“The flow has very substantially slowed down,” Mr. Trump said.
This is grammar from a man who graduated from Wharton? Did they hand out degrees to just anyone?
1
Border between the U.S. and Canada is OK. But why is the border between the U.S. and Mexico not OK?
These immigrants come to the U.S. primarily to escape problems in their native countries (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) which includes a stagnant economy, high levels of crime, political corruption and widespread drug use. There is a legal way to request a green card to enter the U.S., however unlawful mobs entry is not allowed. Shame and disgrace of all these central American countries and their governments who fail to feed their people, to give them medical care, good housing, and jobs. These central American countries and their governments are the ones at fault.
Sorry that your country does not love you anymore. To find true love you need to find and walk on God’s Holy road which will one day open the gate to His Kingdom in Heaven. The road you are currently walking is man made and will only bring you tears and despair, darkness and regrets.
1
Everyone is all "Woe is me." about the danger faced and reason for leaving these countries and then the knee-jerk reaction this Admin has to curb the flow.
It's been more than two-weeks since there's been mention of removing Maduro from office since losing the election to Guido. Therein lies part of the problem; the gov't of these countries not policing and providing for their own citizens.
Venezuela, Guatemala and Honduras are all rich in [legal] natural resources. Each has the potential to be global economic powerhouses yet, dysfunctional and corrupt gov't prevents that. In turn, this harms the citizens.
5
why is that all the liberal people want open borders ? tell me which country in the world has prospered with Open Borders?
Canada, your liberal dream, have the strictest immigration laws and they enforce them for a change.
Mexico, for all of its supply of undocumented immigrants towards north, calls a felony to stay undocumented in their country .
We have 4 billion people living in the world that would love to emigrate to USA and are we able to absorb them all ?
9
So it's working. Good news. The family can now go back and show the same determination in making their country better. This long overdue and democrats better get on board or lose to Trump again.
7
How did it improve the lives of American people?
1
I am as liberal as they come but what I cannot stand are liars and people who exaggerate to the point of manipulating others.
No doubt there are safety and oppression problems in those parts of the world but that is not what drives the lions share of the northward flow of migrants. What drives this force is economics, pure and simple.
I do not approve of Trump's treatment of migrants however his draconian measures will undoubtedly make the bulk of migrants... the ones who are purely interested in making more money, reconsider coming northward. And not that I want to give the current occupant of the white house any credit, but economic migration appears to be way down.
I also wonder very seriously why Central Americans why really honestly need true blue asylum and assimilation, do not go to most of South America or other points in central America where the language and culture are more similar?
While I feel for Central Americans and and their economic hardships, in 2019, America needs our resources to take care of our own financially challenged and disenfranchised. We have no shortage of need across every one of our fifty states. Charity begins at home.
10
And people complained about Mr. Trump issuing threats to Mexico? Look at the results, they worked.
16
Much of the misery in South and Central America driving this migration is the result of US policies. For example, the crime and corruption the migrants must endure are related to drug trafficking which is driven by US demand. It's time for the US to clean up its own yard while offering assistance to the neighbours who being harmed.
7
@Paul Funny comment from Paul, sitting in Canada behind the US-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement.
Maybe the US will cancel that agreement and let folks follow your pipeline to friendly Canada?
7
@Paul
I dare, no I double dare Trudeau to open his mouth and welcome refugees again. Canada went on meltdown and couldn't build refugee camps fast enough. You also deported a lot of them.
1
When are the democrats going to do their job of closing the loopholes that are allowing this invasion to continue? Pelosi is already screaming “COMPREHENSIVE immigration reform.” No...as she knows that “comprehensive” anything can’t be accomplished in two weeks. Especially this issue. Democrats will use “comprehensive” to kick the can down the road, making sure that nothing will be done to fix the problem and millions more will be illegally crossing our borders through 2020. Disgusting.
10
It’s about time. Hard to imagine Mexican border patrol not involved in some way.
12
Progress. With 22 million illegal immigrants already in the US and 100,000 arriving at the border each month, something must be done. Stopping the flow at the Mexican border is a start. When are the Democrats going to step up and propose a comprehensive immigration bill?
10
@Pragmatist In CT The answer to your question is never.
3
I'm sure this news will delight Trump's fans. Look at all those terrible people he's keeping out. As for me, I'm just saddened - sad for desperate folks with no options; sad that my country now considers people asking for asylum to be "illegals" it wants to drive away; sad because the ideal of my country as a beacon drawing people to its shores has been replaced with the image of this country as a fortress with forbidding walls, a country which has pulled in the "welcome" mat and turned its back on the tired, poor, and those seeking safety and liberty.
3
Legal immigration or no immigration. One day I really wish a progressive elected official would just come out and openly admit they want open borders because we know these people will become dependent on our federal government and vote Democrat forever.
13
Congratulations to the NYT for sometimes publishing objectively on this issue.
13
We have all the power to stop this. End the war on drugs, enact laws punishing Americans who sell guns over the border to Mexican cartels, and increase the aid we give to central American countries. It doesn’t have to be like this.
5
@Josue Azul We give millions. It goes into the pockets of corrupt pols. Latinos need to fight for their own nations and leave us out of it.
2
And we finally have our Wall, in mexico and paid for by mexico. Well done.
17
Seems the GOP is more than comfortable with its open, rabid hate toward brown people. As if brown people will forget. We are witnessing the death throes of the GOP. All the GOP has left in its bag of tricks (or witches cauldron) is rabid, open hatred of brown people and it’s new found love of despots - w/ a particular and peculiar interest in Russian flavored despots. Love of Russia and hatred toward one’s neighbors is the GOP’s raison d’etre.
Thank you, Mexico. Mexico is a wonderful country and so are the Mexican people. If anyone coming to their southern border truly needs asylum, I trust the Mexican government will give them safe harbor.
12
It's about time we put an end to wholesale, criminal and blatantly cynical abuse of out asylum laws by the prospective economic migrants from all over the world.
