1/25/20

By Josh Rubin

The forces gathered against those of us who choose to oppose the extraordinary persecution of our country’s immigration policy are overwhelming. On every front we are faced with not just the policies themselves. There is MPP and metering which force people to exist in a purgatory of neglect and danger in the border cities of Mexico. There is violent confrontation by military force at and near Mexico’s southern border at the behest of our president. There are the new “expedited” asylum procedures which loads humanity onto a plane bound for the middle of nowhere in Central American countries.

And where we are, witnessing, there is social unrest in Matamoros, across the river, where voices of resentment are raised against the people encamped on the banks, voices growing loud enough to strike terror into the hearts of the refugees, and into our own.

Those voices blame the refugees for the subjection of their city to the chaos of policies that have given the refugees little choice but to make camp with their families and rely on what relief can be brought across the border to them by various private groups. But these voices have not correctly identified their enemies.

The US is guilty. The United States has turned Mexican cities like Matamoros into holding cells for people they unfairly made into prisoners. For the US, this heightens the disincentive for poor people to come into the country for help. And it doesn’t have to pay for the care of its prisoners, or even acknowledge its responsibility for keeping them alive. For the US, it is out of sight.

We could not do this without the Mexican government allowing us to use their cities as our holding cells. Mexico must acknowledge its role in this scheme. Mexico can say no.

People of Matamoros, this scheme is unfair to you. But do not blame the poor of the earth. Blame those responsible. Your demonstration starts at the US consulate. It is the right place to start.