在我们国家，可能没有比移民和如何最好地保护我们的边界，防止移民越境进入美国以逃避暴力的问题更有害和两极分化的公共政策问题了, 失业, government corruption and dismal economic opportunities. 家庭, unaccompanied children and young men and women leave countries in Central America, 委内瑞拉, Haiti and Mexico and travel north to the U.S. 德克萨斯州的边界, 亚利桑那州, New Mexico and California without proper documentation seeking to apply for asylum status, which would allow them to remain in the United States until their case is heard by the proper judicial authorities.
Because the economic situation in these countries is so dire, the numbers of migrants entering the United Stats is staggering and unrelenting. According to data from the Migration Policy Institute, there were 11.2 million illegal immigrants living in the Unites States in 2021; that number has certainly increased in the last two years. For example, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office, which is charged with protecting our border from migrants without proper documentation, 报告近7人.7 million border encounters with illegal migrants with the peak of 300,000 people in December 2022.
The number of illegal entries into the United States has, however, fluctuated over time. In 2020, the Trump administration’s enforcement of what was called Title 42, 这是一项公共卫生法规，允许边境巡逻队出于与Covid-19传播有关的公共卫生原因驱逐非法移民, did diminish the flow of the migrants significantly. But when Title 42 ended in May 2023 under pressure from the Biden Administration, the movement of illegal immigrants to the United States skyrocketed. Media and internet reports showed thousands of migrants crossing the Rio Grande river in Texas, seeking refuge in border towns and cities like El Paso. These migrants created enormous financial, 不断涌入美国的新移民给城镇带来了住房和食品负担.
不断涌入美国的非法移民不仅给德克萨斯州等边境州带来了经济负担, 但这导致了与联邦政府(控制边境)的冲突，因为需要采取更积极的政策来限制移民流动. 特朗普政府承诺建造一堵巨大的隔离墙，将墨西哥和美国分开，但大部分建设尚未完成. 德克萨斯州的格雷格·阿博特(Greg Abbot)等州长已经在边境设置了临时屏障，或者启动了将移民用公共汽车送往华盛顿等北方城市的项目, D.C., New York and Chicago. In a highly publicized action, 佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯(Ron DeSantis)在没有事先通知的情况下，将数百名委内瑞拉移民送往马萨诸塞州的玛莎葡萄园岛，并虚假地承诺提供住房和工作. 用巴士将移民送往北方城市的做法有增无减，因为大城市的市长和州长已经不堪重负，新移民往往住在酒店和汽车旅馆里, vacant public buildings, 他们在教堂和街道上等待庇护听证会或联邦政府采取行动，提供允许他们留在美国的短期工作许可.
At the root of the immigration crisis facing the United States is the failure of the federal government, and in particular the Congress to form a bipartisan solution to the problem of migration and undocumented migrants. 国会在采取何种政策措施遏制移民潮的问题上存在政治分歧，因此不可能达成妥协解决方案. 两党的政治领导人和公职候选人都把移民危机作为一个话题来赢得选民的支持，并把责任推给他们的竞选对手. The Republicans have increasingly stressed increased spending to hire more border patrol agents, purchase high technology equipment to detect migrants and the smugglers who for a fee guide them over the border, and the unfinished Trump wall. 德克萨斯州的阿博特(Abbott)和佛罗里达州的德桑蒂斯(DeSantis)等州长不断与联邦政府和拜登政府就未能阻止所谓的移民“大篷车”发生争执. 共和党人指责拜登政府对移民态度松懈，因为他们认为他们是未来的潜在选民. 近年来, the Republicans have also raised the issue of illegal drugs, especially the deadly fentanyl. 共和党人经常声称，非法移民是进入美国的芬太尼的主要来源，采取措施关闭边境是处理通过移民管道进入的非法毒品的关键战略.
As for the 民主党人, 拜登政府经常展示的数据显示，尽管新移民人数众多，但“逮捕并释放”移民回国以及正式驱逐非法移民的政策仍然很高. 民主党人还表示，解决移民问题的最好办法是与中美洲和其他地方的外国政府合作，加强这些国家的经济，打击从人口向北流动中获利的帮派和走私者. 拜登政府向中美洲国家提供了大量财政援助，作为减少移民的一种手段. 民主党人还继续强调，需要加快获得庇护的进程，因为许多移民正在逃离帮派的危险，如果他们被迫返回家园，肯定会成为死亡的目标. 目前, the wait time for a hearing before an immigration judge is approximately two to three years.
公平地说，共和党人坚持非法移民的立场，强调加强边境控制, limitation of rights, quick deportation procedures and stern legal restrictions on migrants once they cross over into the United States. 民主党人, 另一方面, 坚持基于我们的历史价值观的观点，比如支持我们国家对移民的开放, our tradition of accepting people seeking a better life, 需要支持既定程序，允许移民在移民法官面前提出庇护申请. Both the Republican and Democrat positions have merit, 但他们没有处理这样一个事实，即移民继续向北前往我们的边境，而且似乎并不关心他们一旦进入美国所面临的危险和限制. 全面的移民改革是绝对必要的，以解决移民持续流入这个国家的问题，以及对州和地方政府的经济和财政需求. But without a bipartisan consensus on the steps necessary to respond effectively to the immigration crisis, the result will be a continuation of the ongoing political impasse that does not solve this human migration problem. 与此同时, 虽然没有合法证件，但怀着更好生活的梦想，移民们不顾不确定性，继续向北跋涉.