On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced executive actions that would impose sweeping changes to how the nation treats asylum seekers. Anyone who attempts to cross the border outside of a designated port of entry will be considered presumptively ineligible for asylum and immediately deported. The exceptions are limited.
To address some of the early comments here, I studied Spanish and Latin American history. My first full post was about the current global trade regime which extracts resources from developing countries and underpays workers there even for highly skilled labor. The global monopoly power of major US and multinational corporations gives them massive pricing power to reduce labor payments in Latin America, extracting the wealth and natural resources of those countries to the benefit of the US and Europe (https://open.substack.com/pub/bathruminations/p/global-inequality).
For those who claim we simply can't afford migration, the reason it exists is that we are allowing and in most cases actively supporting US companies as they impoverish other nations and the wealthy reap the benefits. Additionally, Judd has already reported on the fact that migrants are less likely to commit crimes and more likely to start businesses in the US. The recent economic recovery was likely driven by migrants and many jobs were created by them/their new spending power. We also have a declining birthrate (yay contraception, consent, and reduced teenage pregnancy!) and many areas actually are easily capable of integrating migrants and based on how we currently run our economic and social systems, a declining population brings a lot of challenges.
Finally, if anyone is curious about the root causes of migration, there are, of course, proximate causes such as gang violence, crime, cartels, lack of employment opportunities, etc. However, many of these proximate causes are again rooted in US historical (and recent) policy choices and military/CIA interventions. Banana republics have been mentioned in the news recently, but many people don't realize these are Central American countries where US companies (mainly United Fruit, which still exists today) controlled vast amounts of land and exploited workers to provide bananas cheaply to US consumers. The rampant corruption in governments was a direct result of US corporate bribes and illegal dealing. Many times a president was elected on a platform of land reform and taking back power from those US corporations, the CIA led or supported a coup (see Guatemala specifically though there are many other examples).
I hope this background helps people realize the impact of US domestic and foreign policy and the long history of us benefitting from the decisions that led to the conditions in Central and South America today. That the "us" that benefitted was mainly the wealthy business owners in the US does not mean that regular people have no responsibility, but rather that we need to take a deeper look at the power and influence we allow these people to accumulate and the effects that reverberate around the world because of it.
The "United Fruit Company" quickly comes to mind and unfortunately, most Americans are completely unaware of this period in US history that in all likelihood will never be taught in school.
Well said. This is precisely why we cannot as a country afford to put the orange traitor in the White House. He is a pawn for autocratic, right wing, wealthy, power hungry individuals, who have stacked the Supreme Court. We cannot allow them to accumulate more power. It will be the demise of our Democracy, and cause havoc worldwide. As regular citizens of America, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to finally take back that power. And it starts with electing honest, responsible representatives, and voting out the trash in our government.
I am not sure Trump is their useful idiot. They are his useful idiots. He has a purpose for being in the White House, and catering to their demands fits with his needs to go on being a criminal and getting away with it. The power elite in Germany, who were terrified of the Left and Labor Unions during the Weimar Republic after seeing what happened in Russia with the Communist takeover, made the mistake of seeing Adolf Hitler as their useful idiot, but he turned the tables on them. Some had to leave Germany. So, we shall see who is in control. Is it Trump? Is it Putin? Is it right wing entities like The Heritage Foundation?
Good point. We know it's his plan to become a dictator and he will get rid of anyone who tries to stop him. Any way you look at it (and yours makes more sense), he must not be elected to office. And those backing him who are in government must be voted out. Gaining majorities in Congress is the only way to rectify the nightmare that the Supreme Court has become and to protect our rights. So, it is in our hands to save our Democracy, and a free existence, from those who would strip it from us for the sake of total power and dominance.
Sean, there is a very long list of countries we have decimated, elected politicians in other countries that the CIA have assassinated. A clear picture of this was written by WWI Brigadier General Smedley Butler. We don’t hear about him in our history books, because he told the truth about this way back then. These people escape to the US because the US destroyed their economies.
If you haven't read the reporter Jonathan Katz's book on Butler, Gangsters of Capitalism, I highly recommend it. I didn't know too much about him until reading that book, but it was a fascinating story of how Butler was involved in so much of U.S. imperialism before he later spoke out about it. It relies heavily on letters written by Butler and his relatives and friends and gives a real picture of his thought process and how he came around to understanding that he was a tool of imperialism. Having lived, worked, and studied in some of the countries mentioned in the book, it aligned with what I had already learned, but expanded my knowledge in so many areas.
Another book recommendation on this topic: Coffeeland, by Augustine Sedgewick. Itʻs a great (and heartbreaking) case study on building the coffee industry in El Salvador. In a just world, we would definitely be paying reparations to the people of Central America (and all the other places we damaged).
