce might start costing $20 a pound, but so be it. At least we won't have more of "those people".
The craziest thing of all: if we implement 25% tariffs that crush the Mexican economy and create social unrest and increased poverty in Mexico we will worsen the migration crisis and limit the Mexican governments tools to deal with it.
2
Globalist Democrats and RINO’s have thwarted every effort by President Trump to slow this disastrous incursion.
They are determined to see America be overwhelmed by the third world.
3
Texas politicians, like Cruz, complaining about the economic damage is beyond hypocrisy. This is the way it always works out with Republicans: grab 'em by the dollar bill and they fold. Cruz doesn't care about illegal immigration or he'd be onboard with Trump. There is a level of economic damage on Mexico that will close the border, but call the waaahbulance: Americans will have to pay more at Wal•Mart.
1
Criticize Trump all you want, sensible people understand this country cannot sustain a continuous flood of poor, unskilled immigrants. Unfortunately democrats like Pelosi practically invite these “migrants” to flood our border calling the parents heroes for dragging children a thousand miles and employing drug smugglers! One last thing, having been to Mexico many times there is little doubt they couldn’t control their southern border if they were pressured to.
1
OK - what. is the TRUMP plan - after the duty gets 10 % or 15 %
and Mexico decides to “ invite “ Central American migrants to travel through Mexico to the USA border . Both sides can play the escalating brinksmanship game .
2
Most people are not against limiting immigration from Mexico. The problem is that Trump says things, threatens, lies, talks about the criminals and drug dealers. There has been little or no support for the increased load on border control personnel. Not even a short term plan, only the chant 'build the wall'. 900 people in a detention enter designed to hold 125? It's self fulfilling prophecy; treat people badly enough and they eventually become 'enemies'. Trump issues warnings, threats, curses ... but hasn't created a program, hasn't helped the border patrol handle the mess.
He demonizes people, lies, exaggerates and labels. His base doesn't care; they still think they can't find a job because of mexican immigrants.
Immigration is a long term, complex solution. The U.S.needs to craft long term solutions for the problems of central america.
2
The Left - as judged by their strident and destructive comments here - clearly support these immigrants more than they support Americans.
5
It really is incredible that we do not have control of our own borders. I will never vote for a Democrat again.
5
When and If Donald Trump is....impeached or gotten out of
office due to his mental instability....then perhaps-....Mike
Pence, who is actually sane (unlike the demented Trump) will
find a reasonable solution to the refugee overload at the Mexican border with the USA..
Let's hope Trump is gotten out of office as soon as possible.
3
We've been selling arms to Central American thugs for decades and Trump blames the blowback on Mexico.
24
Since when is it Mexico’s job to take care of those coming to our country for asylum or whatever from Central America?
If the President could show leadership he’d help solve the problems in their native country causing them to flee.
19
@Barbara. Babs - obviously you don’t know anything about international law. Migrants are supposed to claim asylum in the first country they enter. And so now you want us to get involved in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador. Brilliant.
2
@Barbara
Since they travel the length of Mexico to get here. That’s when.
2
That would be asking a lot from Trump.
On my house...no se pueden...unless you’re invited!
6
I think the US is not made of rubber. There are the other 6 billion people in the developing world that would like to come too. If the US is only accepting Latin American migrants just because they can come by foot, this is a clear discrimination with respect to the rest of the developing world. We need then to accept everybody who wants to immigrate to the US. Do you really want that? If not, then you are a hypocrite.
20
Trump’s tariff threat asks Mexico to do the impossible while asking Americans to endure price increases that are unnecessary.
A Fable:
Donald Trump the Cabinetmaker lived next door to Andres Manual Lopez Obrador the Oak Tree Farmer.
Every year, Trump the Cabinetmaker bought oak from Obrador the Oak Tree Farmer so that Trump could make his beautiful cabinets.
But Trump did not like it that oak leaves and acorns from Obrador’s trees would blow across the boundary between their property and land in Trump’s vegetable gardens. Trump told Obrador, “I’m tired of raking up your leaves and acorns. They make a mess in my vegetable gardens.”
Obrador said, “I’m busy with planning and pruning my oak trees. I don’t have money to pay workers to remove loose oak leaves and acorns before they blow onto your property. Besides, much of it blows straight off the branches and is carried by the wind.”
Trump got very angry, “If you don’t stop the leaves and acorns from blowing onto my property, I will burn 5% of your oak forest next month and increase the burning by 5% more every month thereafter until you stop every last blown leaf and acorn!”
Obrador said, “Are you crazy? How will you make cabinets if you burn down my trees?!”
***
No one would think that the Cabinetmaker's threat was good business. Why do people think that Trump's tariff threat is good business?
10
The president has only blunt instruments at his disposal. Congress is where this issue will someday be resolved. I've moved on from imagining that is going to happen in my lifetime.
6
These constant articles about immigration rarely mention one of the drivers of people fleeing Central America: drought and extreme weather brought on by climate change, or other environmental disaster.
There is no border in the world that will stop the ongoing rush of climate refugees. Climate change has also been a driver to problems in Africa and the Mideast.
Closer to home, for example, Mexico City and environs have a population of about 20 million with a spotty, weakened, ineffective water supply. One good earthquake, and good-bye water supply. Or anything like the massive number of tornadoes now bombarding the Midwest.
In the meantime, carbon dioxide levels are now higher than they have been in 800,000 years, and corporations are setting out five year windows for when all these extreme events will start draining their coffers.
This immigration crisis has multiple, complex causes. I want to see it stop too. But let's start addressing the complex causes - you cannot solve a problem without doing so.
9
@Barbara
Overpopulation is the elephant in the room --
both regarding climate change,
and immigration,
and the problem of overpopulaton is worse in Asia, Africa and Latin America,
and immigration from those places to the USA
is not a solution to climate change.
3
What upsets me is that neither Mexico nor the US inspect the vehicles entering Mexico from the US for possible illegal guns. Gun smuggling from the US fuels much of cartel and gang violence in Central America. In Honduras and Guatemala close to half of the guns in circulation were smuggled from the US. In Mexico it is probably above 90 percent.
Reducing the flow of gun smuggling from the US into Mexico would go a long way towards reducing the violence which is driving much of the current migration crisis. I am really surprised that Mexico has gone close to nothing on this issue.
11
Trump's placement of blame on Mexico is misdirected. He instead needs to look in the mirror. This problem would nearly evaporate if the US government would just hold accountable those US companies that knowingly hire people who come here illegally. PROSECUTE those employers! Put some CEOs in Rikers to keep Manafort company. Instill the fear of God and hiring of migrants will end. Illegal border crossings will shrink to a trickle overnight and will consist only of those who truly deserve asylum. No tough-guy tariffs needed.
And Trump should be the first target since he has employed countless people at his properties who were in the country illegally. Can we please arrest him first?
16
When Trump took office the Republicans were in control of the Presidency, and both houses.
Why didn’t they fix this situation then. ?
24
The big tax cut for the ultra rich was much much more important to the ruling party. They had to repay their wealthy donors.
14
@Jim. Stop with that garbage. You know you paid less in taxes this year.
2
For most people any income tax savings will be lost (and then some) to Trump’s tariffs...
Is anyone looking into why the crossings are the highest in 7 years? Is it because Stephen Miller has imposed restrictions that have prompted the the surge; a self-fulfilling crisis for political gain?
