By Emiliano Juarez
Discussions held amongst people often center on questions and concerns over what’s really happening at the southern border of the United States. There is a resurgence of migrants at the border causing a crisis to occur, although many argue that there has been a border crisis since it first became a prevalent issue. Many migrants are traveling to the U.S. in seek of refuge for the hope that the current administration will aid and guide them as they travel their way to safety.
Many of Trumps immigration policies were strict towards migrants at the U.S. – Mexico border; some of the Biden Administrations new policies on immigration include reversing many of his predecessors policies and expanding on new immigration legislation. Biden has created a task force headed by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to reunite the 600 children with their families separated under the Trump administration. Biden has also halted construction of the notorious 16 billion dollar southern border wall; a wall promised by Trump to his voters.
The Biden Administration has also set up and introduced many of their own policies to reform and change some of the U.S. immigration laws as well. He has introduced a bill that would provide citizenship status to an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. It includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farm workers, and essential workers. People under the Temporary Protected Status program will also be eligible for citizenship. This highlights what lengths Joe Biden is willing to take because of his Vice Presidency with then President Barack Obama. Former president Obama was very conflicted over the issue of immigration; many people applauded him, and many did not. One policy of Obamas was D.A.C.A., a guided effort to help migrant children immigrate to the U.S. in search for a better life. Biden is now expanding on the initial effort to help undocumented immigrants through giving them a pathway to citizenship.
While the general public are not perfect, former presidents and current presidents around the world are not either, including Obama. Many people have criticized Obama for deporting many people; more than any other president. Biden has acknowledged this as a ‘big mistake’ noting that some of the policies he handled before as Vice President will most likely not happen again. Biden has also been criticized recently for reconsidering finishing construction on Trumps border wall which is an opposite approach Biden has campaigned hard for which was focused on stopping construction of the border wall.
Joe Biden has also stopped adding people to the Migrant Protection Protocol in an effort to end asylum seekers going to Mexico to wait for U.S. court hearings; the current asylum seekers still need to be processed properly. Biden also called for a review of public charge in an effort to rescind the Trump-era rule that made it harder for poorer immigrants to receive a green card. Joe Biden has also reversed the travel ban enacted by Trump on Muslim majority countries and African countries.
Drug cartels and gangs have increased in Mexico with 2018 bringing 33,000 homicides. Femicide in Mexico has gradually increased to 939 femicide cases in 2020, but it is likely to be higher than what is actually reported since many cases go unreported. In many other Latin American countries, there are also these problematic and war-like situations that have displaced families. Venezuela has a hyperinflation issue with their currency in bolivares that is increasing every day with studies showing estimates in the millions. El Salvador has also been deemed the most dangerous country in the world; gang violence is forcing many families to flee to the U.S. Overall many countries in Latin and South America are not suitable or have mistreated their citizens that has caused a mass migration of people headed towards a land of opportunity and freedom.
This is especially important to the U.S. because there is an influx of people at the southern border causing a crisis of human rights violations and deeming them as ‘not important.’ Many activist and advocacy groups have called for the U.S. to take action on the atrocities happening at the U.S.- Mexico border. Children have been separated from their families. Families with children sleep in cages like animals. There is a quota on the amount of people that can be let in. Families are awaiting U.S. court hearings in Mexico. These issues are important because they are directly impacting life in the U.S. through undocumented immigrants paying taxes, doing hard labor and work, and doing jobs that many Americans would not have.
Many people are conflicted over immigration and what should be done about it. Many argue that there are already problems within the U.S. that need fixing first before we can handle other situations at large. Disagreers add that the U.S. is supposed to be a country for all people and that it is in our best interest to display that to the world. Media outlets trying to gain viewership only further divide Americans on problematic situations compared to coming up with better solutions to these issues.
As a country of immigrants, there are many discussions among people on who is allowed and who is not allowed into the United States. The divisiveness that stray away from real solutions often leave us feeling guilty and upset. This country is divided on many concurrent problems and it is up to us to decide what to do about them in a bipartisan effort and without infringing on basic human rights. Many groups have been actively fighting for change within our law all across the nation to enact policy and reform. Progressively fighting for change, will ultimately have an impact on the cause one is fighting for.