This illustrates the direct relationship between wealth and fascism, in all countries. That relationship explains the depth and power of the Republican effort to take over the US government by force and lawlessness. We are just another Banana Republic as long as our democracy is being fraudulently controlled by those who feel impeded by it.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge about the complex factors that led to increasing dysfunction in Centra American countries. Over the past 15 years our local library hosted an annual environmental fim festival--about 8 yers ago it included in-depth documentaries about what caused despoiling of agriculture in some of these countries. [Now I wish I had paid attention and remembered more details as if I were in school, but the pain and suffering of the people and what lead to it are memorable.] Maybe you know, Sean, which country's president approved the use of the land for chemicals that ruined their water and land--this was one that seemed to have not been caused by the USA. (So not "all" of the corruption was caused by American corporations.)
I still give Joe Biden great credit for caring about the well-being of those who did everything in their power to end up in our country. Do you think Trump cares? He voiced his disdain and condemnation for Latino people from the beginning of his first run for office.
Those are some valid points. My intent, though not clearly expressed, in including "multinational corporations" was to indicate that it is not only U.S. corporations (and not just "Western" corporations that are exploitative), though living in the U.S. and having a vote and some small amount of influence here, I feel that I should focus on critiquing and improving what I have power over. Not to mention that saying "all" of anything is caused by one clear culprit is a very high burden of proof I doubt anyone could reach in most cases related to history and social sciences. I definitely wouldn't want to try.
I give Joe Biden a lot of credit for his economic policy, especially as concerns workers and reducing monopoly power. I've written about his FTC Chair, Lina Khan, on at least two occasions and how she among others he has appointed are slowly shifting both the narrative and power itself back toward workers (if you're interested, you can read my posts https://bathruminations.substack.com/p/law-and-neoliberal-politics and https://bathruminations.substack.com/p/wealth-redistribution). Matt Stoller's Substack, Big has done a much better job tracking all of these positive changes than I have, and is worth checking out as well.
I also think it's important to critique Biden when he does wrong, and that a justified critique should never be taken as support of Trump (who I do not support). This executive order was a very wrong decision and in my opinion no amount of "playing politics" can justify it. I'm not too concerned with whether Biden cares about immigrants if he ends up implementing policies even more restrictive and harmful than Republicans had hoped for. I believe there is a strong argument to be made that Democrats should not appease Republicans by implementing their policies, but rather should increase their base of support among those disaffected voters who see policy choices like this and think "What's the point of voting if both parties are doing the same thing?" I could be wrong on one or several of those points, but that's where I stand. I appreciate your comment and your thoughts on the matter.
Thank you for the post. Anyone wanting an in-depth look at U.S. military/economic/political interference in Central and South America and the Carribean should read "Harvest of Empire" by Juan Gonzalez.
Well put Sean. Prof. Kathleen Belew mentions the CIA interference in countries south of the USA, and the havoc that it has wreaked in her book, Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.
It is a must read to understand the history of the idea that "immigrants" become the new "Jews" in terms of global discriminatory policy, mirroring Nazi Germany. After the Oklahoma City bombing White Power militias were trying to deflect attention and had a meet up in the Northwest with White Power groups from around the globe, to discuss strategy. Going forward, instead of fighting against the government they would take it over by running for office. They would tone down their overtly racist rhetoric and take on being anti-immigration populists instead. They would align more closely with the less violent White Nationalist Christian groups, who were not militias. They would use the internet to convey their actions without attributing anything to a single leader but there would be a blueprint that everyone would be able to follow. Thus we see these so called "Lone Wolf" people going on killing sprees. Really there is a plan, which includes posting your actions online. Not just copycat, but also part of a long term strategy to take over the government, the world, and make it into a White Power World. I always feel grateful to India, China and the African continent for having such large populations of people not considered "White," because I see them as a barrier to this sort of planning. These are people who went to Central American and other countries in the 80s as soldiers for hire to get their military training. They contributed to the horrors of the regimes that I am reading about again in Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiats book Strongmen: How They Rise, Why They Succeed, How They Fall.
A topic visited when my daughter's high school humanities class was studying different countries in which the CIA had influenced their politics. She did a presentation on Pinochet being brought to power in Chile. So, yes people in the USA should be taught this history so The right-wing thrives on the collective ignorance of our population. We also sees the effects of this long term White Power planning in the EU as right wing groups are starting to dominate the political scene, just as one sees the effects here in the USA. The Russian and Chinese and North Korean and Iranian Bot accounts are busy creating dissatisfaction with issues that they feel they can help Trump win with, as well as the bad players in the USA. No one is discussing the legitimate reasons we have immigrants here, or that most immigrants are legally here, gainfully employed, and contributing to the good health of our economy. Why? I guess the dems don't know how to message it. Just like they did not know how to message the "Black crime" messages of the Republicans like the Welfare Queen and Willie Horton, who are only getting more experienced and manipulative in their messaging. Seems to me, the Democratic party should be spending money on countering misinformation, and we need to regulate tech more to control their algorithms. Without it, you get policies like this. We also have to message people on the positives of immigrants. It would be great to make commercials about immigrants showing people from all of the countries of the world. It makes the USA an exciting and dynamic place. Apparently many don't see any benefit to that.
