A group of conservatives and right-wing thinkers take President Joe Biden’s immigration policy reversals as a national security threat. For them, Biden’s decision to halt construction of the massive wall on the Southern border has undermined the U.S. external as well as internal security.
Open border allows influx of criminals
In support of their asseverations, the conservatives argue that the opening of the US.-Mexico border has allowed a massive influx of human traffickers, drug dealers, illegal ‘aliens’, and terrorists. Lessen protections on the Southern border may increase criminal activities within the U.S. as illegal ‘aliens’ can enter the country easily.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the number of monthly arrests at the border has increased exponentially. The flood of illegal crossings can include many criminals, and it has been seen that many criminals were caught at the border while attempting to enter the U.S., but then released later. Such weak border control has put the internal security of the U.S. at a huge risk.
This group also claims that cross-border activities by cartels further the security risk as more than half of the border crossings in the 1970s were facilitated by smugglers. Currently, more than 95% of border crossers pay high amounts to smugglers to get them into the U.S. Conservatives call Biden an aid of the cartels who helped them mint more money by bringing more people to the U.S.
Wall does nothing to address security challenges
However, these claims and accusations are not quite true. Biden’s immigration policies, especially the reversals regarding the Southern border have nothing to do with national security. Biden has rightly pointed this out on his website, “His [Trump’s] obsession with building a wall does nothing to address security challenges while costing taxpayers billions of dollars. Most contraband comes in through our legal ports of entry.”
Biden’s approach towards the border issue, security threat, and the influx of criminals are quite rational and pragmatic. Contrary to what conservatives claim, nearly half of the illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. have overstayed a visa, rather than crossed into the U.S. illegally. The recent flood of migrants on the border doesn’t imply that these people are criminals who want to enter the U.S. with malicious intentions. But these families from Central America and the Caribbean are fleeing political turmoil, violence, and economic instability, and they are voluntarily presenting themselves to border patrol officials.
Biden thinks: “The real threats to our security–drug cartels and human traffickers–can more easily evade enforcement efforts because Trump has misallocated resources into bullying legitimate asylum seekers. Trump fundamentally misunderstands how to keep America safe because he cares more about governing through fear and division than common-sense solutions.”
President Biden wants the U.S.-Mexico border shouldn’t be treated like a war zone. He wants this border to be a place where effective governance and cooperation between the two countries could help our communities thrive and grow together–facilitating commerce and connection, and fueling the exchange of cultures and ideas.
How does Biden tackle the border crisis?
President Biden has proposed the following solutions to tackle the issues faced at the borders:
- Investing in modern technology along with the up-gradation of privacy protection measures at the border. This will include cameras, x-ray machines, sensors, and fixed towers both at and between ports of entry. The President also plans to replace the aging infrastructure at all the ports of entry.
- Improving cross-agency collaboration, and intelligence sharing. Multiple federal agencies collect information on transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people, arms, and illegal narcotics. Biden plans to improve coordination across and between government agencies to combat the trafficking of illegal goods and to protect privacy at all ports of entry more effectively.
- Working with neighboring countries and taking them as partners, not as adversaries. Biden thinks that better cooperation with Mexico and Canada can strengthen not only our own security but the security of all countries in the region. For this purpose, he aims at building partnerships grounded in mutual respect to pursue shared interests and to enhance shared capabilities and information.
From the above deliberation, one can get that Biden’s approach is improving national security rather than creating any threats to it. He has adopted an all-inclusive way to tackle the migration crisis, where the interests and reservations of all the stakeholders have been properly addressed.