4
I’d like to know more about who is actually doing the counting of the immigrants coming over these past seven months. Is it ICE? Wonder just how biased they are or how careful they are
From this distance, as your dearly-beloved President sits as "Lord & Master" at his luxurious establishment in rural South-West Ireland (crudely reminding "Locals" how fortunate they are that he deigns to provide a few jobs), patronizes our Prime Minister, and utters transparently meaningless statements about European Affairs, we have difficulty believing any statement coming from this Administration - the ultimate purveyors of "Fake News".
We don't doubt the self-indulgent readiness of this mercurial President to rush to engage in "Punishment" of anyone or any Nation, but we are certainly fascinated to read that even Republicans seem to regard his threats to Mexico as representing a "Gun to the Head" approach, damaging to the American People, whom we have long respected and admired, for all that we have huge difficulty understanding their current choice of President.
7
Not just be senator, not one House of Representative has said anything about these tax wars.
Is this their agenda for the 2019 class in Congress,
1
@Independent voter
Marvelous Mitch the witch McConnell just dissed Trump’s Mexico tariffs scheme today.
1
So we don’t need a wall?
10
Punishing American consumers and businesses with a tariff isn’t going to stop our border issues. And for Trump to think he can stop people from seeking asylum because he throws them in jail or commits human rights violations towards their kids, is foolish. The U.S. government needs take the reasons why these families are leaving their home countries and traveling this hard and dangerous journey to our borders seriously. And formulate a plain to se migrants live safely at home.
Instead of wasting money building a wall that will have little effect, think about putting that money to good use working with our Central American neighbors to find mutual workable solutions to the gang violence and other dangers that continue to change families northward. That would be the humanitarian thing to do.
It would also be the humanitarian thing to put the DACA people out of their misery and give them a path to citizenship that is not too onerous,
At the same time we need to be very clear that this country has been build on the backs of immigrant labor and continues to rely upon immigrants in many sectors of our economy. Deporting those who have been making meaningful contributions is pointless, perhaps akin to shooting our selves in the foot.
7
I had legally immigrated and became naturalized citizen using a long process and many months of waiting. However, I do not support un-controlled and non-competitive border crossing since it does not bring the best to USA. Why Mexico is allowing so many to cross through their territories and why there is no such rush at Canadian border? It is the "best” in USA, which promote a competitive society and GDP, make USA as a leader in science and technology, and provide the jobs to millions across the nation. Unfortunately, our president is acting like "bully" on several issues including immigration, which aggravates the problems, and solutions require diplomatic approach. Unless Democrats come with a reasonable alternative plan, they will lose on this issue in 2020 even from naturalized citizens.
21
We need immigrants for the millions of jobs we can not fill as well as to maintain our population base. As of a few years ago more Americans are dying than being born. We need immigrants for our tax base and to keep Medicare and Social Security properly funded.
So the Democrats need to EDUCATE the voters as to what we need.
5
@Barbara
Immigration as a supposed "solution" to the supposed funding problems of Social Security ad Medicare is a giant Ponzi scheme.
All those supposedly young, hard-working, tax-paying immigrants will themselves reach retirement age when they will themselves start demanding Social Security and Medicare -- and if they are legal (or legalized), they will qualify --
and that will generate a supposed need for still more immigrants --
on and on ad infinitum.
A much better solution to the funding problems of Social Security and Medicare is to raise the retirement age.
The funding problems mainly result from increased life expectancies --
a 15-year increase (from about 68 to 83)
from the time about 80 years ago (1937)
when "normal" retirement age was set at 65.
Raising the retirement age to 70 or 71 or 72 would still allow everyone to enjoy and additional 10 years in retirement.
Keeping an additional 10 years in retirement (of the total 15 years increase in life expectancy) in exchange for an additional 5 years of work.
A bargain.
And much better than an immigration Ponzi scheme.
4
@Barbara That's not true. A nation is more than just random people replacing others or filling jobs. A nation is based on culture, blood, and soil.
3
What has become the dumpster-fire on our southern border is what is best for America in the long run and keeping out these and other immigrants, legal and illegal, is necessary to protect our future.
PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that almost 40% of US jobs could be taken by robots by 2030. As more people are replaced by machines, work hours must be reduced to maintain full employment. This reduction in work hours will eventually have to result in guaranteed incomes for Americans to remove them from the workforce. The living standards of our progeny will be diminished by the progeny of any future immigrants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/technology/automation-davos-world-economic-forum.html
I am willing to pay more for goods coming from Mexico now to help provide a better future for my grandchildren.
18
This is very credulous reporting. The headline and first few paragraphs of the article imply that there has been a surge in crossings, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence cited for that. The increased arrests probably amount to a crackdown: likely the result of additional patrols, rather than additional crossings. This allows CBP to report additional arrests, and gormless news agencies to uncritically parrot their report.
If it seems suspicious that arrests by a federal agency have increased precisely when such an increase would bolster an embattled chief executive, perhaps examine where the numbers came from and what they might imply.
5
Does it matter, 100,000 illegals crossing the border illegally is all I need to know....
8
@Cromwell
From a reporting standpoint, it in fact matters a lot.
"Federal Agency Pursues Mass Arrests to Whip Up Support for Tariffs" is a much different story than "Border Arrests Surge due to Increased Crossings".
The reporter has uncritically presented the former story as the latter one.
Hard to believe the number of ignorant commenters who don't even understand that it's not Mexicans seeking asylum or what tariffs are or anything about what products constitute the trade between Mexico and US.
No wonder Trump thinks he's winning.
6
@Mimi We don't care where they are coming from... we care that they are entering illegally.
3
Always remember. Trump does nothing that does not profit himself. Trump claimed that the 'crisis' at the border was about mad rapists attacking the US border. Nothing but a story to rile up his base and cater to their fear. Then it was about asylum seekers and breaking up families in retaliation for their 'illegal' actions, actions motivated by the desire to escape possible persecution and dangerous situations in their native countries. His mode of operation became stepping over the authority of Congress and tariffs on Mexico and sanctions on countries not bending instantaneously to his will. Its like killing an ant with a shot gun.
And all of it is about distracting our attention away from House investigations, swaggering around in his bully mode and not taking action on anything else crucial to our nation, things like health care, infrastructure, protecting our elections from foreign influence (Well he'll never fix that for it obviously is his ticket to reelection). He wants to look like a statesman, but only comes off as a bumbling Mafia figure.
5
For those applauding his actions, think a bit more about what you’re doing. What he’s essentially doing is going at the surface of the problem and sweeping it under the rug. None of the structural reasons for why such migration is happening is solved.
This is akin to giving morphine to treatable cancer patients.
Another indication of how Trump has got this severely wrong - migration levels were going down during his predecessor’s terms.
6
Pence claims he's a Godly man, he believes in taking away women's reproductive rights, and caging and separating children from their families. I see those ideals as Satanic.
6
Because the conditions that Mexico must satisfy are totally amorphous, the Trump tariff threat sounds like a stunt by an arrogant autocrat. (I wonder why!) He can play this dumb story to the rafters precisely because it has no sensible or stated parameters. In other words, Mexico can do essentially nothing and Trump can claim they bowed down to his dictates and not levy the tariff. Who's going to really know? Certainly not the "fake news."
2
Trump creates a mess and then wants credit for his cruel means of attempting to fix the mess.
4
Build the wall al ready! End this lawlessness. Let the world know there IS a border.