These are criminals openly flouting our generous asylum laws, not your typical migrant fleeing imminent danger.
What a farce , one party wants to have a functioning/secure border while the other is for "open-borders" in all but name only.
18
This is good news. Thank you, President Trump.
14
It took Trump to make this happen. It should have been done in the 90’s when illegal immigration surged.
Hopefully, Mexico will continue to stop or at least discourage illegals.
Future US steps:
*Change asylum laws. It can be done in a day by Congress.
*Mandate e-verify.
*Go after those who overstay their visas and deport them immediately.
*End chain migration and the visa lottery.
*Stop all government benefits to illegals.
24
We have a system for legal immigration. As a nation that is set by our representatives in Congress. If you don't like the number, get it legally changed. Or take a few in yourself and support them. This is my perspective whether it is irish bartenders in NYC or eastern Europeans (my ethnicity) or the aliens rushing across the southern border today. Unfortunately, most of the un/underdeveloped world is in the condition of these aliens who are jumping the border. How many millions exactly do the bleeding heart reader/commentators want to allow to immigrate? We have somewhere about 20 million here now, because the Democrats envision an electoral majority in a few years. Little do they care that they are setting up intense competition for jobs and wages for their loyal black and Hispanic supporters, and working class whites. Another 10 million? Twenty million? Fifty million!
Do these numbers sound unrealistic? I am seventy now. Twice in my lifetime, our elected representatives have promised to control ILLEGAL immigration to this country. It never happened because of the unholy alliance of business for cheap labor and Democrats for new loyal voters.
My first step would be to hold anyone who harbors illegals or provides aid to illegals to be held in conspiracy to violate immigration laws. If the sanctuary cities provide aid, lockup the city officials who provide the aid and those who establish the policies to provide such aid.
12
We all need to call our congress and have them push for the aide Trump cut off, Just talking about it not enough, we all agree.
We must phone them and urge them to fight for aide to the countries in desperate need of the funds he cut off.
Please call. We cant sit on our hands any longer..
So, what IS happening on the Mexico/Guatemala border? It's hard to tell from this article..
So, fewer Guatemalans are making legal crossings into Mexico because it's now less easy to smuggle cheap Mexican goods back into Guatemala? Surely, only the Guatemalan Treasury benefits from that action? And Mexico loses out because the legal Guatemalans spend less money there.
The 6,000 GN's promised to Trump for the Southern border have NOT materialised. It's still only 2,000 - the figure that was mentioned months ago. There are more but unspecified 'security forces', but not, apparently, the Mexican Army. The GNs are in any case, police not military units in Mexico.
If you're USA bound, you're more likely to get stopped for a documents check in Mexico as of now. People smugglers are warning that the the US Border is a bit hot ATM.
If you're an 'undocumented' it's harder to cross from Guatemala into Mexico. So, presumably, that doesn't apply to Guatemalans; why would a Guatemalan national be undocumented in, er, Guatemala? What is an 'undocumented. anyway? Somebody who lost their passport or didn't have one in the first place? How many of those can there be?
This doesn't sound like a radical improvement on the previous situation. More like attempts from all three countries involved to big up very little.
1
In the goal to reach the American Dream, Mexico has facilitated the illegal crossing of migrants for decades. It's nothing new. Mexico has known those people were not going to stay in their country, but become a burden to the US taxpayer. Now, with the resolve of Trump to fix a badly broken system, Mexico is doing what they should have been doing all along. Mexico is crying foul because now they will see the expense of unregulated immigration is unsustainable for ant country, and the social costs are just as high. Good for Trump.
18
Unscrupulous smugglers and failed governments of central America have created a crisis for innocent children. Congress has done nothing over the years in anticipation of unprecedented level of migration that has confronted the authorities on the southern borders of both the USA and Mexico. Even now there is division among the Democrats on whether to fund the building of appropriate facilities to house and feed the children.
This is not the time to squabble about who to blame. There is enough blame to go around and this situation has not arisen over night. It has been going on for decades. This is the time to realize that there is a crisis that needs to be dealt with in a humanitarian way.
6
The main and surprising takeaway from this article is that most of the immigrants actually don't try crossing the border if professional smugglers don't help them do it and say it's too dangerous. Without the smugglers, the flow stops.
Makes me wonder whether it wouldn't be a good strategy to infiltrate the smuggling business with undercover agents and take out of the business as many smugglers as possible.
15
The United Nations needs to sanction the United States of America for committing Crimes Against Humanity, just as they have with Cuba and North Korea.
The purposeful dehumanization of women and children within our own borders is a form of slow genocide. As someone with Jewish roots, yes, I dare to use this word.
6
Per this article, how did the United States commit crimes against humanity? Would you care to expand please?
8
I will bet all the money I have that none of the progressives so concerned about the plight of the influx of "economic migrants " would never let a single one them migrants in to their precious neighborhoods when the push comes to shove.
23
@ben lieberman
“I am meek and lowly in heart …” Matthew 11:29.
1
Good headline -- "Mexico’s Crackdown at Its Southern Border, Prompted by Trump, Scares Migrants From Crossing." It's the traditional objective of law enforcement: to deter people from violating the law.
17
I have no sympathy whatsoever. People abiding the immigration law have to wait for years for a legal status, and those illegal immigration could just show up at your door to claim whatever they would like to. Illegal is illegal is illegal is illegal. there is no other word for it.
31
The two greatest motivators for humans are the emotions of fear and greed. The fact that so many Americans engage daily with those two emotions is an indication why we have so much trouble resolving our own issues. It's also a perfectly good excuse for not getting involved with any issues in other countries, no matter how worthy those issues may seem.
2
I wish this article would have addressed what happens to these starving migrants who do not get to immigrate to another country. Do they die of starvation, violence, poverty over their neighbor's lack of humanity or is someone going to help them in their home countries? Americans used to care about others. Reading these posts, I don't recognize my country anymore. When did we get so frightened of immigrants?
