It is infuriating that the short-sighted efforts of the Republicans to get that disaster Trump reelected may doom Ukraine to a Russian takeover...which will have enormous negative effects upon all of Europe and, eventually, the US as well.
What infuriates me to no end is the number of self-proclaimed Christians (looking at you, Mike Johnson) who forget God's numerous decrees about welcoming the stranger and the "alien in our lands", not to mention Jesus' teachings about caring for the poor and down-trodden.
Also, it's hard to picture an "invasion" that's comprised of families fleeing political and gang violence. Typically, an invasion indicates armed adversaries attempting to usurp the area. Basically, tfg's supporters and militia on Jan 6th, not families and children.
For sure. Allow unlimited access to the US. I think that's in the old testament but wasn't it the gospels that drove home the point metaphorically on a family basis? I.e. the good parent should allow anyone into their home and the existing children should just shut up about it. Can't remember if it was Luke or Matthew... maybe one of you Christians can shed light.
As usual Republicans want to work on issues from the wrong end. Instead of properly funding the Border Patrol and the Immigration System they scream about open borders and want immigration shutdown and massive deportations. Instead of education and affordable unburdened access to birth control to prevent unplanned pregnancies they want to shutdown all abortions. Instead of funding public education they work to tear it down with vouchers. They just want everything to stay in a quagmire instead of solving real problems.
When you get right down to it, why is massive immigration a danger to American society at all? I am not at all advocating "open borders." Obviously one doesn't want criminals entering the country, and there should be some limits--the asylum laws are our current major limit. It is true that we no longer have the frontiers that could absorb people But how is the current level actually hurting US citizens?
As the popular meme "Schrodinger's Immigrant" points out, they can't be BOTH lolling around on welfare and taking American jobs. In fact, except for emergency care, they are not eligible for any government benefits, though when working they pay taxes: if with a work permit, federal and state, if under the table state via sales tax and property tax via rental prices. Nor do current unemployment figures suggest massive take-over of jobs Americans will do. These folks are mowing your lawn and cleaning your toilet, even though a lot of them are actually pretty well educated.
With the exception of Chinese exclusion laws, immigration was not limited at all for much of our country's history. My great-grandfather came in legally in 1850, no particular paperwork, no quotas about how many Irish could show up. So did, at one point or another, most of the ancestors of pretty much anyone reading this.
The point is that immigration is not a "crisis" if properly funded. It FEELS like a crisis in the actual border states because of the need to house the new arrivals till they can get on their feet. And if those arrivals can be promptly processed, the "getting on their feet" part will happen quickly. These are NOT aboriginal tribe members unaccustomed to modern life. And they are not in any way an imminent danger to, say, Iowa or the Dakotas. Ukraine is a WAY bigger crisis for the survival of the US as a power in the West, and for the survival of the West itself.
After the Vietnam war, my area was inundated with SE Asian refugees. And what happened was an incredible enriching of what had been a pretty much white-bread community. What has caused the housing issues and cost of living here was plain old migration of US bred tech workers for the good jobs available with ginormous salaries, making it hard for simple workers to live nearby.
All of this is pretty old news, but it is useful to be reminded of it. The relentless flogging of things like "it's all criminals coming" or "replacement theory" is sheer propaganda. C'mon, these people are fleeing FROM criminals. No criminal is going to walk thousands of miles to get to a country where the chances of being caught and punished for crimes is WAY bigger than it is at home. And plain old demographics is changing our population--we will be in not that many years a "majority minority" country even if not a single more immigrant showed up.
To all your points a big YES Susan. No hit on unemployment, lots of non recoupable taxes paid, crops rotting because US workers don't want to work labor intensive harvests, and most of all would you want your ancestors to have been refused immigration?
I don't care if immigration rises to the top concern.... as long as it is also clear the key problem is the house failing to initiate funding bills (as is their duty) to provide the resources needed to handle the border appropriately.
The problem for us folks who look like immigrants is that the crap will flow downhill to us. I am very concerned for my community and for all other brown-skinned folks as Trump amps up his fascist rhetoric with us as his targets.
Thank you for the reminder. My focus was on getting genuine, helpful immigration reform to be committed to. It's easy (for me) to forget the animus it often comes with. For a society that has such a heavy dependency on undocumented workers, it's unfathomable there is such hostility.
The challenge is how to focus on the very real crisis driving people to desperate measures to travel so far. How to defuse the right wing gaslighting?
Best I seem to have at the moment is to drop facts, backed by credible sources, where I can.
I would like everyone who writes about "the border" to remember that there are 4 states that share a border with Mexico. New Mexico, Arizona, and California aren't screaming and whining about the migrants crossing into them, or calling it an "invasion". CA has the busiest migrant crossing, but isn't having all the problems that TX is railing about. This entire article is referring to the border with TX alone, none of the other 3.