17
‘There is no crisis on the Southern borders’. So says every Democrat in Congress. If you’d just get over the 2016 election you could see the issue.
13
Am I seriously the only person suspicious of these numbers and their root cause?
I find it extremely hard to believe that the month Trump declares a nation emergency to get his wall funding, suddenly the migrant numbers double.
This administration lies through it's teeth every, single day. Can the NYT please get a more trustworthy group than the Trump administration to back up these numbers or at least estimate them?
9
Unchecked immigration + socialism = economic collapse.
There is nothing more socio-politically insane than open borders and socialism. There can be no result other than a collapsed economy in a matter of decades. Rational thinkers cannot help but conclude that is the goal of the lefties.
17
Wow. Don't accuse Democrats of socialism when Trump has launched the biggest welfare package for farmers in history.
PS. We don't advocate open borders either. Just more propaganda from the alt-Right media.
It is very easy to see how Russia was able to influence gullible voters in 2016.
4
You have any idea what collapsed America in the early part of the last century? Wait for it......tariffs. Not immigrants.
2
Do you dream of living in an overpopulated, impoverished, poorly educated, culturally divisive, increasingly violent third world country...without having to leave home?
If so, you’re in luck. Because so long as our borders remain porous and easily exploited, that’s precisely where our country is headed. Enjoy!
28
I don't dream of living in a vast number of red states that have met all the criteria listed for at least a century. That rank at the bottom in all the indices of health, education, and welfare. That believe women and minorities to be subpar citizens. Who are still fighting about who won the Civil War. Who take more in federal entitlements than they pay in federal taxes.
Let's be real here. Immigrants are a small part of our problem.
Focus.
I'm still waiting for the moment when a person who says, "Mexico could stop the migrants crossing their border if they wanted to." can explain to me why America can't?
7
Serious human rights violations might be needed to stop them, which would be unacceptable if they occurred in the U.S. Trump wants to outsource it to Mexico.
1
You don't even know who Daniel Ortega, Jimmy Morales, Nayib Bukele, Juan Orlando Hernández, Dean Oliver Barrow, sundry other leaders of unwanted human exports are, much less how they live, were elected or their countries governments.
Yet some of the the congresspeople in the US and the uniformed among us are sure they know that we should be responsible for keeping them in power supporting their life styles and economy and subsidizing their people.
One question, which of them do you support and why?
They are spending your tax money and funding themselves and the illegal alien industry with your entitlement debt. Got it?
2
I am deeply disturbed by the comments suggesting that Trump is correct here. Let me ask you: Are you Native American? If not, your ancestors came to this land and made you a home. The hatred and fear Trump has created in this country is disgusting and shameful. Yes, there is a system. There can be a system that works. Have you ever been to Nevada? You are caving to the fear he wants you to feel. These are people. Wake up.
7
@Victoria Smith
Some of our parents went through proper channels, and took a decade to actually get that US passport.
And our parents could read and write
14
Diversity is part of America. Are you saying ALL of these people are illiterate? I'll make you a wager that the percentage of literacy is higher than some areas of the United States. BTW: Trump is on about a 3rd grade reading level in terms of lexicon. His writing structure is far lower.
2
You are correct, most all of us are from somewhere else, but we came here legally, through a process, got status, worked legally, paid taxes and contributed to overall good of this country. These illegals don't hit on any of these points..... That is the basic issue.
1
Trump is determined to force Mexico to solve our immigration issues - either pay for a wall or arrest people before they get yo our borders. I continue to hold “foolish” Republicans responsible for aiding and abetting and fulfilling Trump’s every whim, lie, reversal, Tweet, breaking of laws and socially acceptable behavior. They are equally despicable.
2
This is not a crises or fake outrage. This is a full blown emergency! Everyday that we let thousands slip on by we de-value our own dollar and sacrifice our children's future. Not to mention for all you conspiracy theorist out there how many non-Central Americans are sneaking in with them. If they want to leave their home land maybe some could sneak into Russia. I'm sure they wouldn't mind.
9
Trump wouldn’t mind either, he loves Russians. Plus his puppet master will be very pleased.
Seven year high. Enough is enough.
14
@Richard Frauenglass
The other salient point is that this is the same high level of 3rd world illegal immigration that America was forced to endure in the 1990s and 2000s. We've been here before.
2
EVERY member of Congress unwilling to help chang the laws to stop this dangerous situation should face a recall election THIS year and be replaced.
The politicized media lied for two years that Donld Trump was a disloyal traitor. These members of Congress refusingto act really ARE the traitors refusing to help their own citizens - even the unfortunates who mistakenly elected them.
9
They can be together -- tous ensemble, tous en famille,
any time they want --
on the other side of the border.
They do not have a right to dump themselves or their kids on our doorstep.
As for the so-called "asylum" law,
they can make their claim,
but they do not have a right to have it granted.
And, unless and until their claim is granted,
they can be detained,
and if they do not want to be "separated" from their "kids",
they can stay with their kids -- in detention.
11
Bad move for Mexico to talk to open border democrats and pelosi. Dems must fix immigration loopholes or face the wrath of Americans when trump rightfully places tariffs on ALL Mexican goods.
10
Great way to fund the wall! I guess Mexico is going to pay after all.
2
Mexico officials intercept about 1,000 migrants on highway
METAPA, Mexico – Some 200 military police, immigration agents and federal police blocked the advance of about 1,000 Central American migrants who were walking north along a southern Mexico highway on Wednesday.
6
If the alternative is to allow those immigrants to enter our country illegally, then so be it.
7
I get how you guys hate Donald Trump, I really do. But your hatred of him is so strong that you'd let 144,000 people per month (4800 PER DAY), stream in, completely out of control, not knowing who they are or anything, and completely overwhelm the Border Patrol, INS, the Asylum system, Homeland Security, etc., just so you can say, "I told you so"? You'd let the country fail just to make him look bad? Not one of these people hav4 any health insurance. Who pays for that? I DO! Who pays for the Border Patrol and those other guys to build up their defenses? I DO! Who pays for the social services these guys will be getting? I DO! YOU DO TOO! I just don't get it . Trump is only temporary, he'll be gone soon enough although he might get a second term, since you guys are shooting yourselves in the foot. Going broke just to blame Trump and make him look bad is really not looking forward very much.
24
@BorisRoberts...."you'd let 144,000 people per month (4800 PER DAY), stream in, completely out of control,"....Didn't happen when Obama was President. Maybe it is not a good idea to belittle and insult your southern neighbor.
6
Um, we pay the tariffs .
I agree we must address the root causes that make life in Central America so hard. We need to provide more aid for our neighbors, not less. But, we also must address the ease of migration to the US. The word is out that it is not that hard to get to the US with easy transit through Mexico. Buses drop people off at easy border crossing locations. Just walk a few hundred yards and then sit down and wait to be picked up by US border patrol. Most migrants who enter the US can stay indefinitely. There are good schools for children. Bring a child to enter even more easily. You can get a job, even without a work permit. Maybe the threat of tariffs will encourage Mexico to help slow the flow of migrants. At least it has encouraged a discussion of the crisis.
9
What's missing in this article , apart from this dealing with the tariffs and Mexico , the central American caravans ; is the other illegal immigration ie : the massive abuse of the birth mothers from China , Russia( among others that overstay ), on tourist visas that fly into the U.S. to birth American babies . Guaranteeing possible paths for parental citizenship , benefits,and education for their children and their entire family. Our do nothing Congress is not addressing all the problems associated with illegal immigration and those that game our immigration policies . They must be changed and handled with compassion for those that truly need asylum from persecution , threats , and seperate those that are economic migrants . More judges , lawyers and a sensible approach ; not thru threats or tariffs .
