US taxpayers suffer amid nation’s border crisis

Originally published in Arab News

One of the biggest internal crises the US has faced over the years is the illegal crossing of its long border with Mexico by migrants. With the steady increase in these numbers, former US President Donald Trump imposed drastic measures, including building a long wall separating the two countries and returning would-be immigrants to Mexico pending a decision on their request.

However, since Joe Biden took office, the number of migrants illegally crossing the Mexico-US border has increased.

The Biden administration was determined to end every immigration policy and enforcement program set by the former president by easing border restrictions, halting the construction of the wall and lifting restrictions on those who enter the country illegally. It also suspended the “Remain in Mexico” program pending a decision by the US Supreme Court, which last week ruled in favor of Biden terminating this policy.

Biden seems to be forgetting the economic and health conditions of the citizens and residents of the US due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rising inflation rate and the economic consequences of the country’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

In 2021, there was a record number of illegal border crossings at 1.7 million, according to a report published by Politico. The report added that a new analysis indicated that even more are likely to cross this year, creating a more significant crisis along the Mexican border in Texas, Arizona and California.

In early June, government agencies reported encountering more than 1.2 million migrants along the border in 2022. This number is likely to be doubled by the end of the year.

However, despite these record numbers, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in April sent a memorandum to interested parties to provide additional details of the administration’s “comprehensive plan to manage increased encounters of noncitizens at America’s southwest border.” He stated that his department had been executing a thorough and deliberate strategy to secure the borders and build a safe, orderly and humane immigration system.

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