Hundreds of migrant children are crossing the Southwest border alone, and the White House may be reluctant to mark the situation a disaster. However, with the incoming President, it is quickly becoming a national emergency.
The plight of poor people escaping hunger, tyranny, crime, and natural disasters is churned in the maelstrom of Washington politics, as is always the case. The fact that so many of those affected are young and are being held in detention facilities in the midst of a pandemic adds to the tragedy.
However, it seems that refugees seeking a better life in the United States have misinterpreted Biden’s pledges for a more humanitarian immigration policy than ex-President Donald Trump as a warning to flock to the US frontier. The recruiting methods of human traffickers are exacerbating this perception.
On CNN’s “New Day,” Roberta Jacobson, the Southern Border Coordinator, said the Trump administration had only been in office for a few weeks and had worked “quickly” to restore decency to US immigration policy, alert possible refugees in local media that the border was closed, and raise economic and food assistance to keep immigrants in their home countries.
There were indications that the administration is starting to understand the diplomatic and humanitarian threats raised by the border crisis, as many senior officials appeared on television to support the White House’s handling of border policy reforms.
On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the White House was increasing the ability to deal with the surge of children at the border and “critically sent a vital message that now is not the time to come to the border.”
The increase in migrants crossings lately has been a challenge for the Republicans and the new president. The pressure is building on Joe Biden from the people of his own party.
As the controversy is worsening, it is also paving way for many questions circling around the border security and the fates of dozens of undocumented migrants in the US.
