Border Anxiety

Immigration supporters say Biden is “nowhere close” to fulfilling his campaign promises to build a “fair and humane” immigration system

The U.S.–Mexico border “is not secure,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents a Texas district that runs from the border cities of McAllen and Laredo to San Antonio.

“When you had 1.7 million individuals last year, and now another 2.7 [million], that’s over 4.5 million individuals encountered at the border, plus if you add the getaways, that’s going to be over 5 million individuals in just two years,” Cuellar said.

According to the conservative Democrat, the interception of migrants from Venezuela and other countries should occur at the border of Mexico and Guatemala.

Cuellar’s remarks are harsh because they reflect what could well be considered a negative trend toward undocumented immigrants among Americans, even those of Latino or Mexican descent, who live on the border with Mexico and especially in the state of Texas, which covers more than 40% of the border between the two nations.

It also reflects a brutal political reality. On one hand, the government of President Joe Biden combats the provisions of the Donald Trump regime, such as Title 42, which it denounced as inhumane and which permits the rejection of immigrants or asylum seekers for health reasons. On the other hand, it uses it to expel petitioners, like the recently deported Venezuelans.

In that sense, pro-immigrant activists claim that Biden is “nowhere close” to fulfilling his campaign promises to build a modern, “fair and humane” immigration system.

Even worse, according to the specialized online newspaper Politico.com, activists believe that his administration has not given the necessary priority to immigration reform, and that he has even shied away from the issue in the current period before the midterm elections that will be held on Nov. 8, fearing the way in which Republicans could influence any action.

The Democrats may have acted with caution, or with fear, depending on one’s point of view, but the fact is also that the Republicans have successfully used the courts to stop the execution of immigration measures such as the protection of Dreamers, children of undocumented immigrants who were raised in the country and are Americans in every way except for documentation.

The growing concern caused by the increase in immigrant arrests at the border is also joined by the growing interest in the increase in deaths from fentanyl: In 2021, nearly 108,000 people died from drug overdoses, including 71,000 from fentanyl or substances related to the synthetic opioid, which is the leading cause of deaths among adults ages 18 to 45.

And if the alleged intentions of the Mexican government to buy Chinese technology for use on the border with the United States are added, the bilateral relationship becomes even more complicated.