7
I seriously question the validity of the number of migrants seeking asylum and those arrested. From what source do these numbers originate? If it is CPB or Homeland Security the numbers are flawed. Due to the ineptness of HSA and its sub agencies to properly perform their duties, they invent numbers that favor the agency and, ultimately, trump. As reagan said during his administration--"Trust--but verify" An independent source must be involved to certify the numbers otherwise there is no reason to believe what we are routinely told.If the migrant flow is overwhelming federal officials, the blame should be placed on trump and his enforcers for failure to properly respond to the problem. Cannot blame the migrants or Mexico for the current situation.
2
Strangely, no independent liberal media source has chosen to disprove the numbers released by the administration they hate. I wonder why. Maybe the numbers are close to the truth and the liberal media would only support Trump.
8
During the debates with Hillary, Trump claimed that murder rates in New York were way up, but this was a lie. So perhaps we should ask for proof.
Don’t lie so much if you want to be believed.
1
If we can't stop the flow of immigrants across our borders (as Trump claims is the case), then how is Mexico supposed to do it better on their border?
Trump owns this mess - he has inflamed it and made it worse and done nothing about it. Slapping taxes on American consumers and manufacturers will do nothing to stop desperate people from seeking a better existence.
7
@Peter....You might have added that when Obama left office illegal immigration was at a 40 year low and there were no caravans crossing Mexico. This is a Trump problem created by his inability to practice respectful diplomacy with our southern neighbor.
4
@W.A. Spitzer
When Obama left office, the Mexicans had self-deported during his first term re: economic collapse. Plus, the U.S. had already absorbed 1/3 of Mexico from 1965-2016, often 2 million PER YEAR.
This onslaught is Central Americans in the same numbers we faced with Mexicans in the 1990s and 2000s.
1
These migrants need help, and we should help them as best as possible. We need to have compassion. But we can't let them all continue to run across the border, not learn the language, undercut labor-markets, and otherwise dishonor America, our flag and our citizens. Most of these migrants don't even like real Americans.
President Trump is correct on this issue. ALSO, while we need to have compassion for these migrants, we need to have equal or greater compassion for our own citizens.
Mexico DOES need to stop the mass-migration at the southern-border. Hopefully we can find ways to help these migrants IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY, so they don't continue to 'invade' America.
16
For those out there thinking this s a good idea, remember that even the tRump toadies in the Senate are against the tariffs and that speaks volumes.
Mexican tariffs mean people in the US will be paying more for a wide variety of products. If this actually holds, wait until the fall and winter and you go to the grocery store to buy out of season produce. Just one small example.
I think there are very few people, Democrats included, that don't think something needs to be done at the border. This rash, not thought out, knee jerk tactic is not the answer.
4
Trump may have increase the in-migration flow by inadvertently "advertise" the "quality of life" for minors kept in the refugee camps while awaiting their turn to apply for asylum. Instead of acting as a deterrent, some potential refugee families apparently this is a better quality of life they currently can expect in their home countries.
Instead of putting the onus on Mexico to stop the flow,the Trump Administration should consider collaborating with corporations and non-profits to help create jobs, training, and other incentives for these refugees to return to these countries while they wait for their asylum applications.
I do not see any successful efforts by Trump. Is North Korea overtures ended in disaster, his wonderful health care program is not even talked about anymore, his friendship with Russia has not produced any meaningful help except for Trump private affairs, his tax cut only helped the one percent, his border patrol has been a failure and the list goes on.
He really does have successful rallies where he cheers up is base.
3
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that the harder our electoral college elected President does something to hurt immigration, it gets worse at the border.
2
As someone who is originally from AZ, let me make it perfectly clear that racism is one of the root causes of of this debacle. Rightly, black/white relationships are the center stage of racial harmony, but for many Americans that is the only form of racism in this country.
If the folks at the border were Scandinavians or even Spaniards, I doubt if there would be the uproar. The fact is they are brown not because all of their the ancestors came from the Iberian peninsula, some of their forebears were already here. In other words, they are mostly indigenous or of mixed backgrounds, and we know how the U.S. govt. treated Native Americans. Maybe the border patrol should should start using DNA tests to see if folksn are "white enough".
3
Follow the money. Who controls Mexico? It's not the Gov. just ask the question who profits from smuggling humans. Answer is it is the same people who smuggle other "things.
Is the cartels who control the drug and human trafficking have any incentive to stop doing what they are doing because of the tariffs. It is a cash business and they are paying off anyone or killing or intimidating anyone who thinks otherwise. Pretty simple.
2
I would love to blame everything that is wrong with this country on the current President, but it would be inaccurate. The problem with illegal immigration has been an issue for several decades already. No party has committed itself to fixing it.
I feel that no one wants to tell the truth about the real reason why we have millions of people living illegally in this country. Why? Who will it hurt? I have always thought that there must be some sort of financial gain in having all these people working without proper documentation. Is it because of the cheap labor they provide? Is it because of the children they have that will eventually become tax payers? Is it because they provide labor no American wants to do? Is it because the American population is declining rapidly? Is it because even though they may not pay income tax they still go shopping and they contribute to the overall economy? What is it?
Both parties don’t seem to realize the tremendous impact this problem has on us, citizens. The country is terribly divided on this issue, and it will not change because no party has a real incentive to fix it.
Businesses love cheap labor. Even the President’s business had undocumented immigrants working for it! Whatever the case may be, they need to state it. They cannot expect law abiding citizens not to be upset knowing that not everyone is paying its fair share to support this country. People are tired of this charade.
11
@MC Astoria....."I would love to blame everything that is wrong with this country on the current President, but it would be inaccurate. The problem with illegal immigration has been an issue for several decades already."....You need to explain why it was that when Obama left office illegal immigration was at a 40 year low and there were no asylum seeking caravans crossing Mexico. Perhaps a little diplomacy works better than insults?
2
Hmmm...it’s almost as if arresting everyone, taking their children, and putting those children in cages isn’t an effective deterrent. Maybe we should focus on helping the countries to make from which they’re fleeing to make living conditions better instead of criminalizing the poor and desperate souls who are streaming across the border.
1
144K trying to cross our border in one month is out of control. I’m a life-long card carrying Democrat from the liberal city of Manhattan NY. But 144K in one month is 143K too many. The administration has to figure out a way to help incentivize these people to stay in their home countries.
11
Mexico is a "safe enough" country, as shown by the fact that millions of Mexicans are not crossing the U.S. border. So the migrants from south of Mexico should be required to apply for asylum in Mexico.
13
Let they go Belize or Panama.
Those are perfectly suitable countries.
Or let’s install a new government in Guatemala, one of our boys.
These countries need to be ruled with an iron fist.
6
''More than 144,278 migrants were arrested and taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection along the southwest border during May,'' (Today's NYT).
Incredible number isn't it?
That's why I think that, just like for the Syrian War, the United Nation Refugee Assistance Programs must intervene ASAP. I mean, almost 150,000 refugees in one month? This is a city by itself, right?
People who criticize the US of A for '' poor handling of refugees by Border Patrol agents and officials'' should come up with solutions and answers that are viable. Otherwise they have no credibility. Yet Mexico should also wake up ASAP and acknowledge what's going on under their nose. Otherwise Mexico is no credible actor but a banana republic whose land is used to flood the US border with desperate people with children in tow coming from South-American failed states that cannot provide security for its own people but the rich.
