For the past four months, Republican governors transported migrants and asylum seekers from their states to Democratic-led “sanctuary” states. These migrants are primarily individuals from Venezuela who seek refuge in the States by crossing the Mexican border. Immigration is a significant topic in every election cycle. About 350 million people cross the US-Mexico border every year in hopes of obtaining better opportunities for themselves and their families. And every year, politicians come up with legislation to accommodate this mass exodus of people. On one side, Democrats push for heightened measures to obtain citizenship legally for illegal migrants. Conversely, Republicans push for heightened security at the border and deportations. The more liberal the former and the conservative the latter present even more disparities in how our political parties view immigration.
The Great Scare
People migrated from country to country since the dawn of man. America once boasted to be a haven for immigrants. The Statue of Liberty is indicative of that. After World War II, the UN drafted the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The international treaty, which the US signed, basically granted rights to those fleeing their country for fear of unjust persecution. However, as white nationalists gripped political power, America took a more particular stance on migrants. There was a general fear that immigrants stole jobs from Americans, took advantage of benefits reserved for citizens, and whose children were granted greater allowances than natural-born Americans. Statistically, this sentiment is simply untrue in many aspects.
Despite this, however, certain politicians, most notably in the Republican party, harp on these sentiments to garner support for their anti-immigration policies. A famous example of this is Donald Trump’s call for a wall along the border of the US and Mexico. While Trump was the messenger, his actions echoed the votes of half the nation. Currently, there is a mass negative association with migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. This is especially true in Southern states which see migrants as burdens to their way of life.
The Right Move
As I discussed in an earlier article, the political field is a game for the wealthy elite. The actions of our elected officials often feel contrary to the ideals they claim to abide by. Often time, they are rooted in the very societal flaws we claim to move past.
For the past few months, the Republican governors of Arizona, Texas, and Florida transported Latin American migrants to the Democratic state of New York and the cities of Washington DC and Chicago without warning. A plane of migrants was even sent to the home of Vice President Kamala Harris unannounced. Governors Greg Abbott (R-TX), Doug Ducey (R-AZ), and Ron DeSantis (R-FL) collectively transported over 13,000 migrants to Blue states. They claim that they are merely moving the migrants to environments with better facilities to accommodate them. However, it is apparent that this is a political play denouncing the immigration policies of Joe Biden. As a result, affected cities are calling on the government for aid in tackling such an influx of people.
A Much Needed Response
Many have condemned the actions of the governors. Unsurprisingly, the governors doubled down. On September 15, Abbott said, “The Biden-Harris Administration continues ignoring and denying the historic crisis at our southern border, which has endangered and overwhelmed Texas communities for almost two years.” The sentiment governed by xenophobia is what allows politicians to oversee such actions without hesitation. Through the lens of these governors, these migrants are not people. They are pawns in their political games.
In many ways, the actions of the governors are unethical. Some migrants stated that they were offered jobs in other cities and were transported by bus for over 10 hours. Upon arriving at their destinations, some migrants required hospitalization and food. Due to the suddenness, many centers were unable to keep up with the demand. Fortunately, the cities of New York, Chicago, and DC quickly established help centers to shelter the migrants.
There is also a lawsuit against the Republican governors of Florida, Arizona, and Texas, so we will have to wait for the slow-moving gears of the government to decide their fates. It is unclear whether they broke any laws, but it sure feels like they did. By lying to the migrants and disrupting the order of other States, these governors acted without regard for the human rights of others. Greg Abbott has spent $12 million to bus migrants to DC and New York City. It is especially telling that they used non-white migrants to promote their anti-immigration agenda.
Where our politicians fail, the people on the ground tend to support the community. If you are in DC and would like more information on aid for immigrants and migrants, please visit this link for resources.