On immigration, Democrats should admit they are wrong - The Washington Post
Washington PostSep 15, 2023
US-Mexico Border: Texas Blocks Feds From Accessing Eagle Pass
The Facts
Tensions between US Pres. Joe Biden's administration and Texas Governor Greg Abbott intensified after the governor blocked the federal US Border Patrol from accessing miles of land near Eagle Pass, Texas along the US-Mexico border. While daily migrant encounters in Eagle Pass have dropped from thousands to about 500 this week, overall border crossings have dropped from 10K per day in December to 3K in January.
According to the US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), the decline in border crossings is due to agreements between the US and Mexico, including Mexico enhancing its immigration enforcement on public transportation, moving migrants from Mexico's northern border to its southern border, and reinitiating deportations of Venezuelans.
The Spin
Left narrative
The Democrats have fumbled the ball on immigration and must make a change, or else they'll risk handing immigration powers over to the extreme right such as Trump-like members of the GOP. The current immigration issue relates to asylum seekers, a system that is completely broken in the country and cannot afford to take in any more applicants. There are likely tens of millions of migrants already in the US that we should focus on processing first. But in the meantime, the Democrats should support capping more arrivals until those already here have been legalized.
Right narrative
The liberal "accept anyone and everyone" mantra is coming home to roost all across the US. Immigrants from all over the world have for over a decade been overtaking populations ranging from coastal cities like Boston to midwestern hubs like Sioux City, Iowa, where districts have now had to translate their services into more than 150 languages. Schools have turned into violent institutions and public libraries and malls into inhospitable refugee camps. Bold actions, like the ones taken by Governor Abbott, are needed more than ever.
Nerd narrative
There's a 3% chance that the US will deploy troops in Mexico without the Mexican government's cooperation before 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.