Democrats claim Republicans in the House of Representatives are to blame for the chaos on our southern border, because they failed to adopt a “bipartisan” solution sent to them compliments of Harry Reid and his merry band of liberals in the Senate. Republicans rightfully note that Democrats never showed up to the negotiating table in good faith; always intending to present an unreasonable plan in order to “frame” the GOP with inaction and unleash Obama to act as he pleases.
Yet, one major player in this human tragedy at the border has largely been lost in the dusty billows of this partisan scuffle: Mexico.
Yes, Democrats intentionally created gridlock in Congress as a dangerous game of election-year brinkmanship; and yes, Republicans thus far have failed to move forward in the House with specific, targeted measures to protect the border and bring our 1980s-era legal immigration laws into alignment with 21st Century needs of American businesses.
However, allowing Mexico to continue its blatant stoking of America’s immigration crisis, presents itself a clear and present danger to our nation’s security and economic well being.
Make no mistake -- Mexico is the real problem. Obama can blame economic hardship, rampant gang violence and YouTube videos in Central America. But it is the Mexican government’s affirmative facilitation of this massive illegal border crossing that is directly responsible for the current conditions along the border. The resolution of this government-made crisis is quite simple: immediately repatriate the illegal entrants to Mexico – the country from whence this latest surge of illegal aliens comes; and at the same time tell Mexico if it does not start addressing the problem, strict economic sanctions will be forthcoming.
Despite hand-wringing to the contrary by Administration officials, there is no law that prevents the United States from immediately sending these men, women and children back Mexico, especially given Mexico’s role in ensuring they are dropped off on our doorstep. And, if we need to temporarily house them for a few days in make-ship detention facilities, there is no need to spend millions of dollars on new buildings, or modernizing existing facilities; or – far worse -- transporting the illegal minors to households and community facilities across our country. We could also house them temporarily in tent cities, such as those proposed by my friend, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Of course, Mexico is not acting alone. In fact, a recent agreement between Mexico and Guatemala allows people from that Central American country to freely enter Mexico, lawfully travel the length of the country, and have Mexican officials turn a blind eye when they then illegally cross into the United States. This is nothing short of an international conspiracy to violate America’s laws and undermine our country’s sovereignty; and Democrats in the Administration and the Congress play right along.
The clearest example of this immigration bait set by Democrats is the Executive Order signed two years ago by Obama, known as the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival” (DACA). As a result of this “Executive Action,” Obama directed the DHS to “exercise prosecutorial discretion as appropriate to ensure that enforcement resources are not expended on low priority cases.” A translation of this bureaucratic gobbledygook can be condensed into a single phrase: Immunity from deportation for children illegally in the United States.
Unilateral decisions such as this made by Obama are just some of the reasons parents in Mexico and other Central American countries are sending their kids northward. They hope and expect – not without some justification – that Obama soon will issue another such order granting a new round of immunity from deportation for kids coming across the border. Indeed, as recently as this past Monday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest laid the groundwork for just such action, when he noted that immigrants who “face a credible threat of death upon their return to their home country” likely will be “granted humanitarian relief.” In a word -- Amnesty.
If things were not already bad enough from the meddling of Mexico, and the undermining of U.S. law by Democrats, now the United Nations is moving to insert itself into the crisis and add international pressure to treat all unaccompanied minors as “refugees.” Such a determination by the erudite minds at the U.N. would carry no legal weight in the U.S., but would embolden Democrats to double-down on polices that so far have pushed America to the brink.
Republicans in the House must act quickly in the short term to head off what could become an irreversible change to our way of life. In the longer term, the fall elections -- which hopefully will result in a Republican majority in the Senate -- and the 2016 presidential election – which finally will rid us of this awful president -- cannot come soon enough