GOP imploding over immigration
After President Trump’s unprecedented success in opening a dialogue with North Korea, and the GOP’s recent surge in the national generic congressional poll, the party is now imploding after the Trump Administration enacted a policy separating families illegally crossing the border.
Instituting such a wildly unpopular policy as part of its “zero tolerance” illegal immigration initiative – just months before the election – shows an incredible lack of foresight. And it’s a move that could carry severe political consequences.
Agree or not with separating children from their parents, it is legal, and completely within the purview of the Justice Department. That said, the president misspoke when he claimed it was required by “law.” It is not.
Here are the facts: children cannot be put in jail, so when parents are charged with an illegal border crossing (a federal misdemeanor), one of three things usually occurs: A) children are sent to the Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, where they are then placed with relatives or juvenile detention centers to await the outcome of their parents’ case; or, much more commonly, B) the intact family awaits prosecution (and likely deportation) at a family detention center; or C) the family isn’t prosecuted, but is immediately deported.
The decision to set up tent cities and convert former Walmarts to detainment centers to house thousands of children – some as young as 4 – is a strategy the administration chose to pursue.
Unfortunately, these kind of decisions — well-intentioned but very misguided – are what happens when both parties choose rhetoric over substance, spewing lip service on the need for reform, while simultaneously killing any meaningful legislation. Comprehensive immigration reform hasn’t gone anywhere in decades, making it clear that neither party’s ruling class wants it.
So we finally saw a president who promised to deport problematic illegals institute better border security, and find compassionate solutions for America’s 12 million illegal immigrants.
And he put his money where his mouth is. Called the “Deporter-In-Chief” by the extreme open borders crowd, he sent nearly three million illegals packing and initiated countless raids on the bad apples, spent millions more on border security, and hired thousands of additional Border Patrol agents. His name was Barack Obama. Mr. Obama wasn’t as successful as he had hoped in trying to enact true reform, but at least he tried to effect some change. Similarly, Mr. Trump also deserves credit for trying. It’s not his fault that Congress is beholden to the special interests and refuses to act, including not funding the wall.
Newsflash: Many Central Americans crossing the border are as poor as they come, traveling with literally the clothes on their backs. They aren’t watching CNN and Fox, since they’re sleeping on the side of the road. And they aren’t getting the threatening “we will separate you from your children” memo on their smartphones, because most don’t even know what one is.
There are much better ways to solve the immigration issue, including: streamlining the legal immigration process; mandating use of the E-Verify system; imposing hefty fines on (and potential criminal prosecution of) business owners who knowingly employ illegals; build the wall; stop lavish public benefits; and allow those already here the option to stay on an extended visa – without citizenship or voting rights – if they pay a fine and taxes.
But above all, let’s deport the rhetoric and stop demonizing illegals.
It’s not their fault America hasn’t been deterring illegal immigration. Most are simply trying to make a better life for their families, often enduring unspeakable hardships, and are willing to work extremely hard for relatively small pay. To them, America remains the Shining City On A Hill, and we must not forget that.
Neither side will ever be satisfied, but one thing is certain: If Republicans don’t start acting with common sense, they’ll likely face deportation in November.