10/24/21

By Josh Rubin

The situation we find ourselves in is only a continuation of a policy, one that was not new from Trump, although the rhetoric was different: discourage migration of poor people across our southern border. The difference is that one administration trumpeted the cruelty, while this one tries to hide it. The example of the massive airlift of Haitians was an example of how desperate this administration is to hide things, while at the same time failing to do so!

If the policy is to disincentivize migration, there are only a few tools, similar but with variations. Variations on a theme. There’s Title 42, which may have to be phased out if the pandemic is controlled and that lame excuse evaporates. There is metering, using the excuse of processing capacity to make people wait in Mexico, which usually provides a great business for human smugglers. And there is that innovation, MPP, which combines metering with expulsion to wait, a double wait that multiplies the risks of being in brutal places. First you wait to apply, then you wait for a hearing, then you wait for a ruling. Those who survive the wait will have to see if the numbers granted will be higher than under the previous regime. Some are too endangered and discouraged to wait that long.

But, there is evidence that migrants are moving toward the frontier in anticipation of the reopening of the asylum application process, which has been nearly shut down by Title 42.

What can be done? As always, the truth is that the issue of the plight of immigrants is not one that is particularly important to the “persuadable”middle and left in our country, while the right is remarkably excited by the issue. I recently drove through a town in New York State, near the Pennsylvania border that had as a greeting to the village center a huge barn side promoting Trump 2024, promising that he would close our border!

What we can do is see what is happening. Witness it, and bear witness. Although the plight of poor people, women, men and children stirs us to monumental action, our capacity is limited, and we need to channel it toward persistence. Our job is to see it, and not let it crush us.

These are hard times.