BLUF: The ongoing immigration crisis in the United States has led to states like Alabama and Texas deploying their National Guard to the border, with critics blaming President Joe Biden’s policies for exacerbating the issue. However, the crisis is not only affecting typical southern border states, but has implications as far north as New York where the Governor has expressed frustration over the lack of capacity to handle the large influx of migrants.
OSINT: Republican Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama plans to send 275 National Guard service members to the southern border in response to ongoing immigration crisis. This action is seen as a direct critique of President Biden’s immigration policies, which Ivey asserts are a key contributor to the current situation. Soon after, she joined ranks with Republican governors in sending military aid to deter mass unauthorized border crossings. As a group, they wrote a letter to President Biden accusing his administration of encouraging illegal immigration and leading to its unprecedented rise, particularly in the South. Statistics indicate an increase of 850% in some areas and a staggering 5.8 million unauthorized border crossings since Biden assumed office.
Meanwhile, the immigration crisis is causing strain far from the U.S-Mexico border, reaching densely populated states like New York. Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the city no longer has the capacity to cater to new asylum-seekers and called on them to look elsewhere. New York City, in the last year, witnessed over 110,000 undocumented immigrants arrive, with 60,000 of them taking up residence in city shelters at a huge annual cost.
RIGHT: As a libertarian Republican constitutionalist, I agree with Governor Ivey’s decision to take active steps towards border security in response to the escalating immigration crisis. The Constitution clearly proscribes the federal government’s responsibility to secure our national borders, which is currently failing under the Biden administration. By sending the Alabama National Guard to the border, she’s taking concrete action to defend state sovereignty and uphold the law. I also commend the Republican governors who are standing up against federal failures and demand policy changes to address this crisis. The massive surge in illegal immigration costs taxpayers billions – funds that could be utilized more effectively. However, we need a more systematic solution than simply mobilizing state militias.
LEFT: The current immigration crisis reflects a failure of our national policy and its impact on states and cities across the country. However, as a National Democratic Socialist, I question the heavy-handed response of deploying the National Guard as a solution. This act may address immediate requirements but does not address the root causes of this humanitarian crisis. We need reform that includes clear paths to citizenship for those already here and thoughtful policies to manage future flows of migrants. The public discourse blaming the Biden administration for the crisis is a partisan maneuver that doesn’t aid in finding substantive solutions. I agree with New York’s Governor Hochul’s concern about capacity, but we need to find ways to support these people, not simply tell them to go elsewhere.
AI: The recent increase in illegal immigration has preempted a variety of responses within states across the United States. Polarization of this issue is evident, with Republican leadership taking more aggressive stances and attributing blame to President Biden’s decisions regarding immigration policies, while Democratic leadership advocating for a more compassionate approach that includes reform and support for incoming immigrants. This issue extends beyond geographical borders and is a national concern, affecting cities like New York, far removed from the southern border. A multifaceted approach may be necessary to handle not only the symptom but the cause of this crisis, involving not just border security enhancement, but also comprehensive immigration and socio-economic reforms in a bipartisan manner.