Yes, there's so much important history and we all truly need to be lifelong students. I have read Belew's writing debunking the Lone Wolf narrative, but still haven't gotten around to reading the book. Someday soon though hopefully!
Why do many thousands of people from Central American countries flee their countries of origin daily to see refuge in our country? We are allotting one billion to look into this root cause, and because of these many thousands now here without food, shelter or clothing, we allot 9.3 billion. This is a major international dilemma. Those without compassion would simply return migrants to their countries of origin where their desparate lives ill be in increasing danger. Herein lies the root of this monumental problem. The USA is being forced to be noble and charitable. Of course, most Republicans don't choose to act humanely. Kudos to Biden for his attempt to bring light on the immigration crisis with practical clarity. And, always, kudos to the ACLU for stepping into to address whatever is inhumane.
People have to imagine that if they were born into a country where their lives were severely threatened by crime and starvation and they had no hopes, what choices do they have but to acquiesce and die. Thanks to Popular Infomation's intensive research reported to us, we know that these wretched people end up being of great benefit to our country.
Immigration issues are complex. Immigration policy is the responsibility of Congress. Congress has kicked the can down the road for years and used it for political reasons rather than developing policy for what is good for the Country and also the immigrants entering the Country. With our aging population and dropping fertility rate, we need immigrants. One of the reasons the US has done well as compared to other Countries is because of immigrants.
The Biden Administration is trying different approaches. However, a proclamation on immigration from the Executive Branch will not address what should be Congress’ job.
President Biden is doing what he can. When presented with only bad options, a leader must choose the least bad course of action. Not making a decision (looking at at ALL Republicans) is a choice in and of itself and in the case of immigration, a profoundly hypocritical one. Of course, Republicans have defeated all border measures thus far due to the callous political calculations and demands of the former guy and corrupt, self-dealing felon named Donald Trump.
Evidently, "human and moral implications" matter less when you're angling for reelection. Also apparent is the idea that the Dems are going to try to win this election without the youth vote. Bold strategy, Cotton.
I would prefer to see Biden making clear efforts to work with leaders in central and South America to improve conditions so their populations don’t want to come north. Or at least doing so in concert with this initiative. I will vote for Biden, but I think he has lacked both creativity and strength in his international leadership.
Nancy I agree. However, Biden has achieved record breaking successes that are lost in the felon trump show. But doing this now and delaying the call for ceasefire makes me want to pull my hair out. Biden was on track to consolidate the Dems and then, as Democrats do, tries to grab defeat from the hands of victory. Netanyahu’s obliteration attempt in Gaza is not just being called out by the left here, it’s being called out worldwide! But no, Dems must kiss the asses if their Jewish donors no matter the disgrace that Biden warned Netanyahu about very early on.
I think Putin and Netanyahu are dragging their feet. Both want trump back in the WH.
NYT just published an article on a part of the Netanyahu government that was caught running covert influence campaign. Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War
It was not very effective. It was also very poorly done. Probably not the only effort.
“The covert campaign was commissioned by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, a government body that connects Jews around the world with the State of Israel, four Israeli officials said. …
The campaign began in October and remains active on the platform X. At its peak, it used hundreds of fake accounts that posed as real Americans on X, Facebook and Instagram to post pro-Israel comments….
Many of the campaign’s fake accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook posed as fictional American students, concerned citizens and local constituents. The accounts shared articles and statistics that backed Israel’s position in the war.
In at least two instances, accounts with profile photos of Black men posted about being a “middle-aged Jewish woman.”“
There has been a great deal of success on these lines, with Vice President Harris leading the negotiations, it deserves to be better known https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/06/politics/kamala-harris-migration/index.html Unfortunately, as asylum seekers from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have become far fewer, numbers have exploded from countries US doesn't work with so well--Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua. Not to mention the terrible situation in Haiti.
It is not for lack of trying but it takes 2 to make an agreement and often more for such a large issue. In the countries people are escaping the leadership does not have the same interests as the US or their neighbors. They’d welcome US $$ straight into their own pockets but are not interested in a better life for the population. Others have worked with the US to some degree but the criminal gangs and traffickers are not so easily managed.
I guess my frustration is twofold. The press doesn’t cover anything as boring (but vitally important) as efforts to improve the immigration situation, and Biden’s low-key style doesn’t draw the attention to the efforts he is making. It’s frustrating to see the press completely ignore the accomplishments of a good man doing good work while focusing relentlessly on the antics of an amoral circus clown. I guess I wanted Biden to do his presidenting out loud.
The VP was in Central and South America working on the ‘root causes’ of migration early on. There was little reporting of substance. The “why aren’t you at the border” game continued as though you can solve problems doing photos at the border.
The countries each have their own politics & immigrants send US $$ home which help their economies. They aren’t keen on US ‘meddling’. Mexico, like most of the other countries, does not have robust immigration / border enforcement. They do have robust criminal elements that periodically suck up their resources.
Most of the news we consume is about us. There are very few foreign correspondents now & so very little foreign reporting unless there’s a war or giant disaster, or a GOP drama.
