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. Although the details of the event itself are important, equally important is the question: How should we think about this tragedy?
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.
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.