7
Glad they’re bringing the beer.
4
If the headline is to be believed, then finally some good news from the Southern Border!
25
I believe that this will be the defining issue for a significant number of the electorate. The gamble is if this will allow Trump to win, or the Democrats to lose.
24
If the multinational companies and central American oligarchs shared the wealth, citizens would not feel the need to emigrate.
7
Are you sure?!
1
I have no doubts that there are many deserving individuals among those looking for asylum.
I am also convinced that a large number of them are economic migrants, just looking to improve a situation that is not desperate.
Just consider the following:
"He first tried to settle in Costa Rica but, facing more death threats there, he flew to Guatemala and traveled by land to the border with Mexico."
"But returning to Nicaragua, Jonathan said, was not an option for him. His goal was still to reach the United States, which promised a far better livelihood."
So, death threats in Costa Rica?
I am fairly sure that most of Costa Rica is safer than NYC.
Also, some of the previous reporting mentions Cubans joining the groups looking for asylum.
Cuba is not a paradise, but people do not starve there and are not threatened by gangs. They even have better health care than many Americans.
This situation at the border needs to be fixed.
Both Democrats and Republicans are enjoying it too much.
At the very least, they should allocate money to expedite resolution of pending cases.
Spend enough money to ensure that there are enough judges in order to resolve every new case in less than a week.
29
Prosecute the employers who create the primary draw for these migrants, the vast majority of whom are looking for "a better livelihood'.
While the abject poverty, corruption and lack of social services would make anyone long to leave, the lure of cash employment is the engine of migration. Employers, whether individuals looking for inexpensive domestic help or large corporations looking for exploitable labor, are the cause of the majority of illegal immigration and the primary beneficiaries.
Prosecute anyone who employs undocumented workers, and mandate both significant fines and jail time for offenders. Spending hundreds of billions on border security is absurd without stamping down on the reason that people come.
38
As long as these human beings are being cared for decently I am ok with it. But they must show us this. I do not believe in cruelty to any person, especially those running from severe poverty, climate change and violence. What Trump has done here to these people in the name of our country is horrendous and inhumane. We should help these countries, our neighbors, and stop vilifying "the other." Some of them are starving in their own countries because of lack of rain and not being able to grow food anymore. We should help them and stop treating them so poorly. It is not their fault they are starving.
4
Quiet diplomacy could have achieved this months ago, plus a US managed aid program to the countries in need. But the, how could have Trump gotten shade from his criminal activity.
1
Well, technically, some might think we could solve a lot of problems by removing children from their parents. Any parents. Put them in Republican re-education camps. Dress them in little MAGA uniforms and teach them about the advantages of Evangelical Christianity and Unfettered Capitalism and insist they speak the name of Our Dear Leader with reverence.
They do something similar some places, am I right? Morality has no meaning any more. It’s all about the results.
Who wouldn’t want their kids indoctrinated for the good of us all? A few rabbits will occasionally get caught in a snare, but for the rest of the fat happy rabbits, it’s a small price to pay. Nobody reads Watership Down anymore anyway. Or the won’t read it in MAGA Camp.
Same difference.
4
This is phenomenal news. Cutting a large portion off before they ever get to the U.S. saves us money on capturing and prosecuting these criminals.
54
It's a shame some of those turned back are going to die and or live in abject poverty. It's more than a shame that Trump has pulled any help from underneath them in their own countries.
30
@Walter Ingram Agreed. We need to help our neighbors in this time of need. We need to focus aid on food security and physical security in the desperate areas of Central America to ensure they are livable places that can support populations so people do not need to migrate.
9
@Walter Ingram How about helping people in America for a change?
42
@Brandon Those two goals are no mutually exclusive.
9
The border to Guatemala is long and complex, but just 200-300 km to the west, there is a narrow choke point where it would be much easier to intercept migrants.
12
Why don't we give Mexico money to provide more employment and equipment for its military? It's a win-win.
3
Makes me mad about these economic migrants using asylum loopholes to game the system. Even though I disagree with most Trump policies, I have to seriously think about my vote because at this rate the likely Democratic president will just have an open border for all practical purpose.
73
@Observer Trump will win again. We are not going to put up with the Democrats anymore.
19
@Brandon
wrong, Obama deported endless illegal immigrants, that's why in Obama years the illegal border crossing were extremely low. check the history.
Trump did nothing. Have Trump deported any? how many? make a comparison to the Obama years' deportation rates
@Observer
wrong, Obama deported endless illegal immigrants, that's why in Obama years the illegal border crossing were extremely low. check the history.
I recall an article in The NY Times from a couple weeks ago stating that Trump’s trade pressure on Mexico was ineffectual and Mexico’s concessions regarding border security consisted largely of actions that they had already agreed to do. Of course, the difference is that, under threat of Trump’s trade sanctions, Mexico is now actually following through on those things, as described in this article.
It would seem that some mea culpas from the authors of the previous article are in order...
81
Thank you to the New York Times reporter for finally admitting that the vast majority of these people are not asylum seekers, but people who want to move here illegally in order to make more money. They give a bad name to true asylum seekers all over the world.
124
@O'Brien
Exactly.
Asylum scamming is not a victimless crime.
53
Trump cut off aid to Central America so their impoverished people would be forced to flee to our border. He created this crisis to further his immigration emergency decree. He cares about these refugees about as much as he would care about American soldiers, if sent to Iran for his other in progress self created, fake crisis.
40
@Fausto Alarcón
Oh, so nobody was illegally crossing our border or scamming our asylum system before Trump cut off aid?
Please, be serious.
69
@Fausto Alarcón as a combat veteran with many friends still on active duty, I find it disgusting that you misuse us in your Trump bashing. Trump enjoys wide support among the military and veterans because he has taken better care of us and supported us more than the previous Presidents. Yes, we do support his get tough strategy and will gladly deploy when ordered.
