The Saratogian (Saratoga, NY)

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- Cal Thomas is America’s mostsyndic­ated columnist.

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Semantics are important for how we communicat­e and define issues. One who controls words controls the narrative.

So, take the words migrant and invader. Is there a difference? It’s all in how they are perceived by some, and the effect their illegal border crossings have on the U.S.

One definition of invasion should focus our attention: “The entrance or advent of anything troublesom­e or harmful…”

Does anyone want to argue that the tsunami of humanity coming across our southern border overwhelmi­ng border patrol is not troublesom­e or harmful? Two motels in La Joya, Texas, are housing migrants who have tested positive for COVID-19. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley is paying the bill and insists the migrants are being kept in isolation, though many report seeing them wandering outside of the motel. Many migrants are even getting bus tickets to fan out across the country. How many of them are carrying the virus?

Instead of securing the border, the Biden administra­tion’s Justice Department suedTexas and its governor, Greg Abbott, “seeking to block an executive order that restricts the transport of migrants through the state and authorizes state troopers to pull over vehicles suspected of doing so.” On Tuesday, a federal judge temporaril­y blocked Abbott’s order. Is the administra­tion trying to encourage more migrants to come? And coming they are by the tens of thousands. Is there to be no end?

What about the rights of American citizens and their property along the border?

Texas rancher Brent Smith, who is also an attorney for Kinney County, told Fox News he sustained thousands of dollars in damagesto his property from trespassin­g migrants. The administra­tion has money to help the migrants. Who will help Smith and other property owners who suffer damages?

Gov. Abbott has ordered state police to arrest migrants as trespasser­s, but they are likely to have only minimal success due to the overwhelmi­ng numbers. He also has ordered a chain-link fence to be erected along some of the most porous sections of the border, but experience shows those can be easily traversed.

The problem as well as the solution begins at the top with the Biden administra­tion. Despite Biden’s claims that entire families who seek to cross the border illegally are being turned back, most are not.

It’s no accident. By now it can only be called administra­tion policy. The Biden administra­tion appears to want to flood America with people from other countries — Central America, Mexico, even Africa. Isn’t Vice President Harris supposed to be in charge of resolving the problem? Where is she?

How much more — how many more — can we take? All presidents swear an oath to uphold the Constituti­on and the laws of our country. President Biden is not enforcing immigratio­n laws passed by previous congresses and signed by former presidents of both parties. If he were a Republican, especially if Donald Trump was still in office, Democrats would likely be clamoring for impeachmen­t. With Biden, Democrats barely give lip service to the invasion and then change the subject, speak talking points, or lie.

A rose by any other name is still a rose. And an invasion by any other name is still an invasion. We cannot sustain a country with what amounts to an open border no matter what it is called.

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