Eagle Pass resident, Garcia Grewal, talks about the reopening of Shelby Park and the impacts of Texas' new military base. And the creation of her new border-wide organization, Frontera Federation.
Respectfully, a question never asked of migration or immigration advocates: Is there a limit? The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates there are over 100 million refugees globally… those fleeing violence and catastrophic conditions caused by drought and other natural phenomena. There is also the category of economic refugees… those who wish to escape extreme poverty. Estimates for the numbers for economic refugees range up into the hundreds of millions. When the U.S. announces a relaxed, humanitarian policy, border crossings surge into the tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands. We are a nation of immigrants. That is a good thing. Yet, we must ask: is there a limit? Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sorry for the delay in a reply. Relaxed policies can be announced directly with specific words or subtly. The public, the press, think tank gurus and others hang on every word a president utters. Those living in despair across the globe also watch for subtle messages. A surge in movement will happen when a president and senior level officials make statements such as, “We must act humanely, we must ensure those who come to our borders are treated with dignity, fairness and compassion.” That is not an official announcement of a policy. It is a message that says now is your opportunity, make your move now. Only a few with no compassion in their hearts want to act without compassion and humanely. When you are standing in some remote village surrounded by abject misery and despair, as some of us have, and you hear compassionate words spoken, you pack your bags and head towards that bright shining star on the hill.
I don’t have a solution. I do know this, there must be a limit. We cannot solve every problem and human tragedy across the globe.
Wonderful and inspiring work that you are doing - Thank you!
Respectfully, a question never asked of migration or immigration advocates: Is there a limit? The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates there are over 100 million refugees globally… those fleeing violence and catastrophic conditions caused by drought and other natural phenomena. There is also the category of economic refugees… those who wish to escape extreme poverty. Estimates for the numbers for economic refugees range up into the hundreds of millions. When the U.S. announces a relaxed, humanitarian policy, border crossings surge into the tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands. We are a nation of immigrants. That is a good thing. Yet, we must ask: is there a limit? Thank you for your time and consideration.
Hi Tim, we have discussed these issues many times with various experts. The U.S. never announced a relaxed policy. Biden actually spent more on border security than Trump during his first admin. See post here https://www.theborderchronicle.com/p/the-mass-deportation-handoff?utm_source=publication-search. Also, here's a podcast discussion with an immigration expert on the issues you mentioned https://www.theborderchronicle.com/p/reforming-asylum-for-the-21st-century?utm_source=publication-search
Sorry for the delay in a reply. Relaxed policies can be announced directly with specific words or subtly. The public, the press, think tank gurus and others hang on every word a president utters. Those living in despair across the globe also watch for subtle messages. A surge in movement will happen when a president and senior level officials make statements such as, “We must act humanely, we must ensure those who come to our borders are treated with dignity, fairness and compassion.” That is not an official announcement of a policy. It is a message that says now is your opportunity, make your move now. Only a few with no compassion in their hearts want to act without compassion and humanely. When you are standing in some remote village surrounded by abject misery and despair, as some of us have, and you hear compassionate words spoken, you pack your bags and head towards that bright shining star on the hill.
I don’t have a solution. I do know this, there must be a limit. We cannot solve every problem and human tragedy across the globe.
Thank you for your time and consideration.