Part of the problem is that climate change is altering the environment, leading to other problems within affected countries. It's well-known that the war in Syria started because of climate change exacerbated drought. In South America, there are economic costs due to various storms causing flooding as well as the occasional drought, so farmers can't make a living as they used to, and unemployed people moving into gang activity. I might add, some of those gangs are led by or include formerly young people we deported from the U.S. due to minor crimes. We are getting our due back because we create the problem here and then deport it back to countries that do not have the resources to take care of it. So it's both people and carbon pollution and it's our fault. If we want to fix the problem, we should be helping the affected countries and not just sending Kamala Harris over to wag her finger at them.
It’s not an imaginary crime wave that bothers me. It’s the economic toll associated with unchecked immigration. Unfortunately there are hundreds of millions of people who live in places where it’s unsafe or politically fraught. Many of these people have few personal resources. This country simply cannot support all of them. It’s a problem without a good solution, but unchecked immigration is not the answer.
Who is advocating for “unchecked immigration” (with the possible exception of those employers who prefer undocumented people who are more easily controlled)?
What we have is a GOP which not only refuses to fix the issue but also refuses to fund processing, housing, border agents, etc. And then some like this former Congressman who now is a big shot at “truth social.”
Since congress will not act on the immigration subject until the next administration (becaise of Trump's interference), it appears that President Biden shrewdly issued his order to counter the Republican complaints for the duration of the campaign, knowing full well that his order would be litigated and probably halted in the meantime.
While I wish that Biden had not thought it necessary to announce and implement a more restrictive border policy, I understand why he did so. Judd's summary of the way the Trump campaign is exploiting hatred and bigotry with lies about crime means that Biden's only recourse at this point is to counter Trump's arguments that he has been weak on this issue. If Trump is elected, we will see even more horrible Immigration policies. Remember separating children from their parents? So Biden has to do whatever is necessary to win. In a second term, he may be able to implement a better, more humane policy, particularly if he has the support of a Democratic House and Senate. My greatest sorrow is that there are apparently so many of our citizens who have listened to and support Trump's lies. Apparently, they want to welcome only people who they perceive as "like them." They seem to have forgotten that except for people who are Native Americans, all of us either are immigrants or descended from immigrants. Over the years, immigrants from all over the globe have taken enormous risks to come here and have contributed enormously to our country. The first to arrive often take jobs Americans don't want to do so that their kids can get an education and do better. Spend time in any urban hospital or nursing home. Who do you think is taking care of Mom and Dad? We need those people as much as they need us. May the time come soon when we can change the national conversation about immigrants to be about helping ourselves by helping others who need help.
Another reason for the Executive Order - lack of funding. By voting down bill after bill, including funding for agents, judges & housing, the GOP is strangling the system. They know it. So should we.
How deeply frustrating it is to recognize that the Republicans simply invent "facts." Migrant crime waves, murderers., the criminally insane, and rapists pouring in are among the most pernicious and disgusting propaganda fictions they peddle. Fear and anger. Real solutions, however, nah, they don't have any. How disappointing that Biden is yielding to that poison.
"Anyone who attempts to cross the border outside of a designated port of entry will be considered presumptively ineligible for asylum and immediately deported."
I'm not finding any evidence that's true. The most explicit statement I've found is from NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/us/politics/biden-executive-order-border-asylum.html: "Mr. Biden’s executive action was set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, at which point border officers could return migrants across the border into Mexico or to their home countries within hours or days."
I think the most likely is most or all will be sent back to Mexico and urged to get in line at the proper crossings and use the app. That's not great, for the reasons you point out, but it's not deportation.
I sense an unwillingness to directly address the question of whether Biden should enact this new policy if it will help him defeat Trump. I don’t know the answer to that - I assume there are arguments to be made but probably not conclusive ones.
If this is an effective political policy toward defeating Trump, Biden should do it. I would not have much interest or ability to defend the policy on substance, but the most important thing we can do now relates to the outcome of the election. I think people should take a stand on that point.
I’m curious now about the northern border since it was just brought up to me. CBS in Boston did a report on that recently. It sounds bad, but I never trust mainstream media. Hoping you can write about this, too.
To address some of the early comments here, I studied Spanish and Latin American history. My first full post was about the current global trade regime which extracts resources from developing countries and underpays workers there even for highly skilled labor. The global monopoly power of major US and multinational corporations gives them massive pricing power to reduce labor payments in Latin America, extracting the wealth and natural resources of those countries to the benefit of the US and Europe (https://open.substack.com/pub/bathruminations/p/global-inequality).
For those who claim we simply can't afford migration, the reason it exists is that we are allowing and in most cases actively supporting US companies as they impoverish other nations and the wealthy reap the benefits. Additionally, Judd has already reported on the fact that migrants are less likely to commit crimes and more likely to start businesses in the US. The recent economic recovery was likely driven by migrants and many jobs were created by them/their new spending power. We also have a declining birthrate (yay contraception, consent, and reduced teenage pregnancy!) and many areas actually are easily capable of integrating migrants and based on how we currently run our economic and social systems, a declining population brings a lot of challenges.