28
@Qcell Military personnel said the same thing about GW Bush, despite that we now know Iraq was a disaster based on pure lies. Most Iraqi war veterans are still staunch supporters of that quagmire and of the president that put us there. I’m sorry, but when you get shipped off to Iran, and you or your buddies come home without limbs, with PTSD, or other ailments don’t you dare use me and the defense of my freedom to justify a war just because you support the president that sent you there. Yeah, don’t ever say you are defending MY freedom, I’ll decide if I feel my freedom is at risk or not, or if your endeavor is just a useless waste of my tax money.
4
If only the Trump’s administration were to respect measures in place since the Clinton’s era (e-Verify) this would not be an issue.
Trump has failed America.
3
As long as you can use anyone's valid SS number, you can thwart e- verify.
26
Why are we spending over $100,000,000 just to test one hypersonic missile flight? But we can't afford to take care of kids at the border. This country has become an obscenity.
42
Because our system in Congress makes it illegal to take authorized funds from one silo and divert it to another. The budget has no flexibility and no surplus.
17
Fewer people coming illegally to America.
Seems reasonable to me.
67
I fail to see why Mexico should be required to do what the much richer and more powerful US has not been able or willing to do.
I also fail to see why no one in the nonFox media or the Democratic party--both of whom I find usually far more accurate than their right wing counterparts--is asking the obvious question of given the horrible state of a huge percentage of the world, how many millions of self-proclaimed asylum immigrants should we be willing to admit and why is not better to help those nations stabilize and become more attractive to their own citizens?
51
@DSM14
We can't solve the crime and economic problem in every country in the world. We have helped. But you're expecting too much.
74
@Alan Klein We don't have to solve the crime and economic problems of every country in the world any more than we need to accept every person in the world as refugees. Doing what we can in our backyard, and picking up the remaining slack by treating the people who make it to our doorstep humanely, would be an entirely reasonable, effective, and compassionate approach.
Trump has actively turned us away from both aspects of that, just to bask in the glow of his supporters' rabid xenophobia.
7
@Tom our asylum system was designed for people fleeing persecution in their homeland due to their religious or political beliefs - think Bosnian genocide or the Holocost. It has been perverted into a farce in which anyone who makes it to the border can allege dangerous conditions in their homeland and get released into the US while their nonsense asylum claim is processed. There are lots of dangerous neighborhoods here in the USA and illegal immigrants tend to disproportionately settle in them (because they offer the lowest cost housing), which is the ultimate irony.
63
That's fine. Mexico, as a sovereign nation, should have secured its own borders previously prior to any pressure from the US. Pressure from the US should never have been necessary. Mexico is finally acting as a sovereign nation should act.
238
@Mike, the Mexicans agree with you. Polls found that 60 to 80% opposed opening the borders to these wandering foreigners, but the politicians had their own agenda.
14
"Immigrants’ advocates anticipated that the increasing presence of security forces would continue to drive down the number of people trying to migrate north, but they expected that in time, the flows would rebound, perhaps through more remote and dangerous migratory pathways."
Previous administrations in Mexico have promised to stop the illegal drug trade coming into the USA with minimal long-term results. The Mexican security forces can be bribed and paid to look the other way. I hope Trump's plan works and time will certainly provide the verdict, but I have my doubts.
However, it seems to me that the US government can eliminate much of the demand for the "economic asylum seekers" by requiring E-verify for ALL employers - including places owned and operated by the Trump family.
50
As a former labor and employment attorney e-verify is hardly perfect and we don't have enough inspectors to enforce it.
10
@Paul from Cincinnati
Out of curiosity, I looked up E-verify's website and found out that Trumps Catering (GA), Trump Int'l. Beach Resort (FL), Trump International Hotel Waikiki, Trump National Golf Club Charlotte, Trump International Hotels Management LLC (NY), Trump Miami Resorts Management LLC (FL), Trump International Hotel & Tower (IL) and a few more are enrolled. Some of these, I assume, are just licensed to use Trump's name and are managed/owned by different entities. Not sure as well if enrolled firms check aginst the system every potential employee.
3
@Someone
Interesting. Thanks for the research and input. As an English as a Second Language instructor, I have some colleagues who have worked on sites (like meat and dairy plants) that used E-verify for most of the work force, yet still hired undocumented workers and paid them "under the table." Like Unhappy JD pointed out above, this becomes an enforcement issue. According to ICE's website the fine for E-Verify non-compliance and I-9 errors is between $539 and $3200. It seems to me that strengthening the penalty with added enforcement might dissuade employers from risking hiring "illegals."
The Beatles infamous last concert is somewhat fitting when they played “Get Back”
7
We should ask ourselves this question:
If the United States, the most technologically advanced nation on earth, can't keep out thousands of immigrants who enter the country each year, how is Mexico supposed to choke off the flow?
The answer, of course, is that it can't.
What reporters are seeing now is a bit of theater. Troops have been deployed, new checkpoints set up, and more Central Americans detained.
But in a few weeks time, things will be back to normal.
Smuggling people is too lucrative a business to so easily be shut down. Again, we haven't been able to put smugglers out of business on our border.
Then there's the matter of corruption. Sadly, Mexican officials--and more than a few of their American counterparts--are happy to take bribes and let the people head north.
The Mexicans are betting that Trump's notoriously short attention span will wane, and he'll be on to some other issue, like deciding whether to start a war with Iran.
We delude ourselves if we think police or military actions are going to solve what is at its root an economic problem.
There are plenty of jobs on offer for Central Americans right here in the USA. All they have to do is get past the border guards.
Many millions have already done it. What's to stop others?
9
There are apparently two ways to reduce illegal immigration.
One is to tank our economy and the other to squeeze Mexico.
Trump chose the second option. Unlike his predecessor who chose the first.
Both options worked. I like Trump's better.
35
@Bhaskar The third option would be to use our enormous global influence to fix the institutional and political problems that are driving people to abandon their homes to take their chances in a hostile land in the first place.