10
"In Mexico, there is popular support for treating Central American migrants humanely" Now why is this the case in Mexico but 40% of America has a different take?
1
Elizabeth Warren - New York Times - June 4th
Climate change, jobs creation, economic patriotism - but no mention of immigration.
Unless she is prepared to address the immigration issue front and center, she will not beat Trump.
7
@Mike Edwards..The immigration problem has been created by Trump. When Obama left office illegal immigration was at a 40 year low and there were no asylum seeking caravans crossing Mexico.
4
If I was the president of Mexico, my official response would be, "We will not be pushed around by the USA, the world's biggest bully. For every tariff imposed by your President Trump, Mexico will immediately impose a tariff that doubles that tariff. That means, next week when 5% takes effect, our tariff on US goods will be 10%. USA's complete disregard for the plight of the abused Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans does not comply with the hearts of the Mexican people."
2
@Mark
If you were president of Mexico, the country would experience a depression within a few months.
I'm certain that the people of Mexico are glad that you are not their president.
5
Trump inclines towards conflict; this is a trait belonging to trolls with no real skin in the fight. Instead of controlling such an impulse, worthy of his office, he seems to revel in the muck - like a pig rolling in its waste.
3
The "surge" is propaganda issued by an Administration that seeks to sow fear, crisis and racial animosity.
2
@ASB
According to the New York Times, "More than 144,200 migrants were arrested and taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection along the southwestern border in May, a 32 percent increase from April and the highest monthly total in seven years." Sounds like a surged.
10
So does this mean we don't need a wall now? 🤔
5
"Customers workers"?
1
I keep seeing people bash every attempt to fix this problem. OK, lets hear what you would do??
15
There's no real immigration problem, only a frustrated guy trying to secure its reelection. Immigration it's just a normal human movement, people seeking better opportunities and a happy life. Yes, there're also criminals looking for the same but if you focus on giving these people a more profitable (and legal) way of gain its money, they'll change immediately. Stop looking foreigners as monsters.
1
@Oswaldo G. All they have to do is fill out the paperwork and wait..
If we vote for Trump again, communism in America may rise and we will be none the wiser.
1
Well of course. When the light turns yellow you always speed up to get through before it turns red.
4
I’m kind of curious what Canada’s reaction would be to us if when the immigrants illegally set foot in San Diego across the border from Tijuana, our highway patrol gave them an immediate an swift police escort with lights flashing straight up Interstate 5 north to Vancouver, BC? Shrug and say, no problemo? Muy bien, gracias.
21
@John Doe
Canada has already said it will forcibly return asylum seekers to the United States if the number crossing the their border from the United States increase. The United States will accept them.
8
@John Doe, likewise I wonder what BNSF and Union Pacific’s reaction would be to seeing boxcar roof loads full of migrants hitching rides on the tops of the freight trains north? See nothing but liability injury claims waiting to be filed? And sue to have them thrown off? Let’s see where the liberal judges blocking every one of Trump’s previous attempts stand on these removal orders. Maybe order Lazy Boys to be installed on all freight train car roofs?
3
Close the border NOW. Mexico will shut down illegal border crossers within a week. Easy peasy.
17
The border arrest "surge" is only because the heartless, soulless, president and his henchmen have arrested entire families and thousands of kids. Of course arrests are up. He and his cohorts have been in power for over 2 1/2 years and the migrant surge is exploding with families and the ne'er do well republicans are sitting, smiling like the Cheshire cat.
1
@Armo
I suppose you think arresting people for murders increases the number of murders. The number of arrests is up because the number of people crossing the border illegally is up,
11
@William Case
Sure if one suddenly creates new laws and new interpretations of existing laws in order to make more arrests, there will be more arrests. You don’t think that trump could possibly be “playing the numbers” do you?
1
Just paid the drug cartel 5 thousand sure ,they threw in a kid to boot ,no honey we wouldn't ever take your child away. Committed crimes in Honduras,or here ,no problem we have sanctuary cities ,free food housing ,education ,and a drivers license .Now try that at the border in Syria or Yemen ,we have drones there military and machine guns ,you'll probably die ,kind of like what would happen to an American caught illegally sneaking into Mexico ,or guatemala or honduras.
11
No other country on the planet would've up with massive illegal immigration since the 1970s, as well as the absurd 1 million/year legal entry by 3rd worlders. Mexico doesn't and never did. The U.S. is neither the world's trash can nor the dumping ground for Mexico, Central and South America. Enough is enough, as it was 50 years ago.
With their idiotic Hart-Celler Law that upended U.S. immigration laws in 1965, Ted Kennedy and LBJ drove a stake through the heart of America that can only be fixed with repeal of that law and reinstatement of the fully functioning immigration laws the U.S. enjoyed from 1930-1965, with next to zero illegal immigration.
31
Mexico is sticking it to us. They stop illegals coming into their country if they don't want them. Why are they allowing others to pass through and cause us problems? Maybe they should build a wall on their southern border?
24
Why are so many families desperate to escape Honduras? Maybe it has something to do with the incredibly corrupt president installed in a military coup supported by the US? See https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/05/honduras-protests-teachers-doctors-president?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail
6
I live 8 miles from Mexico in a remote part of S Arizona. I don’t much like President Trump, and I didn’t vote for him. However, I’m glad that the Mexican government is being called on the carpet to help address the tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing our border. I’ll take an economic punch in the pocketbook if that will help. Day and night our Border Patrol agents are busting their butts to find and process the illegals. It’s dangerous for the border crossers, and I’m sure overwhelming the resources of the BP.
297
@Samantha M. This is what border security is all about. The BP is supposed to be rounding these folks up. BTW, these folks don't stay in S Arizona, they come here.
10
@Samantha M.
Trump has been President for TWO years and the situation at the border has only been getting worse. I agree it’s bad but I think Trump is as much to blame as Mexico.
He’s spent all this time on a Wall (and money because we all know Mexico isn’t going to pay for it); he sent our troops to the border as a political publicity tool (they did nothing and that cost money too). Now it’s tariffs. You know Mexico doesn’t pay tariffs, right? Companies that import the goods pay them (many of them are American companies) an they will either ‘eat’ the increased costs or pass them on to the consumer.
Trump is playing a game of chicken - it’s all only a game to him. You’ll willing to pay more - what if this scheme doesn’t stop the flow? Will you still be willing to pay?
I want a solution that will have a chance of working. I don’t this working at all.
24
@JAC: Senate bill 744 (2013-2014) passed overwhemingly and bipartisan. It would have added up to 40,000 more border agents. Guess who opposed it? The House GOP. Boehner wouldn't bring it to the floor.
That is because it was BIPARTISAN and Obama would have signed it. Nope, can't let THAT happen.
The GOP had both houses of Congress for two years. Where were their immigration bills?
36
That just proves it.
No crisis on the border.
Democrats can rest easy now, knowing they have no plan other than to monetize these new million illegals as members of the 2020 Census that allows them to steal another 10 Electoral votes and House Seats from those darned pesky flyover states.
25
Such an incompetent President on immigration!
First he bellowed from his bully (and loud) pulpit - "I will shut the border" and millions of potential immigrants surged forward in order to get in before the door was closed.