Finally, if anyone is curious about the root causes of migration, there are, of course, proximate causes such as gang violence, crime, cartels, lack of employment opportunities, etc. However, many of these proximate causes are again rooted in US historical (and recent) policy choices and military/CIA interventions. Banana republics have been mentioned in the news recently, but many people don't realize these are Central American countries where US companies (mainly United Fruit, which still exists today) controlled vast amounts of land and exploited workers to provide bananas cheaply to US consumers. The rampant corruption in governments was a direct result of US corporate bribes and illegal dealing. Many times a president was elected on a platform of land reform and taking back power from those US corporations, the CIA led or supported a coup (see Guatemala specifically though there are many other examples).
I hope this background helps people realize the impact of US domestic and foreign policy and the long history of us benefitting from the decisions that led to the conditions in Central and South America today. That the "us" that benefitted was mainly the wealthy business owners in the US does not mean that regular people have no responsibility, but rather that we need to take a deeper look at the power and influence we allow these people to accumulate and the effects that reverberate around the world because of it.
Exactly! Brilliant summation Sean.
The "United Fruit Company" quickly comes to mind and unfortunately, most Americans are completely unaware of this period in US history that in all likelihood will never be taught in school.
Well said. This is precisely why we cannot as a country afford to put the orange traitor in the White House. He is a pawn for autocratic, right wing, wealthy, power hungry individuals, who have stacked the Supreme Court. We cannot allow them to accumulate more power. It will be the demise of our Democracy, and cause havoc worldwide. As regular citizens of America, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to finally take back that power. And it starts with electing honest, responsible representatives, and voting out the trash in our government.
I am not sure Trump is their useful idiot. They are his useful idiots. He has a purpose for being in the White House, and catering to their demands fits with his needs to go on being a criminal and getting away with it. The power elite in Germany, who were terrified of the Left and Labor Unions during the Weimar Republic after seeing what happened in Russia with the Communist takeover, made the mistake of seeing Adolf Hitler as their useful idiot, but he turned the tables on them. Some had to leave Germany. So, we shall see who is in control. Is it Trump? Is it Putin? Is it right wing entities like The Heritage Foundation?
Good point. We know it's his plan to become a dictator and he will get rid of anyone who tries to stop him. Any way you look at it (and yours makes more sense), he must not be elected to office. And those backing him who are in government must be voted out. Gaining majorities in Congress is the only way to rectify the nightmare that the Supreme Court has become and to protect our rights. So, it is in our hands to save our Democracy, and a free existence, from those who would strip it from us for the sake of total power and dominance.
Sean, there is a very long list of countries we have decimated, elected politicians in other countries that the CIA have assassinated. A clear picture of this was written by WWI Brigadier General Smedley Butler. We don’t hear about him in our history books, because he told the truth about this way back then. These people escape to the US because the US destroyed their economies.
If you haven't read the reporter Jonathan Katz's book on Butler, Gangsters of Capitalism, I highly recommend it. I didn't know too much about him until reading that book, but it was a fascinating story of how Butler was involved in so much of U.S. imperialism before he later spoke out about it. It relies heavily on letters written by Butler and his relatives and friends and gives a real picture of his thought process and how he came around to understanding that he was a tool of imperialism. Having lived, worked, and studied in some of the countries mentioned in the book, it aligned with what I had already learned, but expanded my knowledge in so many areas.
Another book recommendation on this topic: Coffeeland, by Augustine Sedgewick. Itʻs a great (and heartbreaking) case study on building the coffee industry in El Salvador. In a just world, we would definitely be paying reparations to the people of Central America (and all the other places we damaged).
I'm loving the book recommendations. Also added this one to my list!
Agreed.
This illustrates the direct relationship between wealth and fascism, in all countries. That relationship explains the depth and power of the Republican effort to take over the US government by force and lawlessness. We are just another Banana Republic as long as our democracy is being fraudulently controlled by those who feel impeded by it.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge about the complex factors that led to increasing dysfunction in Centra American countries. Over the past 15 years our local library hosted an annual environmental fim festival--about 8 yers ago it included in-depth documentaries about what caused despoiling of agriculture in some of these countries. [Now I wish I had paid attention and remembered more details as if I were in school, but the pain and suffering of the people and what lead to it are memorable.] Maybe you know, Sean, which country's president approved the use of the land for chemicals that ruined their water and land--this was one that seemed to have not been caused by the USA. (So not "all" of the corruption was caused by American corporations.)
I still give Joe Biden great credit for caring about the well-being of those who did everything in their power to end up in our country. Do you think Trump cares? He voiced his disdain and condemnation for Latino people from the beginning of his first run for office.
Those are some valid points. My intent, though not clearly expressed, in including "multinational corporations" was to indicate that it is not only U.S. corporations (and not just "Western" corporations that are exploitative), though living in the U.S. and having a vote and some small amount of influence here, I feel that I should focus on critiquing and improving what I have power over. Not to mention that saying "all" of anything is caused by one clear culprit is a very high burden of proof I doubt anyone could reach in most cases related to history and social sciences. I definitely wouldn't want to try.