As long as we're setting the record straight, let's get this part straight, too.
Other than that, the facts in the article were just that, facts.
Praying justice prevails and an agreement can be made-Ukraine needs us, and democracy needs Ukraine 🇺🇸🇺🇦 The cruel treatment of migrants is unconscionable-breaks my heart 💔
Great article Jay! I doubt if maga understand any of this. I’m aware of an individual who left Columbia, flew to Baja, meet with an attorney and got briefed on exactly what to say at the border to apply for asylum. They were confined for 24 hours and allowed to enter, they are now in Oregon working. The job is field work, nothing I care to do. This winter a young man appeared around my Northern California town dressed in Monks robes, he was from China and had crossed in from Texas. Does he have a legal right to request asylum? It’s not my job to judge him but it opens my eyes to the issue. I didn’t say anything before but now the conversation has turned enough to be able to start saying just maybe enough already. I’m a petitionor for my spouse and two stepchildren, I’m well aware of the frustration of trying to do things legally. I went through 4 attorneys getting tons of advice trying to reinstate abandoned status of green cards, one even sugested we just cross through Canada. I played the game and did things right and now all have new green cards. I’m in favor of issuing five year green cards to DACA. This is one issue that can and should be resolved. These kids want to travel and go see the world yet are stuck without LPR status. Thanks for a great article, solutions are only possible with cooperation from both parties. We must support Ukraine, to not is disastrous.
What infuriates me to no end is the number of self-proclaimed Christians (looking at you, Mike Johnson) who forget God's numerous decrees about welcoming the stranger and the "alien in our lands", not to mention Jesus' teachings about caring for the poor and down-trodden.
Also, it's hard to picture an "invasion" that's comprised of families fleeing political and gang violence. Typically, an invasion indicates armed adversaries attempting to usurp the area. Basically, tfg's supporters and militia on Jan 6th, not families and children.
One reason people in Iowa and Minnesota can worry about the Mexican border is because the economy is doing so well, that has slipped as a concern. In the meantime, White Supremacist agenda described in Prof. Kathleen Belew's book, Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, is that instead of being openly racist in their rhetoric they follow a "more neutral" linguistics of being anti "immigrants." There is no hue and cry about the people flying into the USA. Why aren't they wanting more policing of the airports against foreign students who might overstay their visas, or got accepted to a US university to hang out here? (I just talked to a Czech man at the airport in Germany who told me he wanted to go to grad school in US so he could get a job in the US. He has en engineering degree and works for a US Company, but they don't get him a US work permit). What about all of the people, who are here overstaying visas? No hue and cry about that. Also, no hue and cry in fields where immigrant, documented and undocumented work to help feed the nation. No hue and cry over the professors whose are here and have a problem with their paperwork, and stay while it is being straightened out. (I know several to whom this has happened.) No hue and cry protesting the childcare workers, cleaning people, construction workers, meat packing plant workers, documented and undocumented who help keep our nation functioning. My mother is an immigrant from Europe and so is my husband. No hue and cry to check their status. It is harder to decide which is more annoying from the Republicans, their stupidity as to how things really work, or their hypocrisy in supporting extremely stupid and harmful initiatives and candidates.
Sadly, the truth is not being shared with the masses. The MSM keeps airing mis-truths , half-truths, and blatant lies. Congress taunts the country's President, while following orders from their orange jesus.
Unfortunately without much evidence these folks have been characterized as terrorists, criminals and drug dealers. This has led to a good deal of unwarranted fear among our people. Migrants will pay taxes, do work not favored by our workers, and pay social security taxes to support that system without getting benefits. The major problem seems to be provision of housing, food and access to employment for these people in a timely fashion. I doubt that creating a major bureaucratic infrastructure to delay this problem will be very helpful. Humanitarian concerns are important.
Sadly, the truth is not being shared with the masses. The MSM keeps airing mis-truths , half-truths, and blatant lies. Congress taunts the country's President, while following orders from their orange jesus.
It is infuriating that the short-sighted efforts of the Republicans to get that disaster Trump reelected may doom Ukraine to a Russian takeover...which will have enormous negative effects upon all of Europe and, eventually, the US as well.
Let’s hope the can pass funding in some other way, since the border is now stuck in nowhere land.
What infuriates me to no end is the number of self-proclaimed Christians (looking at you, Mike Johnson) who forget God's numerous decrees about welcoming the stranger and the "alien in our lands", not to mention Jesus' teachings about caring for the poor and down-trodden.
Also, it's hard to picture an "invasion" that's comprised of families fleeing political and gang violence. Typically, an invasion indicates armed adversaries attempting to usurp the area. Basically, tfg's supporters and militia on Jan 6th, not families and children.
