US Immigration Crisis: Immigrants at Risk in Political Struggle Between Parties

original title:International Knowledge Bureau: Many places in the United States have entered a state of emergency, and immigrants may become victims of party struggle

China News Service, May 13th, a comprehensive report, with the termination of the US public health policy named “Article 42 Border Clause” (hereinafter referred to as “Article 42”), due to concerns that changes in immigration policy will make it more difficult for immigrants to enter In the United States, almost double the usual number of immigrants crossed the border.

In the face of the current chaotic situation, the Democratic Party of the United States criticized the Republican Party for using illegal immigrants as “political pawns”, while the Republican Party countered that the Democratic Party was “hypocritical” and “double standards.”

The analysis pointed out that the two parties in the United States are using the issue of illegal immigration as a bargaining chip to attack each other. As the 2024 general election in the United States approaches, immigrants may become “political victims” of the two-party struggle.

Several border cities declared a state of emergency

U.S. military emergency surge

On the evening of the 11th local time, the “Article 42 Border Clause” expired. This means that starting on the 12th, the US government will no longer authorize law enforcement officers to quickly deport illegal immigrants crossing the border on the grounds of epidemic prevention.

U.S. officials are responding to more than 10,000 migrant arrivals at the border each day this week, according to statistics, which is believed to be the highest ever and up from 5,000 in March. In addition, holding centers near the border have taken in more than 28,000 migrants, far exceeding the capacity of the facility.

Affected by this, El Paso, Brownsville and other Texas border cities declared a state of emergency. A state of emergency has been declared in Chicago, Illinois, as shelter facilities are at full capacity. The governor of New York also recently declared a state of emergency in the state due to the influx of immigrants, demanding more federal aid.

U.S. authorities have mobilized 24,000 border guards and 1,100 administrative handlers to assist with border issues. The Pentagon is also sending 1,500 additional troops to support the 2,500 troops already in place.

Chaos and Confusion at US-Mexico Border

Asylum New Deal Criticized as Harsh

A few days ago, when asked whether the United States was ready to deal with increased immigration, US President Biden admitted that “it will be in chaos for a while.”

As of the 11th, more than 150,000 people have been waiting near the iron fence on the US-Mexico border. Gomez, who is from Venezuela, said that she took her children through the jungle and over the mountains to reach the US-Mexico border. She believes that she must arrive at the border before the 11th to have a chance to go to the United States.

Santiago, director of a detention center in the Mexican border city of Juarez, said many people are confused about whether they can legally enter the United States after the end of “Article 42”. “They were misled. They thought that America’s doors would open on the 12th, but that’s not true. It’s only going to get worse for these illegal immigrants.”

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas emphasized on the 10th that the termination of “Article 42” does not mean “the opening of the U.S. border.”

According to a new rule that took effect on the same day, the Biden administration will expeditiously deport people who cross the border illegally, and those deported will be prohibited from re-entering the United States for at least five years and will be “presumed not to be eligible for asylum.” Deportees could also face criminal prosecution if they try to cross the border again.

According to Reuters, some Democrats and immigration advocates criticized the Biden administration’s new regulations as being too harsh.

Lindsay Totzlowski, director of the Immigrant Defenders Legal Center, one of the groups suing the Biden administration, said the new policy was “very disappointing” for those whose lives were at stake.

Biden’s campaign promises are empty talk

Immigrants may become “victims” of US partisanship

In March 2020, the then U.S. President Trump implemented “Article 42” on the grounds of epidemic prevention. Biden criticized this and promised to “treat illegal immigrants in a more humane way.” However, the reality is-“After Biden came to power, he implemented things similar to what his predecessors did.” Immigration lawyer Julian Castro pointed out that “the (campaign) promise was broken.”

The ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that Americans are generally dissatisfied with the way the Biden administration has dealt with the problem of illegal border immigration, with only 28% of Americans approving of its handling.

According to data from the US federal government, since the implementation of “Article 42”, US law enforcement officials have deported about 2.8 million illegal immigrants on this ground.

Not only that, as early as the second half of 2022, some Republican governors such as Texas and Florida have successively used buses and chartered planes to transport illegal immigrants in the state to states and cities controlled by the Democratic Party, embarrassing the Biden administration .

The White House criticized the move by the Republicans as a “cruel, dangerous and shameless political stunt” to win the votes of white voters. The Republican side accused the Democratic Party of “hypocrisy” and “double standards”, trying to increase minority votes and congressional seats by accepting a large number of immigrants.

What makes illegal immigrants even more frustrating is that on May 11, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a border security bill, proposing to restart the construction of the border wall and add new restrictions on asylum seekers. While the bill is not expected to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, it could serve as a “starting point” for bipartisan negotiations around immigration policy reform.

The analysis pointed out that as the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the two parties will intensify their mutual offensive on the issue of illegal immigration, and refugees may become “political victims.”

Editor: Zheng Jianlong