I give Joe Biden a lot of credit for his economic policy, especially as concerns workers and reducing monopoly power. I've written about his FTC Chair, Lina Khan, on at least two occasions and how she among others he has appointed are slowly shifting both the narrative and power itself back toward workers (if you're interested, you can read my posts https://bathruminations.substack.com/p/law-and-neoliberal-politics and https://bathruminations.substack.com/p/wealth-redistribution). Matt Stoller's Substack, Big has done a much better job tracking all of these positive changes than I have, and is worth checking out as well.
I also think it's important to critique Biden when he does wrong, and that a justified critique should never be taken as support of Trump (who I do not support). This executive order was a very wrong decision and in my opinion no amount of "playing politics" can justify it. I'm not too concerned with whether Biden cares about immigrants if he ends up implementing policies even more restrictive and harmful than Republicans had hoped for. I believe there is a strong argument to be made that Democrats should not appease Republicans by implementing their policies, but rather should increase their base of support among those disaffected voters who see policy choices like this and think "What's the point of voting if both parties are doing the same thing?" I could be wrong on one or several of those points, but that's where I stand. I appreciate your comment and your thoughts on the matter.
I follow Matt Stoller as well. Lina Khan is a modern day hero.
Thank you for the post. Anyone wanting an in-depth look at U.S. military/economic/political interference in Central and South America and the Carribean should read "Harvest of Empire" by Juan Gonzalez.
Added to my list!
Well put Sean. Prof. Kathleen Belew mentions the CIA interference in countries south of the USA, and the havoc that it has wreaked in her book, Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674286078
It is a must read to understand the history of the idea that "immigrants" become the new "Jews" in terms of global discriminatory policy, mirroring Nazi Germany. After the Oklahoma City bombing White Power militias were trying to deflect attention and had a meet up in the Northwest with White Power groups from around the globe, to discuss strategy. Going forward, instead of fighting against the government they would take it over by running for office. They would tone down their overtly racist rhetoric and take on being anti-immigration populists instead. They would align more closely with the less violent White Nationalist Christian groups, who were not militias. They would use the internet to convey their actions without attributing anything to a single leader but there would be a blueprint that everyone would be able to follow. Thus we see these so called "Lone Wolf" people going on killing sprees. Really there is a plan, which includes posting your actions online. Not just copycat, but also part of a long term strategy to take over the government, the world, and make it into a White Power World. I always feel grateful to India, China and the African continent for having such large populations of people not considered "White," because I see them as a barrier to this sort of planning. These are people who went to Central American and other countries in the 80s as soldiers for hire to get their military training. They contributed to the horrors of the regimes that I am reading about again in Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiats book Strongmen: How They Rise, Why They Succeed, How They Fall.
https://wwnorton.com/books/strongmen
A topic visited when my daughter's high school humanities class was studying different countries in which the CIA had influenced their politics. She did a presentation on Pinochet being brought to power in Chile. So, yes people in the USA should be taught this history so The right-wing thrives on the collective ignorance of our population. We also sees the effects of this long term White Power planning in the EU as right wing groups are starting to dominate the political scene, just as one sees the effects here in the USA. The Russian and Chinese and North Korean and Iranian Bot accounts are busy creating dissatisfaction with issues that they feel they can help Trump win with, as well as the bad players in the USA. No one is discussing the legitimate reasons we have immigrants here, or that most immigrants are legally here, gainfully employed, and contributing to the good health of our economy. Why? I guess the dems don't know how to message it. Just like they did not know how to message the "Black crime" messages of the Republicans like the Welfare Queen and Willie Horton, who are only getting more experienced and manipulative in their messaging. Seems to me, the Democratic party should be spending money on countering misinformation, and we need to regulate tech more to control their algorithms. Without it, you get policies like this. We also have to message people on the positives of immigrants. It would be great to make commercials about immigrants showing people from all of the countries of the world. It makes the USA an exciting and dynamic place. Apparently many don't see any benefit to that.
Yes, there's so much important history and we all truly need to be lifelong students. I have read Belew's writing debunking the Lone Wolf narrative, but still haven't gotten around to reading the book. Someday soon though hopefully!
All of this. Bravo.
Why do many thousands of people from Central American countries flee their countries of origin daily to see refuge in our country? We are allotting one billion to look into this root cause, and because of these many thousands now here without food, shelter or clothing, we allot 9.3 billion. This is a major international dilemma. Those without compassion would simply return migrants to their countries of origin where their desparate lives ill be in increasing danger. Herein lies the root of this monumental problem. The USA is being forced to be noble and charitable. Of course, most Republicans don't choose to act humanely. Kudos to Biden for his attempt to bring light on the immigration crisis with practical clarity. And, always, kudos to the ACLU for stepping into to address whatever is inhumane.
People have to imagine that if they were born into a country where their lives were severely threatened by crime and starvation and they had no hopes, what choices do they have but to acquiesce and die. Thanks to Popular Infomation's intensive research reported to us, we know that these wretched people end up being of great benefit to our country.