The third option would have the benefit of actually addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting these people. Both of your two "options" just seek to create conditions in which we can ignore it.
9
@Tom
"enormous global influence?"
If that is wonk-speak for UN diplomacy, we have been doing that thingy for years. Did that solve or reduce the problem?
The only way to make these corrupt governments understand is to speak in their language .. take away their aid money and squeeze them, like what Trump is doing and apparently succeeding.
23
@Bhaskar
Trump's predecessor tanked the economy? Where did you hear that, Fox News?
11
Great. Having atrocities against humanity occurring out of sight of the U.S. boarder will make me feel less uncomfortable about those poor people’s plight.
6
@JustvisitingthisplanettWhat how is it an atrocity to tell these people to stay home? Since when it is our responsibility to provide for every poor and unhappy person in the world?
Can anyone tell me how wages will increase all while importing the cheapest labor on the planet? This is akin to watering down your koolaid as a child, sooner than later you only have water.
37
@Jim They're only the "cheapest labor on the planet" (which they're actually not, by a very long shot - "hardest-working" or "most motivated" on the planet might be better descriptions) because our legal persecution of them forces any work they find here to be under-the-table, not subject to minimum wage laws and with a massive baked-in power imbalance that lets their employers get away with literally criminal underpayment.
That's our fault, not theirs. It's more akin to telling your kid to to set up a koolaid stand, but only giving them a single packet of koolaid to sell.
5
Why couldn't we have used some good old fashioned diplomacy to get this accomplished in the first place?
All the bombastic bullying, threats & name calling seem so unnecessary.
30
@Zobar Thank you for acknowledging that something was indeed accomplished! Sometimes it just doesn't work to ask politely. Sometimes you need to apply pressure to get things done. That is what happened in this case. Let's keep the pressure on.
31
@Zobar
"unnecessary"?
If so, then it is a clear indictment of Obama's poor diplomatic skills for the eight years prior to Trump.
17
@John:
Fascinating that you somehow lay this at the feet of Obama. I don't recall any manufactured "crises" & "emergencies" while Obama was in office. Obama's been gone for over 2 years now. But you people feel good that Trump "got tough". You feel good that kids are dying in cages that they didn't have to be in.
5
This article makes it pretty clear we should enact E-verify laws to get this situation under control.
People in our government need 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." If you think countries aren't capable of guarding their borders, try sneaking into North Korea or China. You'll be taught a harsh lesson very quickly.
I'm all for legal immigration. However, this current policy of de facto open borders has to stop. No country on Earth has a policy of limitless open immigration. Also, wanting your country to have normal borders doesn't make someone an evil racist.
74
@John Chenango
No, but it does if you tell yourself that they are taking your jobs and that all of your problems are because of them. Last I checked there wasn't any former factory workers cleaning hotel rooms, picking vegetables, or working at Trump's golf courses.
5
Nothing like tariffs to concentrate the minds. The Mexicans have been skimming off the migrants yet refusing to offer sanctuary rights... an excellent racket if you can pull it off.
It is still not clear why and how Mexico gets away with refusing the "safe country" designation. This should be the next step.
31
I'm pretty sure that there's an annual drop off in migrants during the summer, no?
5
To answer the question of why we do not send money and resources to these central American countries to make their living conditions better. The answer......their governments are corrupt and the aid given would instead be diverted to the personal accounts of the government leaders. Further, other resources would be stolen off the dock and sold on the black market.
These countries cannot be fixed from outside. The people themselves must take control and throw their own scoundrels out. The end result may look a little like Cuba, but it would be an improvement.
36
@RM:
". . . their governments are corrupt. . . "
"The people themselves must take control and throw their own scoundrels out. The end result may look a little like Cuba, but it would be an improvement."
Sounds familiar. I like VT; it's a great place to escape reality.
5
Anything that stops the flow of people to US is to be applauded. We are already overpopulated. If 2-4 billion people died tomorrow, the world would simply give a sigh of relief.
40
@Spook Especially if you were the 1st person to die.
6
@Spook:
The US is currently ranked 146th for countries and territories by population density.
9
@JC Yup. For further context, it would take approximately 181,917,990 people added to the US just to bring us up to the *average* world population density.
"Overpopulation" as a country isn't even close to a problem for us.
5
This is an intended consequence of The President's policy and his unending efforts to Keep America Safe. Great job Mr. President.
34
Trump has accomplished what previous presidents failed to do since Reagan: uphold the US laws and enforce an ordered immigration process to this country. This issue alone will get Trump re-elected, in spite of the irrational hysterics of the media and the empty promises of the 20 plus democrat candidates who are out of touch with American citizens.
77
@George Hawkeye Trump has made our immigration process into the most inept disaster it's been in the entire history of our country. You aren't celebrating an immigration process that works, but rather one that intentionally doesn't.
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@Tom
Looks like 71 people agree with George, and only 4 with you Tom
Nice to see a country take border security seriously. It would also be nice if the Democratic party agreed.
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Another step closer to four more years in the White House....
I’m taking (verbal) bets....
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People who support Bernie or Liz will only bet you with taxpayers or other people’s money...
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There’s excessive nationalism and then there’s the opposite of obsessive meekness as displayed by Obrador: both exact a cost.
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The obvious question that was never examined during the caravan media period/coverage was "why is Mexico letting these central Americans into their country to march to the US border?" Why would they do this while the US political focus would essentially maroon them in Mexico?
When you look at what's happening in Mexico, especially after the revised trade deal, Mexico's workforce is moving upward to more advanced jobs in manufacturing and technology, as Mexican wages rise. It's unemployment rate is LOWER than the US. at 3.5%. They have a shortage of thousands of labor and menial jobs as Mexican workers rise to higher skilled positions. 75% of those in the in caravans have remained in Mexico and have found employment in these positions.
