There is no good reason to panic about the US-Mexico border
Immigration across the Mexican border is a political hot potato (Phil Boas column, Saturday). Why is that? Is it economically burdensome? On balance probably a net positive.
Does it promote crime? Aside from the illegal crossings, immigrants, documented or not are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. And don’t forget asylum-seekers fleeing war, violence and persecution are going through a legal process.
Drugs and guns? Focus on them specifically; don’t lump them in and contaminate the whole immigration question. Is there something different about the southern border? Many immigrants, legal or not, coming from Ireland, Poland and now Ukraine don’t seem to stimulate the same outrage as Mexicans, Central Americans, Haitians, Syrians, Afghans, Somalis and even U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico. What could explain this difference?
Back under the G. W. Bush administration and again under Barack Obama we almost had comprehensive immigration reform with modern border security, and requirements for undocumented immigrants to perform to have legal status and a chance for citizenship.
It was blocked by a xenophobic, racist faction of the Republican Party that pressured immigration-friendly Republicans like John McCain, Jeff Flake and Paul Ryan to fold to electoral blackmail. Republicans have successfully stoked fear of mostly imaginary dangers to win elections and may do so again.
Title 42 is a public health emergency measure to protect the country from diseases. With the COVID emergency winding down and officially ended by Governor Ducey, it is dishonest to continue this as a substitute for immigration policy.
Fund the courts and judges. We have millions of undocumented in the country who are working, paying taxes and not committing crimes. Adding a few hundred thousand, mostly women and children fleeing for their lives is something we can handle. There is no unbigoted reason for the public to panic. Politicians may make other calculations.