Valerie, Read Sean Mann’s comments above! This brings us a much clearer picture…not so much that we’re being for ed to be noble.
Immigration issues are complex. Immigration policy is the responsibility of Congress. Congress has kicked the can down the road for years and used it for political reasons rather than developing policy for what is good for the Country and also the immigrants entering the Country. With our aging population and dropping fertility rate, we need immigrants. One of the reasons the US has done well as compared to other Countries is because of immigrants.
The Biden Administration is trying different approaches. However, a proclamation on immigration from the Executive Branch will not address what should be Congress’ job.
What she said.
President Biden is doing what he can. When presented with only bad options, a leader must choose the least bad course of action. Not making a decision (looking at at ALL Republicans) is a choice in and of itself and in the case of immigration, a profoundly hypocritical one. Of course, Republicans have defeated all border measures thus far due to the callous political calculations and demands of the former guy and corrupt, self-dealing felon named Donald Trump.
Yes, and those measure contained funding to process more migrants etc.
Evidently, "human and moral implications" matter less when you're angling for reelection. Also apparent is the idea that the Dems are going to try to win this election without the youth vote. Bold strategy, Cotton.
I would prefer to see Biden making clear efforts to work with leaders in central and South America to improve conditions so their populations don’t want to come north. Or at least doing so in concert with this initiative. I will vote for Biden, but I think he has lacked both creativity and strength in his international leadership.
Nancy I agree. However, Biden has achieved record breaking successes that are lost in the felon trump show. But doing this now and delaying the call for ceasefire makes me want to pull my hair out. Biden was on track to consolidate the Dems and then, as Democrats do, tries to grab defeat from the hands of victory. Netanyahu’s obliteration attempt in Gaza is not just being called out by the left here, it’s being called out worldwide! But no, Dems must kiss the asses if their Jewish donors no matter the disgrace that Biden warned Netanyahu about very early on.
I think Putin and Netanyahu are dragging their feet. Both want trump back in the WH.
NYT just published an article on a part of the Netanyahu government that was caught running covert influence campaign. Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War
It was not very effective. It was also very poorly done. Probably not the only effort.
“The covert campaign was commissioned by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, a government body that connects Jews around the world with the State of Israel, four Israeli officials said. …
The campaign began in October and remains active on the platform X. At its peak, it used hundreds of fake accounts that posed as real Americans on X, Facebook and Instagram to post pro-Israel comments….
Many of the campaign’s fake accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook posed as fictional American students, concerned citizens and local constituents. The accounts shared articles and statistics that backed Israel’s position in the war.
In at least two instances, accounts with profile photos of Black men posted about being a “middle-aged Jewish woman.”“
Nancy, I too will vote for Biden, because White Nationalist-christian- Fascist rule is nothing to compare.
There has been a great deal of success on these lines, with Vice President Harris leading the negotiations, it deserves to be better known https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/06/politics/kamala-harris-migration/index.html Unfortunately, as asylum seekers from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have become far fewer, numbers have exploded from countries US doesn't work with so well--Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua. Not to mention the terrible situation in Haiti.
It is not for lack of trying but it takes 2 to make an agreement and often more for such a large issue. In the countries people are escaping the leadership does not have the same interests as the US or their neighbors. They’d welcome US $$ straight into their own pockets but are not interested in a better life for the population. Others have worked with the US to some degree but the criminal gangs and traffickers are not so easily managed.
In the US we don’t hear much news from other nations. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/guyana-condemns-venezuela-for-signing-into-law-a-referendum-approving-annexation-of-disputed-region
Thanks for this. I agree it’s complicated, but I’ve seen no news reports of anything Biden has been doing to address any of these issues.
I guess my frustration is twofold. The press doesn’t cover anything as boring (but vitally important) as efforts to improve the immigration situation, and Biden’s low-key style doesn’t draw the attention to the efforts he is making. It’s frustrating to see the press completely ignore the accomplishments of a good man doing good work while focusing relentlessly on the antics of an amoral circus clown. I guess I wanted Biden to do his presidenting out loud.
I’m not sure what you mean by “any of these issues.” But if you mean work with countries that are sources or the path for migrants, attempts began very early in the administration. They were met with reporters asking the GOP question: “why aren’t you at the border?” Biden has proposed funding for agents and immigration judges etc. It is never funded. They are mostly ignored by the press & the GOP because the GOP won’t pass them. This was in Biden’s last budget proposal: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/11/fact-sheet-the-presidents-budget-secures-our-border-combats-fentanyl-trafficking-and-calls-on-congress-to-enact-critical-immigration-reform/#:~:text=This%20amount%20includes%20%24405%20million,support%20staff%20to%20facilitate%20timely
The VP was in Central and South America working on the ‘root causes’ of migration early on. There was little reporting of substance. The “why aren’t you at the border” game continued as though you can solve problems doing photos at the border.