Mexico is simultaneously experiencing an immigration surge from Asia Africa and Europe for higher skilled occupations. All immigrants, whether legal or illegal will gain access to the Mexican Healthcare and educational system. They have made massive investment and efforts to build this workforce system while US & western investment/contracts in manufacturing are pouring in. They are even poaching Asian contracts.
This probably why the US and Mexico are not focusing on the issue that is making these folks migrate in the first place.
40% of the guns imported these violent countries are supplied by US gun dealers, while the private prison contractors are being made whole- after losing prisoner populations after justice reforms.
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And all those who claimed it was a "sham" deal can now apologize. Once again, they claimed one thing and another happened.
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Just open it wide. Let's end this madness once and for all. Drive all these racists crazy.
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@ Billy... The virtue signalling is strong in you.
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@Billy So it's open borders or we're racists? And you expect to win an American election on such a platform?
No one is addressing the leadership of these wretched countries.
The US/MX/UN seriously have to think about a takeover of these three failed states.
Their leaders are insulated from the Mayan descended masses. The leaders are corrupt and racist. Perhaps the US backed them, but do they not have a plan? They have to go.
Also, Guatemalans should be paying their taxes so they can fund a country.
“Guatemalans who avoid paying duty on their purchases by returning illegally to Guatemala on rafts that ply the Suchiate River, which demarcates that section of the border.”
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@Practical Thoughts There seems to be a contradiction in your statement. You point to the rascism and corruption of those in power yet you advocate for the payment of taxes by the underclass. Perhaps explain a little more what you’re envisioning?
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The GOP farmers in America caused all this problem with the immigrants . Not paying Americans a living minimum wage or health care needed after working hours in the sun. They will only sneak them in and continue this nightmare. At 2.00 for the whole day and free room and board that offer sounds to good to pass up.
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@D.j.j.k.
Not alot of farms in chicago
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"So far, Mexico’s mobilization of its security forces has fallen short of the dramatic show of force that the government promised, with apparently only a fraction of the stipulated 6,000 National Guard members now operating in southern Mexico."
Mexico’s defense minister said Monday that the nation has deployed nearly 15,000 troops to its northern border to increase border enforcement, part of a deal to avert U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods, according to AFP.
"We have a total deployment, between the National Guard and army units, of 14,000, almost 15,000 men in the north of the country," Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said at a Monday joint press conference with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Mexico had previously announced its plans to deploy 6,000 National Guardsmen to its southern border with Guatemala but its plans for beefing up security on its border with the U.S. had not previously been disclosed, according to the news service.
https://thehill.com/latino/450093-mexico-deploys-15000-troops-to-us-border-mexican-army-chief
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This article confirms what most mainstream outlets have ignored about illegal immigration. It is big business for the Mexican economy. They are happy to empty the pockets of these migrants as they are transiting through Mexico to the US border where the American tax payer will pick up from there. Thanks a lot, Mexico.
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@Tony It's called Free Market Capitalism, Tony.
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Mexico was more than happy to be travel agent and transit lounge as long as everyone coming in their Southern border went out their Northern border, into the US. What's not to like? A lot of folks to shake down and/or assault.
But, whoa, once the US border looked harder to penetrate and the migrants looked like they were going to stay in Mexico, it took the Mexican government less than a nanosecond to crack down on their Southern border. I would expect their efforts to get more, not less, vigorous.
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@Kurfco, what puzzles me is that before the tariff threat Mexico said they were helpless and had no control over that border. Imagine what else they’re capable of.
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@Kurfco,
You're right.
Mexico’s defense minister said Monday that the nation has deployed nearly 15,000 troops to its northern border to increase border enforcement, part of a deal to avert U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods.
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@areader, Kurfco is NOT right, for just the reasons you state. It was the threat of tariffs, not any enhancement of U.S border security, that prompted Mexico's new administration to change course. And that makes sense: if the U.S. border were that secure, who entered Mexico wouldn't be such an issue for the U.S.
Nothing good can come of having smugglers transporting busloads of Central American people to the US border. Or, for that matter, the caravans of thousands that captured our attention this year. Hopefully Mexico's efforts are not just temporary.
Perhaps Congress will now finally address immigration and the issue will be far less divisive.
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What surprises me is none go to Panama or Costa Rica or Colombia or anywhere in S. America where the culture is more familiar and language is similar. And in some areas illegals choose to settle in US, safer there than here in US.
This really negates the whole asylum argument and it reflects terribly on Democrats and liberal media who keep harping on "asylum", "asylum".
My advice to liberal media and blind liberals. Screaming "asylum" does not make it asylum.
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@df If you do some research, you will learn that many are heading to prosperous, stable Costa Rica--which is unhappy about the prospect of more than it can manage.
Similarly, why does most of the world not ask why Palestinians are not given sanctuary in rich, underpopulated Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc?
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@dfBecause the u.s. has so many jobs waiting for them and the employers want them here, regardless of legal work status
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@df, if you read the article again, it says that one of the interviewees headed first to Costa Rica, but headed to Mexico after receiving death threats there. It doesn't explain who threatened him or why.
Good. I am heartened to learn that action by the government of Mexico is slowing the rate of illegal immigration via our southern border.
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@Jim: It's summer and this won't last long.
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Trump has his wall: Mexico
who pays for the wall?Mexico
who pays for the US support of dictators for decades in Central America. Who fostered their corruption?
We have now the fruit , immigrants, of the banana republics
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If this holds up, it could win Trump a lot of political support among some voters.
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Contrary to what the last person interviewed for this article says, this policy will have a long term impact on illegal immigration to the US.
Mr Trump gamble has been successful and Mr Trump will try to make it permanent before he leaves the WH.
In 45 days, Trump will declare himself not satisfied enough and force Guatemala and Mexico into Safe Third Country agreement with the US. Agreement that would force Hondurans and Salvadorans to apply for asylum in Guatemala and Guatemalans asylum seekers would have to apply in Mexico as a safe country.
