Sexton writes:
The suggestion that the current border crisis can't possibly be connected to the President's policies because of the timeline is simply false. The President announced a new policy in August 2011 which led to confusion and significant concern that people would be taken advantage of by those promising them work permits or amnesty. The best evidence suggests the first uptick of children at the border began about two months later in October.
It's always possible to claim this is a case of correlation not causation, but there must be a reason our efforts to combat the crisis so far have focused on public awareness about DACA in Central America. As of last month, we are spending a million dollars on these media campaign abroad. Clearly, someone in the White House believes confusion over recent policy changes is a big factor in the current crisis.
The vice president also refuted the administration's earlier claim that worsening violence in Central America is one of the chief reasons why the children are fleeing their native countries.
"It's bad, but nothing's changed," he said. "Nothing's changed in six months or a year. The neighborhoods are no more violent or no less violent."
He blamed the surge of illegal immigrants on criminals who are paid to smuggle the children across the border.
Recap: Three top stories to share (and add your own comments where you can):
Other opportunities to comment:
In "On immigration reform, President Obama as emancipator?"Charles Lane sees similarities between executive amnesty and Lincoln's actions to free American slaves. Lane thinks such an action would be unstoppable: As for a lawsuit, who, exactly, would Obama's order harm, in the sense of a "concrete, particularized injury" that the law requires for standing to sue in federal court?
Tellingly, Lane thinks that perhaps employers of illegal workers would feel harmed by amnesty. He never considers the American workers who would be forced to compete with millions of new workers.
- 63 percent of Americans view current immigration policies as a burden on the economy;
- 45 percent of Americans believe immigration should be reduced; and
- Only 17 percent of Americans agree with the President and many in Congress that immigration should be increased.
Finally, in "The Immigration Debate: The heart vs. the mind,"Jacquie Kubin asks in her thoughtful article, is there a way to honor the humanitarian impulse we feel to try and make life better for these immigrants without sacrificing the interests of the United States of America, and her citizens? |
No comments:
Post a Comment