Two weeks ago, a group of Republican governors wrote a scathing letter to Democratic President Joe Biden, laying blame on him for what they deemed a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border. However, they overlooked their own Republican colleagues in Congress in their correspondence.
The issue at the U.S.-Mexico border is undeniably a problem that has persisted for years, even decades. This problem predates President Biden and stretches back through modern U.S. history. One must acknowledge that there was a surge in illegal immigration under Republican President Donald Trump, which was temporarily suppressed by a global pandemic. And even before that, there was a surge under Democratic President Bill Clinton. This pattern continues.
It is important to note that the latest surge in illegal immigration has surpassed previous records. In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a staggering 232,972 encounters on the southwest border, averaging more than 7,500 a day. This number does not even account for the highest recorded encounters under President Biden, which exceeded 252,000 in December.
These encounters refer to interactions with U.S. border agents. Consequently, the more effort the U.S. puts into preventing illegal entry, the higher the number of reported encounters will be.
The Republican governor’s letter attempted to reverse this phenomenon by demanding an account of how many people successfully evaded border patrols – a number that the government, of course, cannot provide.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that numerous individuals are attempting to cross the border for various reasons, such as escaping violence, political persecution, dire economic conditions in their home countries, or simply pursuing a better life.
Furthermore, it is undeniable that our immigration system is flawed. We are overwhelmed at the border with attempts to keep people out, and overwhelmed within the country as we struggle to manage those who have entered, legally or otherwise. Recently, both Republicans and some Democrats have been asserting that every state is effectively a border state. This claim is evident in New York, where the arrival of over 100,000 immigrants in recent months has burdened the city, leading to the relocation of some individuals to upstate regions. Reactions to this situation vary from welcoming to outraged, depending on political leanings.
We have been emphasizing for years that Congress could address illegal immigration if it weren’t consistently exploited for political gain. In 2013, lawmakers came close to a bipartisan solution that incorporated border security measures, a pathway to citizenship for millions of otherwise law-abiding undocumented individuals, and various measures to integrate immigrants into industries with labor shortages.
What the Republican governors should have sought in a more sincere letter is a comprehensive approach to the complex immigration challenges the nation faces. Instead, they engaged in performative politics that lack depth and fail to produce meaningful solutions. As long as immigration remains a topic to exploit rather than solve, this approach will not lead to progress.
While it may capture the imagination when a presidential candidate portrays immigrants as criminals, as Mr. Trump did in 2016, or when individuals like Vivek Ramaswamy claim that drug cartels have constructed tunnels under the border large enough for semis to pass through, we must remember that governing requires practicality and realism. America cannot solve its immigration problem until politicians abandon their never-ending campaign mentality and focus on actual governing.
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