Trump might end up achieving what past administrations couldn't. And he did it using non conventional approach like tariffs threats which was denounced by most politicians.
Expect Trump to double down on his unconventional ways of doing politic that took him to the WH and now is about to solve an issue that previous administrations couldn't.
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@Chaks
And Trump did in the face of intense democratic and media resistance. No one will need to make the excuse, "They wouldn't let him..." when he's gone.
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Credit where credit due. Trump has stumbled upon a policy which will restrict the flow of migrants. I think that is a good thing. It is well known that these "asylum seekers" are actually economic migrants. Otherwise, Mexico would be good enough for them. I am a "legal" migrant myself. I am all for immigration. But it should be within rules and should be a net benefit to the host country. Trump is right - without a border, we dont have a country. Am saying this as a person, who dislikes Mr Trump immensely and hope and pray he does not get elected again. Another thing to note - democrats have not essentially come up with a response to handle immigration. The presidential candidates who have done so are essentially for Open Borders. Other than that there is a whole lot of noise and complaints about "camps" but no actual policy proposal.
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@GS Spot on! I'm also an immigrant who dislikes Trump. I dislike his harsh immigration proposals too. I support legalization of all non-criminal illegal aliens (give them a spot in the green card line and a legal means for participation in the US economy). But when it comes to this child trafficking operation and the deep crises it has created I have to agree with the president.
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@GS, an immigration reform package passed in 2017 on a bipartisan basis. Trump vetoed it and McConnell refused to override his veto.
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@natan Amnesty for tens of millions will never happen. I will vote for people who are against it. Amnesty only encourages more illegals to come here as Reagan’s 1986 amnesty did. That was a big mistake.
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I disagree with most of Trump’s policies, but this is wonderful news! At last the Mexican government is taking steps to reduce the flow of immigrants, the great majority of whom are not refugees, through its southern and northern borders on the way to the US.
Most Americans welcome LEGAL immigrants, but do not want ILLEGAL immigrants. They recognize that the US cannot afford (or choose not) to support our own citizens: the poor, the ill, elderly, disabled, veterans, et al., and that they and other US taxpayers cannot possibly support the hundreds of millions of foreigners who would like to come here.
US laws allow foreigners to seek entry and citizenship. Those who do not follow these laws are in this country illegally and should be detained and deported; this is policy in other countries, too.
The cruelty lies not in limiting legal immigration, or detaining and deporting illegal immigrants, or forcing those who wish to enter the US to wait for processing. What is cruel, unethical and probably illegal is encouraging parents to bring their children on the dangerous trek to US borders and teaching the parents how to game the system to enter the US by falsely claiming asylum, persecution, etc. Indeed, many believe bringing children on such perilous journeys constitutes child abuse.
No other nation has open borders, nor should the US.
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@Mon Ray Sigh, I am going to say this slowly:
The U.S. does not have open borders. That is not a thing.
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@NYCLady Apparently you process information slowly, too. We are all in agreement - open borders are currently not a thing in the US, nor in any other country. Mon Ray is saying we should keep it that way.
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@NYCLady,
I am going to type Mon Ray Sigh's words even slower:
"No other nation has open borders, nor SHOULD the US."
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From the Chairman of the Gallup poll Feb 2019:
"Gallup asked the whole population of Latin America. There are 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Roughly 450 million adults...
"Gallup asked them, "Would you like to move to another country permanently if you could?"
"A whopping 27% said "yes."
"The next question Gallup asked was, "Where would you like to move?"
"...35% said they want to go to the United States.
"The Gallup analytics estimate is that 42 million want to come to the U.S.
"A full 5 million who are planning to move in the next 12 months say they are moving to the U.S.
"...What is the message to those millions who will seek entrance either legally or illegally? What should we tell them?
"Most U.S. citizens like me just want to know the plan. What is the 10-year plan? How many, exactly whom and what skills will they bring? What do we want?
"Keep in mind that it's not only 330 million Americans who are wondering -- so are 42 million seekers from Latin America.
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/chairman/246563/million-border.aspx
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Trump, like him or not, is at least doing something to stop the child trafficking operation, to prevent more deaths in the desert and to secure the border. I disagree with his harsh immigration proposals and I strongly believe that anyone deserves a second chance and legalize their status at some point. In fact I disagree with almost anything Trump says about immigration. But given that there are no rational solutions to this crisis being proposed by the left, I am glad Trump is the president and hope he stays in office past 2020. The human trafficking must stop.
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We should do everything in our power to make it such a horrible and miserable experience during their transit and once they get here that no body in their right mind would want to risk breaking our laws and entering illegally.
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This is probably just a temporary slowdown while smugglers find other routes. There is only one solution to the problem of illegal immigration (and it is a major problem in many ways). The nations that people are fleeing due to safety concerns have to be forcibly made safe. El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala cannot be left as the crime-ridden, corrupt governments they are, and probably the way to fix them is with U.N. intervention, and caretaker governments that would segue into actual democracies over a decade or two.
Until those nations are fixed, people will flee them. Imposing sanctions on them only worsens conditions and increases migration.
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@Dan Stackhouse
Yes, this was the plan with Iraq. And it went so well.
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@Dan Stackhouse
The majority are not “fleeing due to safety concerns” as nearly 80% of asylum claims fail.
They are leaving for “a far better livelihood”.
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The US should stop supporting the Central American countries that terrorize its people and accept tax evaders from the US. Smugglers and money lenders should be jailed. Many of the immigrants have families in the US. Encourage legal means to emigrate.
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No way! That couldn't be possible!
I thought Mexico had no means to do that! Are you telling me they just didn't care enough before when the migrants ere passing straight through!
Today, NYT wrtier's and reader's learn that Mexico never hd the US best interests had heart.
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your article states it explicitly.
these are people whose only goal is to come to the us.
asylum in mexico is an option, but they dont want it.
there is a border crisis.
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I'll take this as a positive for the administration and the US taxpayer.
