Last Monday, 51 migrants were found dead in a truck in Texas many miles from the border in the largest loss of migrant life in a single event in recent memory.
The deaths at the border are definitely terrible. I understand the criticism of the current system. But what is the alternative? I would be interested to know what the alternative is. I have some thoughts but I don't consider myself a subject matter expert on the border.
Also, a question - not meant to be snarky - but sometimes when we talk about people coming to the border, we don't credit the migrants with any 'agency' -- I mean, I suspect that migrants know much better than us what the risks are to cross. They must hear these stories of terrible deaths in trucks or the desert. They must hear about sexual assaults of their wives and daughters. And yet they still come. They are making a calculation and ultimately a key part of that calculation is whether at least some people are getting into the United States and staying. The same is true in Europe and UK.
These are useful observations & questions. There is certainly some great research that looks more closely at migrant decisions-making, but I agree with you that a lot of research doesn't afford migrants agency. The short story is, migrants know it is dangerous but they come anyways bc the risk outweighs the consequences of not migrating. John Washington wrote a great book that looks at this called "The Dispossessed"; highly recommend it.
If you’re seriously interested in understanding a way out of the mass migrant death borders and bordering require, there’s a lot of helpful reading we can point you to.
When your choice is stay in your home country and face torture and death or migrate to the US where there's a chance of life and happiness, the answer is clear: You choose life. I know it's difficult for most well-fed, middle-class, white Americans to fathom, but when you and your family members' lives are threatened, you will take the chance to get your family to a safer place. You will risk the trip because to stay put is to choose death. No matter what the statistics say about how few migrants will make it into the US, you're going to choose the chance of life and happiness every single time. It's because migrants are human beings and wish to live. Americans need to treat them with the respect and dignity all human beings deserve and grant them a safe passage and a chance to live in peace. Anything less demonstrates pure selfishness and sociopathy, IMO.
So there should be no limit or regulation at all to who can come to the US?
If a person perceives that they will face torture and death, and they arrive at the border, then they should be allowed safe passage? That is clearly not what the current law provides but is that your proposal to fix the situation?
What percentage of American voters would support that position? I think this view must represent about 10% of the voting population, at best.
I am genuinely interested in understanding what alternatives to the current system could exist. I can respect the position of Cindy Matthews as I think it is an earnest position, but in my view there is no way that will ever be the US law and to my knowledge that has never been the law in any country at any point in human history. So I would prefer to focus a bit more on moving the ball forward in a positive direction on something that will actually become the law.
I anticipate that the Republican Congress in January 2023 will have some ideas about what the law should be and the Democrats have missed an opportunity to improve things in 2021 and 2022.
The 1967 UN Protocol on Refugees--the US signed it and it states that anyone who comes to a country asking for asylum (relief from torture/death) then we are to give them asylum. Title 42, which is being used to keep people out of the country because of the pandemic, is in violation of this treaty. (And volunteering with agencies who are working at the Southern Border, I can assure you that everyone who is coming across is vaccinated and tested for COVID.) To learn more about immigration law, read more at the USCIS site: https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/legislation/immigration-and-nationality-act
And why should there be "limits" on who comes to the US? My Native American ancestors didn't have any choice in preventing the arrival of millions of Europeans and others who have migrated to North America. Two wrongs don't make a right. Humans have been migrants since the dawn of time. Study anthropology and you'll see how hominids traveled all over the planet. When a flood came, or a drought, or a war, humans migrated to other places. Immigration is not a new concept. And immigrants are not criminals--they are human beings who need a place to live and raise their families. The US needs to stop thinking it's somehow special in that we're being "flooded" with immigrants/refugees and need to stop them. We're not being flooded and immigration is a normal thing.
The deaths at the border are definitely terrible. I understand the criticism of the current system. But what is the alternative? I would be interested to know what the alternative is. I have some thoughts but I don't consider myself a subject matter expert on the border.
Also, a question - not meant to be snarky - but sometimes when we talk about people coming to the border, we don't credit the migrants with any 'agency' -- I mean, I suspect that migrants know much better than us what the risks are to cross. They must hear these stories of terrible deaths in trucks or the desert. They must hear about sexual assaults of their wives and daughters. And yet they still come. They are making a calculation and ultimately a key part of that calculation is whether at least some people are getting into the United States and staying. The same is true in Europe and UK.
These are useful observations & questions. There is certainly some great research that looks more closely at migrant decisions-making, but I agree with you that a lot of research doesn't afford migrants agency. The short story is, migrants know it is dangerous but they come anyways bc the risk outweighs the consequences of not migrating. John Washington wrote a great book that looks at this called "The Dispossessed"; highly recommend it.
Hi Robert,
If you’re seriously interested in understanding a way out of the mass migrant death borders and bordering require, there’s a lot of helpful reading we can point you to.
I am interested in politically viable solutions. So far I have heard none.
I live in the real world.
I want a better system which requires I think new and better laws and policies. Laws require Congress.
Nothing changes because people stake out absolute positions and everyone who disagrees is some kind of neanderthal nazi.
Noted. So you’ve read the book, then?
When your choice is stay in your home country and face torture and death or migrate to the US where there's a chance of life and happiness, the answer is clear: You choose life. I know it's difficult for most well-fed, middle-class, white Americans to fathom, but when you and your family members' lives are threatened, you will take the chance to get your family to a safer place. You will risk the trip because to stay put is to choose death. No matter what the statistics say about how few migrants will make it into the US, you're going to choose the chance of life and happiness every single time. It's because migrants are human beings and wish to live. Americans need to treat them with the respect and dignity all human beings deserve and grant them a safe passage and a chance to live in peace. Anything less demonstrates pure selfishness and sociopathy, IMO.
So there should be no limit or regulation at all to who can come to the US?
If a person perceives that they will face torture and death, and they arrive at the border, then they should be allowed safe passage? That is clearly not what the current law provides but is that your proposal to fix the situation?
What percentage of American voters would support that position? I think this view must represent about 10% of the voting population, at best.
I am genuinely interested in understanding what alternatives to the current system could exist. I can respect the position of Cindy Matthews as I think it is an earnest position, but in my view there is no way that will ever be the US law and to my knowledge that has never been the law in any country at any point in human history. So I would prefer to focus a bit more on moving the ball forward in a positive direction on something that will actually become the law.
I anticipate that the Republican Congress in January 2023 will have some ideas about what the law should be and the Democrats have missed an opportunity to improve things in 2021 and 2022.
[And for the record, I am not white.]
The 1967 UN Protocol on Refugees--the US signed it and it states that anyone who comes to a country asking for asylum (relief from torture/death) then we are to give them asylum. Title 42, which is being used to keep people out of the country because of the pandemic, is in violation of this treaty. (And volunteering with agencies who are working at the Southern Border, I can assure you that everyone who is coming across is vaccinated and tested for COVID.) To learn more about immigration law, read more at the USCIS site: https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/legislation/immigration-and-nationality-act
And why should there be "limits" on who comes to the US? My Native American ancestors didn't have any choice in preventing the arrival of millions of Europeans and others who have migrated to North America. Two wrongs don't make a right. Humans have been migrants since the dawn of time. Study anthropology and you'll see how hominids traveled all over the planet. When a flood came, or a drought, or a war, humans migrated to other places. Immigration is not a new concept. And immigrants are not criminals--they are human beings who need a place to live and raise their families. The US needs to stop thinking it's somehow special in that we're being "flooded" with immigrants/refugees and need to stop them. We're not being flooded and immigration is a normal thing.
This questions have actual answers. Maybe read Border and Rule and see what you think of them.