The countries each have their own politics & immigrants send US $$ home which help their economies. They aren’t keen on US ‘meddling’. Mexico, like most of the other countries, does not have robust immigration / border enforcement. They do have robust criminal elements that periodically suck up their resources.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-candidate-assassinations-hit-grim-record-ahead-sundays-election-2024-06-01/
Most of the news we consume is about us. There are very few foreign correspondents now & so very little foreign reporting unless there’s a war or giant disaster, or a GOP drama.
Part of the problem is that climate change is altering the environment, leading to other problems within affected countries. It's well-known that the war in Syria started because of climate change exacerbated drought. In South America, there are economic costs due to various storms causing flooding as well as the occasional drought, so farmers can't make a living as they used to, and unemployed people moving into gang activity. I might add, some of those gangs are led by or include formerly young people we deported from the U.S. due to minor crimes. We are getting our due back because we create the problem here and then deport it back to countries that do not have the resources to take care of it. So it's both people and carbon pollution and it's our fault. If we want to fix the problem, we should be helping the affected countries and not just sending Kamala Harris over to wag her finger at them.
It’s not an imaginary crime wave that bothers me. It’s the economic toll associated with unchecked immigration. Unfortunately there are hundreds of millions of people who live in places where it’s unsafe or politically fraught. Many of these people have few personal resources. This country simply cannot support all of them. It’s a problem without a good solution, but unchecked immigration is not the answer.
Who is advocating for “unchecked immigration” (with the possible exception of those employers who prefer undocumented people who are more easily controlled)?
What we have is a GOP which not only refuses to fix the issue but also refuses to fund processing, housing, border agents, etc. And then some like this former Congressman who now is a big shot at “truth social.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/25/devin-nunes-libel-suit-esquire-hearst-00093844#:~:text=The%20litigation%20focused%20on%20a%202018%20article%20about%20a%20family%20dairy%20farm.&text=06%20AM%20EDT-,A%20federal%20judge%20has%20thrown%20out%20libel%20suits%20former%20Rep,family%20members%20hired%20undocumented%20workers.
Must be done. We see that Republicans cannot swallow their own pill if their orange chief says to not accept a cure unless it helps him.
Since congress will not act on the immigration subject until the next administration (becaise of Trump's interference), it appears that President Biden shrewdly issued his order to counter the Republican complaints for the duration of the campaign, knowing full well that his order would be litigated and probably halted in the meantime.
While I wish that Biden had not thought it necessary to announce and implement a more restrictive border policy, I understand why he did so. Judd's summary of the way the Trump campaign is exploiting hatred and bigotry with lies about crime means that Biden's only recourse at this point is to counter Trump's arguments that he has been weak on this issue. If Trump is elected, we will see even more horrible Immigration policies. Remember separating children from their parents? So Biden has to do whatever is necessary to win. In a second term, he may be able to implement a better, more humane policy, particularly if he has the support of a Democratic House and Senate. My greatest sorrow is that there are apparently so many of our citizens who have listened to and support Trump's lies. Apparently, they want to welcome only people who they perceive as "like them." They seem to have forgotten that except for people who are Native Americans, all of us either are immigrants or descended from immigrants. Over the years, immigrants from all over the globe have taken enormous risks to come here and have contributed enormously to our country. The first to arrive often take jobs Americans don't want to do so that their kids can get an education and do better. Spend time in any urban hospital or nursing home. Who do you think is taking care of Mom and Dad? We need those people as much as they need us. May the time come soon when we can change the national conversation about immigrants to be about helping ourselves by helping others who need help.
Another reason for the Executive Order - lack of funding. By voting down bill after bill, including funding for agents, judges & housing, the GOP is strangling the system. They know it. So should we.
How deeply frustrating it is to recognize that the Republicans simply invent "facts." Migrant crime waves, murderers., the criminally insane, and rapists pouring in are among the most pernicious and disgusting propaganda fictions they peddle. Fear and anger. Real solutions, however, nah, they don't have any. How disappointing that Biden is yielding to that poison.
"Anyone who attempts to cross the border outside of a designated port of entry will be considered presumptively ineligible for asylum and immediately deported."
I'm not finding any evidence that's true. The most explicit statement I've found is from NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/us/politics/biden-executive-order-border-asylum.html: "Mr. Biden’s executive action was set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, at which point border officers could return migrants across the border into Mexico or to their home countries within hours or days."
I think the most likely is most or all will be sent back to Mexico and urged to get in line at the proper crossings and use the app. That's not great, for the reasons you point out, but it's not deportation.
I sense an unwillingness to directly address the question of whether Biden should enact this new policy if it will help him defeat Trump. I don’t know the answer to that - I assume there are arguments to be made but probably not conclusive ones.
If this is an effective political policy toward defeating Trump, Biden should do it. I would not have much interest or ability to defend the policy on substance, but the most important thing we can do now relates to the outcome of the election. I think people should take a stand on that point.
I’m curious now about the northern border since it was just brought up to me. CBS in Boston did a report on that recently. It sounds bad, but I never trust mainstream media. Hoping you can write about this, too.