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@Cato, I won't. Until I know these people are being cared for and not being abused, I have no faith in Trump or any of his cruel policies. Some immigrants from Guatemala are literally starving because of lack of rain (can't grow food). Is Mexico taking care of them?
@kay They can't grow food to feed their EXCESS population. That's not our responsibility.
Surely in a few weeks or months, it will go back up. It’ll be the same as it was before.”
Where there’s a will there’s a way. We’ll see.
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"His goal was still to reach the United States, which promised a far better livelihood."
“It’s not good,” he said of the new measures. “If a Guatemalan travels to the States, a lot of people here can live from that Guatemalan.”
And even smugglers are struggling now. This crackdown is very wrong. At least immigrants’ advocates expect that in time the flows of undocumented migrants would rebound.
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Migrants seeking asylum should receive consideration at the first safe haven they arrive at. That safe haven should not refuse them, nor should the asylum seeker be allowed a buffet of choices. Those who seek a buffet are not asylum seekers; they are shopping around.
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Do you think illegal immigration is a major problem in the United States?
I think only Senator Warren's response is close to a solution.
“I think the biggest problem we’ve got right now starts down in Central America.”
All other responses like "secure borders, immigration reform, illegal immigration is opportunity" kind of feels like they really haven't thought through this at all. Just talking points for election.
The current border crisis is precipitated by both the Trump administration as well Central American immigrants. Just can't blame one side alone.
Root of the problem is more and more destabilizing southern continent. Next President should prioritize that if they are serious about illegal immigration.
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@Raj. So Warren wants to dabble in regime change? I thought we’d abandoned the idea of the US being the policeman of the world.
Humans have and always will strive for a better life. The tradgety is few will ever attain it, unless they leave the squalor and appalling lack of opportunity that exists in their home nation. Right there is where the world's efforts should be placed. Improve those conditions and few if any will want to leave.
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“But returning to Nicaragua, Jonathan said, was not an option for him. His goal was still to reach the United States, which promised a far better livelihood.”
A far better livelihood.
When the pretext of asylum falls, the truth emerges.
He’s just aspires to be an illegal economic immigrant. Just like another 139,999 people every month.
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Ummm, did u read why he left? Death threats.
“Jonathan, 28, a Nicaraguan seminary student, said he fled his home after being subjected to government persecution and death threats following his participation in antigovernment protests last year.”
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@ Jay Boss
When he crossed the border in to Costa Rica, a very safe country, this man was arguably a refugee seeking asylum.
When he landed in Guatemala, crossed into Mexico, and then planned to cross into the U.S., he became an economic illegal immigrant.
He makes a mockery not only on nations' laws, he hurts the prospects of legitimate asylum seekers by weakening public support for them.
I hope he NEVER makes it to the U.S.
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@John Your lack of compassion is disgusting. We're a nation of immigrants. I suspect Jonathan would likely become one of the hardest-working Americans we have. We should be opening our arms to people like him. (Unless there is something else about him you don't like...?)
As well, for the frist time in a long time, the U.S. has more jobs available than there are people to fill them. So the tired argument that conservatives love to trot out - that immigrants "steal" jobs - won't work here.
What is your objection to ambitious people coming here in search of a better life. Isn't that one of the fundmental, core values of America itself?
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Less smuggling of goods and people across Mexico’s southern border? This article makes it sound like Trump’s deal with Mexico is wildly successful.
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@Dr. Trey,
Maybe it is.
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I am torn by this story. I feel for the migrants seeking a better life. However, I realize that this is a trickle, turned into a stream, awaiting a river. Congress needs to find a way to bring order and logic to this issue. I don’t trust Treasonous Trump and the GOP but I don’t think the Democrats have the ability to make the hard choices.
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Hooray Mexico! About time they stood up and fought for us.
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I wish there were more intelligent people dealing with this. This ‘solution’ only slows people down until they figure out how to get through this new obstacle. And they will figure it out.
I don’t think anyone in the United States should talk about Human Rights abuse. You have detained children and placed them under what for all intensive purposes resemble feedlot animal conditions. The more you avoid facing this reality, the worse it will get. You obviously have no idea how the rest of the world is viewing both your country and this situation.
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@Morgan Rather than preaching, Canada is more than welcome to share the burden and help with the crisis. Maybe Trump should propose new tariffs for you guys. It worked with Mexico and kudos to them! Canada should join the efforts.
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@Morgan, What's your point, and so what.
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@Morgan,
That is easier to say when you have an enormous buffer between you and the problem. For another example of how a border nation is handling the problem, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_immigration_detention_facilities
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Great! about time
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How sorry should we feel that organized crime's human smuggling operations are being disrupted?
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“If a Guatemalan travels to the States, a lot of people here can live from that Guatemalan.”
$5B of annual remittances to G, H, and El S will do that. Black market cash jobs in the U.S. remitted weekly to fund new houses and chain migration in the homeland.
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This article goes about in circles,
First talking about the plight of them poor illegals who just want to cross into the USA illegally.
But then veers off into the commerce situation from merchants who cannot enter Mexico to avoid taxes, and smuggle goods back across to their nation to sell.
Then goes into Immigrant advocates anger at the crack down on illegal immigration.
As for the economic impact the solution is simple, open a free trade zone on the south border, that way the merchants and regular people too can cross over, buy what they need at lower duty free prizes and go home. The same could be done at the US Mexico border.
As to the poor illegals hoping to come to the US illegally, please don’t.
As to the immigration advocates, those are the real criminals here, for they are creating a slave society, where these advocates help and abet illegal immigration, which results in cheap labor, paid a fraction of what they should be paid, with no rights, no protection and no benefits. If the advocates were not there, the human trafficking resultant from this would drop immediately, thus the advocates are the reason why this human slavery chain will not end.
Immigration has to be reformed, but not by importing more slaves.
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Nice product placement for Corona beer in the lead photo. Anything but Coke, please.
5