Second, he bellowed "I will close the loophole where anyone with children gets in" and now everybody in Central America knows that bringing children along is helpful to getting into the country, free from immigration related incarceration. In other words, he gave them the instructions on how to get in!
Third, he very loudly threatened to cut aid to Central American countries if they didn't stop sending immigrants, and people from those countries surged ahead, thinking they better leave for the US before their terrible local economies and conditions with aid went to hell after aid was cutoff.
Now, he threatens Mexico, publicly, with tariffs if they do not stop allowing the immigrants to cross into the US. So anyone on their way through Mexico is going to pick up the pace before the Mexican authorities do something.
What an idiotic approach to a real problem. He telegraphed and gave an incentive to potential illegal immigrants to move quickly - all because his ego insists on hearing his own voice on TV about everything, including this subject of immigration. Even if every one of his ideas was sound (I do not think they are, but there is a valid debate) the way he goes about putting those ideas to work is incredibly stupid. What a loser.
9
So? What do You propose?
9
@Shanalat- have you questioned why Trump and Republicans didn't pass new immigration laws the first 2 years while being in power in the WH and both, House and Senate? You know, instead of passing those huge self serving permanent tax breaks laws? Especially if this is truly a "national emergency"?!
2
So far, Trump has gotten nowhere with his tariffs on other countries. This seems to be his only tool other than threats to defund various programs to help the Northern Triangle.
Is that defunding is contributing to the increased numbers of migrants? Very likely. Regardless, tariffs on Mexico don't help the problem. Mexico is a sovereign country, not our satellite of defense.
1
To a person whose only tool is a hammer, all problems look like a nail. There is a reasonable argument that Mexico can help with the flow of those seeking asylum from the three countries to its south. But that discussion must also include the rights of asylum seekers, as affirmed not just by international law, but by our own laws. The wrecking ball approach destroys things, it doesn't create solutions.
7
@Bruce Maier
The loosey-goosey asylum laws have gaping loopholes that are easily abused by immigrant wannabes and their advocates who game the system.
The loopholes need to be closed, ASAP.
Of course, the Dems will resist that tooth and nail --
and/or bundle it with giveaways to immigrants like amnesty.
And, even under existing laws,
there is no right to "asylum" from "poverty",
nor from "domestic violence"
nor from "gang violence",
nor from a host of other financial or social maladies
doubtless suffered by billions of people world-wide.
As for international law,
the USA can -- and ought to -- renounce
any international "conventions" which supposedly
prevent us from changing our own laws.
The "conventions" have renunciation clauses.
Long past time to invoke them.
1
Trump's lack of education and wisdom continues to harm us.
The produce manager at my local health food store explained to me that 45% of the organic produce comes from Mexico and there's no replacement source.
If Trump's tariffs go into effect, it won't hurt Mexico, but it will raise my food prices drastically.
The Trump presidency is a multi-faceted disaster.
5
The US richly deserves to be punished for electing him and tolerating him.
6
I would like to know why there appears to be a sudden problem now, if Trump has caused this problem so that he can 'respond,' and what the international root causes are of the issue.
1
@dugggggg
These immigrants understand that all they need to do is get here, and the media will showcase their "poor treatment" at the border and democrats will legally force Trump to allow them to enter.
8
@dugggggg That's pretty easy. There are over 1 billion people in the world who would rather be here than where they are.
Many of those billion people are willing to learn English, learn our laws, apply for immigration legally..then wait in line for their application to be approved.
Or..if they can get to Mexico..they can hire a coyote for $5000 to sherpa them across the border where they can apply for asylum and then disappear into the sweat shops of LA or San Francisco.
IF this continues, we'll need to allow all billion people into the U.S. since many of the Democrat Presidential candidates want to tear down our southern border. make ICE a non-entity...and invite everyone and anyone to come here for free education and free healthcare and free housing.
At which point you'll realize that freedom isn't free..and the country you once knew and admired has turned into a North Costa Rica..including Banana Republic politics run by a bunch of Socialist politico's.
8
What's changed in these Central American countries in the past 6 months to fuel this exodus with kids? Seems its simply awareness that kids provide a get out of jail card. US policy is presently incentivizing this exodus. People have long wanted to come, now they have a way to make it happen "legally."
20
Good. We need them.
How interesting that border violations are highlighted in the tariffs conversation now. More dichotomous coverage.
The Donald isn’t thinking this through. If tariffs take effect and throttle trade, thereby straining the Mexican economy, people will be more motivated—not less—to cross the southern US border in search of better opportunities.
2
Punishing Mexico for US failures in immigration policy is absurd. Instead of threatening Mexico, why not use leadership to develop comprehensive immigration reform that makes our laws clear to all and updates systems and personnel to deal with current immigration issues? What happened to that aspect of governance--leadership to develop bipartisan legislation? Instead, Trump turns to the lazy man's approach--punish & bully, which erodes relationships and discourages cooperation?
Let's consider that these people are confident that once they get to the US, they will find employment. There are indeed jobs waiting for them. So why not come down on employers who are the true lure to this country? I bet if employers were hit with substantial fines or even asset forfeiture, they'd suddenly be able to distinguish an American citizen from an illegal immigrant. If we provide a good verification system and employment protocol, illegals would find themselves without employment and would not be making a beeline to this country.
1
@Macktan
So,
when are the Dems going to support a mandatory,
nationwide, uniform biometric ID system,
applicable for all employment
(including "household help") --
and for all government benefits --
including schools and subsidized health care?
-- without bundling it with giveaways to illegal aliens
such as amnesty.
5
Are these migrants asylum seekers or not? Remember, this administration has made it harder for people to claim at ports of entry, so more will be crossing the border elsewhere and trying to get to authorities where they can apply for asylum. I didn't see a numbers breakdown of how many seek asylum and how many are just illegally entering the USA.
Now, for what Mexico can do to stem the tide: Under international refugee/asylum law, there is no requirement for someone to claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. It's possible that Mexico can round up every migrant entering their country, and they all say they want to apply for asylum in the US. Can those people be forced to accept asylum in Mexico, if they qualify? From my admittedly brief research on the subject, I'm not so sure.
2
Well whatever the Trump guys thought would work did not. It seems the more they do the more immigrants come. So, there must be a better way then one that fails.
Most of the backup is due to failure of the number of judges a so that could be fixed with adding a few thousand. (cheaper then anything they are doing now).The stats are only about 25 % will qualify for amnesty.
The real problem is why they are coming. They would prefer to stay home but the situation is too dangerous for them. WE could get al the associated states in the area to join with us to bring law and order and economic stability to the area. That would be a smart thing to do. Buy smart is not what trump and his group do.
This country has largely turned a blind eye to young men entering the country illegally over the years. Basically American business was importing surplus labor from Mezzo-America.
Now we have refugee families that nobody wants.
Time again for the FAKE news about immigration:
Myth #1: Immigrants take more from the U.S. government than they contribute
Fact: Immigrants contribute more in tax revenue than they take in government benefits
Myth #2: Immigrants take American jobs
Fact: Immigrants workers often take jobs that boost other parts of the economy
Myth #3: The U.S. economy does not need immigrants
Fact: Immigrants are key to offsetting a falling birth rate
Myth #4: It would be better for the economy if immigrants’ children were not citizens
Fact: Children with citizenship are more productive workers
3
We must deal with the bad track record we have in Central America that entails supporting ruthless leaders who represent the corporate exploitation of the poor, along with the flow of arms. This requires new leadership - essentially replacing the GOP and Democrats who have been bought off. Secondly, without establishing quotas and a pathway to citizenship - a comprehensive immigration system, we are inviting this problem to continue - no doubt at the advantage of the corporate powers in the US that enjoy cheap illegal labor - as Trump had on his golf clubs. But to address this we must face our racism and dispel the lie that we cannot be a democracy without a dominant ethnicity in power. And this certainly means that we must replace the GOP who is now aligned with the xenophobic policies of this administration.
