I was surprised to see an article in which the US Senate’s top immigration reform pusher, Senator Dick Durbin, has deemed President Biden’s immigration reform bill as unlikely to be passed. Durbin does suggest that a peacemeal approach be taken, and various bills regarding undocumented farm worker citizenship and the usual DREAM Act have been discussed.
“I think Speaker Pelosi has discovered she doesn’t have the support for a comprehensive bill in the House,” Durbin said. “And I think that indicates where it is in the Senate as well.”
Biden has proposed a plan that would provide a pathway to citizenship for roughly 11 million people living illegally in the U.S., would bolster assistance to Central American countries and would ease immigration for people fleeing violence. Republicans declared the proposal, which did not include any added resources to secure the border, dead on arrival.
Bloomberg, 3/15/2021
Blaming the current surge on the border by children fleeing violence and poverty for not supporting immigration reform is the weakest excuse I have ever heard; however, the Republicans are doing a job of blaming Democrats for something that isn’t a new thing. And Democrats are doing their usual best to avoid a debate–the fight that is needed to educate the public. In this case, blaming children (victims) is pretty sick.
Congressional Republicans and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have seized the moment to place blame on “the other” while the Biden administration and a Democratic Senate and House have been left with the job of addressing COVID-19 and all the crises that go with that, the day to day governance of the nation, and the issues brought on by crappy US policies on Latin America.
After the wreckage that was left at Homeland Security by Trump, which includes the uncontrolled bad behavior of the Border Patrol and their union, a purposely broken asylum system, and an inhumane immigration and detention system, the Biden administration has been left with quite a job that must be done as crises continue. And without Republican cooperation.
Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas has stated that much is being done with “great speed” to address the issues that were worsened by Trump. However, these issues have been around for a long time and have been worsened by both sides of the aisle for decades. Unless root causes of migration (right-wing regime corruption, poverty and violence) are addressed, there is not much that can be done that will not include some semblance of inhumanity on our side of Trump’s border wall, be it kiddie jails in the middle of nowhere or the treatment of migrants at the border and elsewhere, or continued buttressing of right-wing zealots in Central and South America.
The Biden administration is attempting some more humane ideas, including ending the Trump administration detention trap of family members who would pick up (or claim) an unaccompanied minor. They have also called in FEMA to address the processing of the unaccompanied minors, which I hope means professional administrators and paper pushers and not your usual two-finger, law enforcement-type typists. Whatever gets these kids out of the freezer-like environment of immigration warehouses faster and efficiently.
As I’ve always said about immigration reform, it’s all about the fight. Republicans thrive on hate and there are a few Democrats who do so, as well. Democrats must go it alone, and that means putting the screws to “moderates” who will render a majority useless if left unchecked.
doscentavos.net 
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