Very un-Christian of them, yes.
Agreed. We had a really great Q&A with Robert P. Jones on Christian nationalism the other day that you might find interesting as well: https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/big-questions-answers-robert-p-jones
For sure. Allow unlimited access to the US. I think that's in the old testament but wasn't it the gospels that drove home the point metaphorically on a family basis? I.e. the good parent should allow anyone into their home and the existing children should just shut up about it. Can't remember if it was Luke or Matthew... maybe one of you Christians can shed light.
Johnson is NO christian at all. A fake one definitely. He must be removed pdq as well as the rest of corrupted GOP reps
As usual Republicans want to work on issues from the wrong end. Instead of properly funding the Border Patrol and the Immigration System they scream about open borders and want immigration shutdown and massive deportations. Instead of education and affordable unburdened access to birth control to prevent unplanned pregnancies they want to shutdown all abortions. Instead of funding public education they work to tear it down with vouchers. They just want everything to stay in a quagmire instead of solving real problems.
That’s exactly right. The problem is more politically useful than the solution.
Big star struck fan gush from me! Jay replied to my comment! 😍 💖
When you get right down to it, why is massive immigration a danger to American society at all? I am not at all advocating "open borders." Obviously one doesn't want criminals entering the country, and there should be some limits--the asylum laws are our current major limit. It is true that we no longer have the frontiers that could absorb people But how is the current level actually hurting US citizens?
As the popular meme "Schrodinger's Immigrant" points out, they can't be BOTH lolling around on welfare and taking American jobs. In fact, except for emergency care, they are not eligible for any government benefits, though when working they pay taxes: if with a work permit, federal and state, if under the table state via sales tax and property tax via rental prices. Nor do current unemployment figures suggest massive take-over of jobs Americans will do. These folks are mowing your lawn and cleaning your toilet, even though a lot of them are actually pretty well educated.
With the exception of Chinese exclusion laws, immigration was not limited at all for much of our country's history. My great-grandfather came in legally in 1850, no particular paperwork, no quotas about how many Irish could show up. So did, at one point or another, most of the ancestors of pretty much anyone reading this.
The point is that immigration is not a "crisis" if properly funded. It FEELS like a crisis in the actual border states because of the need to house the new arrivals till they can get on their feet. And if those arrivals can be promptly processed, the "getting on their feet" part will happen quickly. These are NOT aboriginal tribe members unaccustomed to modern life. And they are not in any way an imminent danger to, say, Iowa or the Dakotas. Ukraine is a WAY bigger crisis for the survival of the US as a power in the West, and for the survival of the West itself.
After the Vietnam war, my area was inundated with SE Asian refugees. And what happened was an incredible enriching of what had been a pretty much white-bread community. What has caused the housing issues and cost of living here was plain old migration of US bred tech workers for the good jobs available with ginormous salaries, making it hard for simple workers to live nearby.
All of this is pretty old news, but it is useful to be reminded of it. The relentless flogging of things like "it's all criminals coming" or "replacement theory" is sheer propaganda. C'mon, these people are fleeing FROM criminals. No criminal is going to walk thousands of miles to get to a country where the chances of being caught and punished for crimes is WAY bigger than it is at home. And plain old demographics is changing our population--we will be in not that many years a "majority minority" country even if not a single more immigrant showed up.
We are a nation of immigrants, and we actually need and should appreciate workers who are willing to take jobs that citizens aren’t willing to take.
To all your points a big YES Susan. No hit on unemployment, lots of non recoupable taxes paid, crops rotting because US workers don't want to work labor intensive harvests, and most of all would you want your ancestors to have been refused immigration?
I don't care if immigration rises to the top concern.... as long as it is also clear the key problem is the house failing to initiate funding bills (as is their duty) to provide the resources needed to handle the border appropriately.
The problem for us folks who look like immigrants is that the crap will flow downhill to us. I am very concerned for my community and for all other brown-skinned folks as Trump amps up his fascist rhetoric with us as his targets.
Thank you for the reminder. My focus was on getting genuine, helpful immigration reform to be committed to. It's easy (for me) to forget the animus it often comes with. For a society that has such a heavy dependency on undocumented workers, it's unfathomable there is such hostility.
The challenge is how to focus on the very real crisis driving people to desperate measures to travel so far. How to defuse the right wing gaslighting?
Best I seem to have at the moment is to drop facts, backed by credible sources, where I can.
I would like everyone who writes about "the border" to remember that there are 4 states that share a border with Mexico. New Mexico, Arizona, and California aren't screaming and whining about the migrants crossing into them, or calling it an "invasion". CA has the busiest migrant crossing, but isn't having all the problems that TX is railing about. This entire article is referring to the border with TX alone, none of the other 3.