1
The right strategy is figuring out how to stabilize the countries hemorrhaging migrants, how to improve their economies and systems of education, but no, punishment and blackmail are the order of the day.
We're going to read more stories of migrants stopped at gunpoint, more stories of detention camps, wherever they may be.
No one who opposes Trump is necessarily arguing for open borders. We are asking for an end to knee-jerk, illogical, and inhumane policies.
@dmdaisy Au contraire. Liberals, including some in the New York Times, have openly called for open borders. Some examples:
1) "There's Nothing Wrong With Open Borders" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/16/opinion/open-borders-immigration.html
2) "Voters Want More Open Borders" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/11/opinion/democrats-border-security-wall.html
2
Trump says he believes in the Monroe Doctrine, but he is basically forcing countries like Guatemala and El Salvador to look to European countries for help.
We have a worker shortage. We have declining birth rates. These people seem to be very nice people. Why not welcome these migrants as we did in the last century, when we wanted more people.
1
@Ann You'll take a million in Denver, right?
After all..they're hard working.
You've got extra tax dollars laying around to feed, cloth, educate and help them out as well as provide them with Colorado free healthcare, right?
Good...there are good people in Mongolia and East Timor too.
What's your point?
7
144,000 asylum seekers a month is not sustainable fiscally, socially or environmentally. These people by and large are illiterate in their own languages and have near zero in net worth. In short they are a burden on the US taxpayer. Especially the children when it costs an average of over $10,000 a year to educate a typical child is US public schools.
This is an invasion of the excess population of Central America. Climate change and overpopulation are diving this invasion and with a Congress that does nothing to close the asylum loopholes, will continue until something changes.
At least Trump is trying to do SOMETHING. The Democrats just ignore the situation as they pass a massive amnesty for DACA and TPS illegals.
Looks like I have to vote for Trump, which makes me sick to my stomach.
18
@Dan Democrats keep kicking this problem down the road to the 2020 election..they're going to find out that 1/2 the Democrats will take Trump trying to solve this problem vs. Democrats letting the problem fester.
You reap what you sow.
6
Does anyone else remember, long before the media was reporting these numbers, when the president said there was a crisis on the southern border and journalists collectively scoffed?
Anyone? No? Just me?
17
@LJ Molière
I remember. I also remember when 70,000 unaccompanied minors flooded our borders under Obama and the lack of uproar then. What a difference a president makes.
5
There really is only one answer: We need to welcome Mexico and Central America into the United States of America. Then they all will become citizens of the U.S.A., entitled to all the rights and privileges that American citizens enjoy. This will save the migrants from having to travel so far.
This will also allow them to vote in 2020. If they have any college loans outstanding (highly unlikely, given that these countries have the lowest rate of high school attendence or completion in the entire world!), then Lizzy will see to it that these loans are "cancelled" (whatever that means.)
There will be no need for a wall of any kind.
Readers, what do you think?
1
@Upton I think that's how Trump gets another term.
2
For all the comments on here saying that illegal immigrants cost the US tax payers, let’s stick to the facts. They do receive benefits such as ER visits and particularly in education for their children. Almost always left out of the equation and Trumpian demagoguery is the fact that immigrants pay taxes. Its a problem that needs fixing, but hyperbole doesn’t help.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna950981
1
@Mark Bower
If they are filing tax returns, they are likely not paying much tax because of the Earned Income Credit, etc. They are receiving cash back from the government in the form of refundable credits, which pay them that portion of the credit not offset by taxes. In other words, if they don't make enough, the government gives some of the credit back.
9
@Mark Bower You're wrong...wrong..wrong.
Not only do they receive free healthcare (that's the debate in California re; Medi-Cal), they receive free education in our public schools.
The fact immigrants pay taxes is a non-sequitor.
They paid taxes when the lived in Mexico or Guatamala too.
I pay taxes when I put $5 of gas in my car or buy a bag of almonds for $3 or a pair of shoes for $300.
Many of them work 'off the books' in Sanctuary Cities where they are in essence treated like slaves. Small Business owners in these Sanctuary Cities love it because they work hard and keep their mouths shut..and take the $5/hour cash they get...without a dime in taxes being paid by the employer or the employee.
Worse is the sex trafficking going on that put 14 year old girls into the sex trade in Houston, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Las Vegas and Seattle..driven by cartel's who know that a 14 year old girl can bring the cartel $20,000 when sold to their MS13 brethern in these cities.
Nice country we have here..eh?
And nice compassion we show..eh?
4
Buying food and consumer goods, paying rent, paying for transport and utilities; these are contributions to the economy over and above income tax.
1
All of sudden Mexico has some skin in the game. Great move by President Trump.
13
Yes, Donald, let’s make a deal: you leave NOW, with you tail between your legs, take Pence, and we will not send you to Guantanamo for life. You must admit guilt for all of your crimes and take your entire family with you. We do not care where you go but, if you say one thing about this country, utter one whine or commit any further treason, we will find you and deal with this. If you thought that “cooperation” with the FBI was draconian, just try this on for size!
Nancy Pelosi will make an excellent President and the country can get back on track, addressing all of its issues with intelligence and compassion. We may even be able to claw back much of your abuses and crimes.
Now, is THAT a deal you can’t refuse or do we have to go through the inevitable process of political extinction?
3
@RealTRUTH
Send Trump away and the WORKERS will re-elect him all over again next year. He has ceated the best economy and jobs situation since World War Two.
Workers have loyalty to those who help them, even as most progressive sneer at the country that has made thair lives so incredibly easy.
4
Create a fake crisis, then 'solve it' by declaring the Greatest Deal In History.
The Art of the Imaginary Deal....a best-selling worthless paperback by consumer fraud expert Donald Trump.
Looking forward to sweeping this sad act off the stage in 2020.
682
@Socrates
If you are from NYC, like I am, you are well familiar with Donnies stunts in the media to promote himself.
I never bothered reading the trash - Cindy Adams drooling love letters about Trump. Always false but printed anywsy. Her fiction sold papers like Jackie Collins sold books.
It boosted Trump's ego and many people believed the garbage.
Those ignorant sods voted for Trump and own the trash today.
For the psuedo religious - you reap what you sow.
Too bad the rest of us have to pay too
57
@Socrates We are being invaded by over 100,000 people every month and it is not a crisis? Will it become a problem when there are a million per month? Two million? Three?
Press One for English.
75
@Someone else
As unemployment decreases and job openings increase, companies will have to raise wages to attract new workers, leading to inflation.
Press one for arithmetic.
50
On the whole, the tariffs are a net positive.
1) Lack of inflation is a persistent problem that has plagued the US for many years and will be a huge problem during the next economic downturn when monetary stimulus will be required but won't be available.
2) No other country allows hundreds of thousands of people to stream across their border illegally - yet the US and Mexico appear impotent or unwilling to address the problem.
3) If products cost a bit more, Americans might start consuming less and eating less, both good outcomes.
