October 24, 2018
Thousands of Central American migrants are on the march heading to the United States demanding to benefit from the generosity and riches of our country. Many reports have estimated their numbers at 7,000. However, according to the Mexican newspaper El Universal the “caravan”, which started as a couple of thousand has morphed to a massive 14,000.
They are coming mainly from Honduras, but among their ranks are Guatemalans, Mexicans and El Salvadorans. Sara Carter, of Fox News and The Hill, on location in Guatemala, has reported that the caravan also includes individuals from India, Bangladesh, and Africa, as well as members of MS-13 gang members. Tyler Houlton, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, has also confirmed that there are gang members, and others with”significant criminal history” embedded within the caravan. Houlton also confirmed Trump’s claim that some of the migrants are from the Middle East. Further, according to Carter, and other reports, the majority are young men, with little to no English- speaking ability.
.@DHSgov can confirm that there are individuals within the caravan who are gang members or have significant criminal histories.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) October 23, 2018
Citizens of countries outside Central America, including countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere are currently traveling through Mexico toward the U.S.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) October 23, 2018
In spite of desiring to gain entry, and live in the US, a number of those bound for our country can be seen waving the Honduran flag. A country they are purportedly fleeing and claiming to need refuge from.
A shocking AP photo also depicts two Hondurans burning a US flag with a painted Swastika, in front of the American embassy in Honduras on Friday Oct. 19, as a protest in support of the US- bound migrants.
One Central American migrant in comments to a CNN reporter referred to President Trump as the “antichrist”, and added “if he doesn’t repent he’s going to hell”.
It’s certainly questionable if these migrants, who clearly feel entitled to enter our country, will be willing to assimilate and become productive law-abiding Americans.
Asylum
Based on the reporting it appears that most of the migrants are coming to our country for economic opportunity. This is bolstered by the fact that very few, as they journeyed through Mexico, have taken Mexico’s offer of temporary asylum. Seemingly the plan is that the thousands of migrants will claim asylum upon reaching the US.
Since President Obama expanded the criteria to meet the “credible fear” threshold necessary to receive an asylum hearing, applying for asylum has been made significantly easier. In the ten years subsequent to this change asylum claims have exploded by 1700%.
Due to the tremendous increase in asylum claims our immigration system is overwhelmed. Currently more than 750,000 migrants are living in the US awaiting an immigration hearing. Because of this staggering number, migrants can not be held pending their hearing. Hence, they are shortly detained, and then released into the general population pending their immigration hearing- also known as “catch and release”. Unfortunately, once released into the American population many do not show for their immigration hearing, and join the ranks of the illegals “living in the shadows”.
Earlier this year Attorney General Jeff Sessions changed the “credible fear” criteria set by Obama, removing gang violence and domestic abuse as grounds for eligibility. Consequently, none of the migrants coming to escape the violence in their home country would qualify. Undoubtedly, most of these migrants in this caravan are aware that they do not qualify for asylum, but have been informed of our dysfunctional immigration system, and are coming to exploit this loophole.
To claim asylum an applicant must establish that they are afraid to return to their home country based on a legitimate fear that they will be persecuted based on one of five protected grounds:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Political opinion
- Social group
Why the Left is wrong
If violence and poverty were grounds for asylum every person that made it to the US from these three Central American countries, known as the “Northern Triangle” would be eligible for an asylum hearing. Combined, there are 33 million people living among them. Unless we’re willing to open our borders to every violence and poverty stricken country, this can not be, and is not, grounds for asylum.
Those on the left always claim that they do not believe in open borders. Ironically, they also advocate for the illegal immigrants that breech our borders, and break our immigration laws, and frequently paint Republicans as heartless and racist. Democrats can often be heard making the “moral’ case that those from impoverished, corrupt countries should be allowed entry into our successful republic, so they may have a better life. According to a World Wide Gallup poll 147 million people would leave their home to come and live in the United States for a better life.
Democrats often say that immigrants come to this country and add to our economy by doing the work that Americans shun. This is debatable. However, what is not questionable is that immigrants use social services at a much higher rate than native born Americans. This is particularly true of immigrants from Central America. According to a study from the Center for Immigration Studies 73% of immigrant households from Central America receive one or more forms of means -tested welfare. With our already out of control entitlement state, we can not afford to take in every low-skilled, uneducated, migrant, with little to no English speaking ability
Thankfully, we have a President that has vowed to stop this invasion of migrants. Yes- it is an invasion. Thousands of foreign nationals disregarding our sovereignty and demanding to be allowed entry into our country is nothing short of an invasion.
Contrary to the critics, the United States is the most generous country in the world. We provide aid totaling more than a half a billion dollars annually to the Northern Triangle countries. America also accepts more immigrants than any other country in the world. Currently, almost 14% of the American population is foreign born.
The leaders of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have failed their residents. Neither President Trump nor the American people are responsible for the corruption in these countries. Those organizing these caravans (there is no way that they have spontaneously formed organically) should instead organize their efforts to improve conditions in these countries.
Our Laws Need to be changed
It is not hyperbole to say that our immigration laws are dysfunctional. Hopefully Republicans remain in control of the House and Senate, so they may reform our laws, and finally give Trump and the American people the border wall that will prevent further migrants from storming across our borders.
If our system is left unchanged more caravans with thousands more impoverished migrants will be heading to our border and illegal immigration will be a perpetual problem. It has been reported that other US bound caravans of migrants are forming in El Salvador and Guatemala.
We are either a sovereign country with borders, and immigration enforcement; or we are no longer a nation and open our borders to all. If the left gains enough power the latter is just a matter of time.