As long as we're setting the record straight, let's get this part straight, too.
Other than that, the facts in the article were just that, facts.
It’s amazing to me that Iowa Republicans list immigration as their number one concern.
What Mike Johnson seems to
be forgetting is the Constitution delegates both
Houses of congress to legislate and reform immigration. The senate has
a bill they want to bring to the floor of the house, but
Mike Johnson's basically saying, "No. It's our bill or
NO bill. You bill is dead."
That's not how it works, no
matter how many text messages or phone calls he
has with indicted Donald Trump.
Praying justice prevails and an agreement can be made-Ukraine needs us, and democracy needs Ukraine 🇺🇸🇺🇦 The cruel treatment of migrants is unconscionable-breaks my heart 💔
The Republicans are fear mongers. They create messes and blame Biden for their stupidity.
Great article Jay! I doubt if maga understand any of this. I’m aware of an individual who left Columbia, flew to Baja, meet with an attorney and got briefed on exactly what to say at the border to apply for asylum. They were confined for 24 hours and allowed to enter, they are now in Oregon working. The job is field work, nothing I care to do. This winter a young man appeared around my Northern California town dressed in Monks robes, he was from China and had crossed in from Texas. Does he have a legal right to request asylum? It’s not my job to judge him but it opens my eyes to the issue. I didn’t say anything before but now the conversation has turned enough to be able to start saying just maybe enough already. I’m a petitionor for my spouse and two stepchildren, I’m well aware of the frustration of trying to do things legally. I went through 4 attorneys getting tons of advice trying to reinstate abandoned status of green cards, one even sugested we just cross through Canada. I played the game and did things right and now all have new green cards. I’m in favor of issuing five year green cards to DACA. This is one issue that can and should be resolved. These kids want to travel and go see the world yet are stuck without LPR status. Thanks for a great article, solutions are only possible with cooperation from both parties. We must support Ukraine, to not is disastrous.
What infuriates me to no end is the number of self-proclaimed Christians (looking at you, Mike Johnson) who forget God's numerous decrees about welcoming the stranger and the "alien in our lands", not to mention Jesus' teachings about caring for the poor and down-trodden.
Also, it's hard to picture an "invasion" that's comprised of families fleeing political and gang violence. Typically, an invasion indicates armed adversaries attempting to usurp the area. Basically, tfg's supporters and militia on Jan 6th, not families and children.
One reason people in Iowa and Minnesota can worry about the Mexican border is because the economy is doing so well, that has slipped as a concern. In the meantime, White Supremacist agenda described in Prof. Kathleen Belew's book, Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, is that instead of being openly racist in their rhetoric they follow a "more neutral" linguistics of being anti "immigrants." There is no hue and cry about the people flying into the USA. Why aren't they wanting more policing of the airports against foreign students who might overstay their visas, or got accepted to a US university to hang out here? (I just talked to a Czech man at the airport in Germany who told me he wanted to go to grad school in US so he could get a job in the US. He has en engineering degree and works for a US Company, but they don't get him a US work permit). What about all of the people, who are here overstaying visas? No hue and cry about that. Also, no hue and cry in fields where immigrant, documented and undocumented work to help feed the nation. No hue and cry over the professors whose are here and have a problem with their paperwork, and stay while it is being straightened out. (I know several to whom this has happened.) No hue and cry protesting the childcare workers, cleaning people, construction workers, meat packing plant workers, documented and undocumented who help keep our nation functioning. My mother is an immigrant from Europe and so is my husband. No hue and cry to check their status. It is harder to decide which is more annoying from the Republicans, their stupidity as to how things really work, or their hypocrisy in supporting extremely stupid and harmful initiatives and candidates.
Sadly, the truth is not being shared with the masses. The MSM keeps airing mis-truths , half-truths, and blatant lies. Congress taunts the country's President, while following orders from their orange jesus.
Unfortunately without much evidence these folks have been characterized as terrorists, criminals and drug dealers. This has led to a good deal of unwarranted fear among our people. Migrants will pay taxes, do work not favored by our workers, and pay social security taxes to support that system without getting benefits. The major problem seems to be provision of housing, food and access to employment for these people in a timely fashion. I doubt that creating a major bureaucratic infrastructure to delay this problem will be very helpful. Humanitarian concerns are important.
DeSantis has now committed Florida National and State Guards to Texas, to stem the unarmed "invasion".
I thought he had done that already, before he started decimating Florida.
Sadly, the truth is not being shared with the masses. The MSM keeps airing mis-truths , half-truths, and blatant lies. Congress taunts the country's President, while following orders from their orange jesus.