As I see it, handled properly tariffs can be a win-win situation.
20
Under these assumptions it will be particularly good for Texas.
One reply suggested that no other countries had to deal with thousands of illegal immigrants entering their countries. How about the massive influx of illegal immigrants who entered Europe a few years ago? Italy, Hungary, Austria, Germany and others had to deal with this same problem, but managed to be somewhat more organized and humane
I agree completely and would add that even if some people who are here are leaving because of tough immigration rules preventing employment, new people, and those deported at one time, are still coming in unchecked. And illegally entering the country and then surrendering to an ICE agent doesn't make entering illegally, legal. Tariffs won't hurt Americans so much that more illegal immigrants will enter the country. Mexico will have such economic pressure that they will stop them at the border.
3
Say what you will but trump is getting some action from Mexico
Finally.........
27
Keep in mind:
Every kid gets through costs $20,000.00 a year in education expenses alone.
After 10 years that adds up to $200,000.00.
35
$200K? Trump's Peacock Tour to London cost more than that in jet-fuel for Air Force One alone, each way! And you know what educated kids become? Educate adults, something which it appears from this comments section that the USA could do with a LOT more of.
Only if they find themselves in the wealthiest school districts in America. Check out the per-pupil costs elsewhere. They are dismally low.
Given Donald Trump's propensity to get government officials to lie for him, there is the question of whether border crossings are really up, whether arrests are really up, or whether this is more of the typical Trump campaign of lies. When reporting Trump "facts," please identify whether or not these facts have been corroborated by trustworthy news sources. It is really a sad statement about the decline of our government these last two years that I should feel compelled to make a statement like this.
2
"More than 144,278 migrants were arrested and taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection along the southwest border during May, a 32 percent increase from April and the highest monthly total in seven years."
And if we had marshal law at the border and 50 miles inland, it would be catch and release. Back into Mexico.
But, what if they aren't Mexicans?
Maybe Mexico should be more determined to control their own borders.
19
I am opposed to illegal immigration and know that most asylum claims will fail.
But getting Mexico to violate human rights on our behalf to ease pressure on the president is reprehensible. An election ploy.
1
Surely they all don’t need to be arrested. Once again, Trump creates crises rather than solving them. Stephen Miller must be a happy guy these days. His dreams are coming true.
What a sad and cruel time for our country.
Almost none need to be arrested if we handled their claims for asylum at the regular points of entry. We do not let them to apply so these are the results.
@Areader They don't qualify. You can't just state you'd like to live somewhere and then demand admission.
1
@Bert Macklin You must ask first. Why do we have laws saying we will ask and then do not follow the law.
Mexico is in a tough spot. It sure doesn't want thousands of low-skilled economic migrants settling permanently in its borders either. It is in Mexico's best interests to have them pass through as quickly as possible.
6
When did the USA decide that we wanted thousands (now millions) of low skilled economic migrants settling permanently in our borders? Is it in our best interests to have them pass through as quickly as possible?
3
Our immigration system is broken and EVERY country in the world needs legal requirements to control its borders. I think no matter what political persuasion we each believe in, we can all agree on that.
How would I fix the problem?
1. I’d take all those billions of dollars Trump wants for a wall and instead increase the processing centers, both physical buildings and online, for handling immigration applications 10 fold! I mean 100 fold. Instead of immigration application waits of months to years, a vast increase in processing centers could reduce the time to days or weeks!
2. With 100 fold increase in processing centers there would be NO EXCUSE for being here illegally!
The benefits of doing this;
1. All immigrants would be “legal” in one form or another.
2. Because they are legal they’d NEVER have to worry about that unexpected “knock at the door” fearing the INS.
3. Legal immigrants can’t be exploited by unscrupulous employers with the threat of calling INS, like illegals forced to work for slave wagers.
4. Employers would have legal people working for them and they too wouldn’t have to worry about INS. Yeah, they could do that now but if the competition is hiring cheap labor (illegals) it’s hard to compete!
It’s simple. Put the money where it will SOLVE the problem. Not prolong it. Build more processing centers and forget the wall!
2
@SAH So, if they show up at your house, you have to foot the bill to pay for the home improvements? Why not. They are in your house.
9
@Mike
Don’t misunderstand me! The numbers let in legally is still up to the government. It doesn’t mean everyone and it means only what we can handle. (Whatever that is.)
But more processing centers means everyone at least gets screened.
And as I said in my original post, there will be NO EXCUSE for being in the country illegally.
1
It has been pointed out -- frequently -- that the tariffs will result in higher prices for US consumers and so do not penalize Mexico. That is short-sighted.
Higher prices will reduce demand. That will reduce imports from Mexico. That is why Mexico may intervene and stem the flow from the Northern Triangle into their country: To avoid that result.
Incidentally: The tariffs collect augment the US Treasury, and so reduce the deficit.
Win-win.
10
I'm surprised the majority of comments are unhappy that the Mexican government is finally meeting with us about the border crisis (and yes, 100,000 a month IS a crisis). I hate Trump too but isn't is a GOOD thing that Mexico is willing to work with us to solve this problem?
20
Mexico stops all trade with the United States until Congress passes a comprehensive, fair, meaningful, inclusive immigration reform plan that addresses guest workers, assistance to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, implement DACA, increases immigration judges and stops unjustified deportations and ripping families apart. You know, all the things Congress has been unwilling to do for many years now.
1
@Rayme
We all know what "comprehensive immigration reform" is. It's amnesty first with border security and the other stuff.....well, we will get to that some day.
Hard pass.
5
Trump stopped helping central American countries with the problems created by our drug addictions. The drug gangs get even more in charge, and conditions for non-criminals in those countries even more unbearable. A surge in refuges from those countries is the predictable outcome. Trump uses that surge for his own political purposes trying to show how he can be tough on Mexico and reduce the influx of brown people. He has previously succeeded in bullying Mexico with NAFTA2 and gotten symbolic “concessions” – that is the likely outcome once again. They will “carve” and he will get to declare victory. His cult will again fall for the Don-Con and the press will fail to report realities. As with North Korea he created a problem then takes credit for solving it (even though it doesn’t get solved).
2
This is not substainable for this country long term and people are living in a utopia if they think they could run a country in nice ideals.
10
How can we kill thousands of citizens in Yemen and Syria and Afganistan while trying to keep their borders soveriegn ,year after year . While here we offer each family ,a million dollars in cash benefits ,a free education health and a drivers license ,regardless of what crimes they've committed in their own country ,or while here.Here well it's a sanctuary ,paid for by trillions in US taxpayer funds given away freely by politicians. why don't we simply give each Afgan and Yemen a million bucks in cash and send them to college .
5
The border situation has become worse because of Trump. He escalates and there you go. He stepped into it with his build the wall and his obvious disdain for minorities. Drawing a line in the sand never works. Also calling them all terrorists may have satisfied his white brotherhood, but it doesn't work that way for everyone.
2
@Edgar
It became worse under Obama. That's when the Central American tsunami began.
3
@Maggie. Duh no. Check out the stats:
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration
Of interest to me is how much tax "bone spur" Trump illegally avoided over the years and with whom are his corrupt business alliances? Could be TREASONOUS.
2
This goes on to show that the migrant surge at US borders is not because Mexico has been lackadaisical, but simply because of the sheer increase in volumes of people who want to cross. The correct approach is to fix our laws and take away the economic incentives for people to want to cross illegally, rather than blame Mexico.
3