Somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 men, women and children are on their way from Central America (principally from Honduras), through Mexico, to the United States. The organizers of this so-called caravan is Pueblo Sin Fronteras (People Without Borders.) And whether we like it or not, they intend to enter the United States. In fact, they’ve even issued a “demand” that the U.S. “open the borders to us because we are as much citizens as the people of the countries where we are and/or travel.” Sort of pushy, wouldn’t you say?
Well not surprisingly, President Trump is having none of it. He’s threatened to call out the military to protect our southern border. He’s threatened the Mexican government if they don’t stop the caravan before it reaches the U.S., NAFTA may just go bye-bye. And since most of the people making up the caravan are from Honduras, he’s threatened to cut off foreign aid to Honduras unless they intercede.
Here are my thoughts. I believe President Trump has every right, in fact a responsibility, to protect the sovereignty of the United States. For far too long our borders have been porous, and huge numbers of illegal immigrants have been able to flaunt our laws and enter our country. In essence, they have been able to cut in front of the line, to the detriment of those who are trying to legally comply with our immigration laws.
That being said, it is true that conditions in a number of Central American countries are so deplorable, that it is understandable that many people would be willing to risk their lives fleeing thousands of miles to better themselves and their children. I was in Honduras and Guatemala several years ago, studying conditions which had led to tens of thousands of families sending their children north with hopes for a better life for them. A common theme I heard over and over was that drug cartel gangs were threatening, especially teenagers, that they either joined the gangs, or risk significant physical harm, including death. Further, with such violence so rampant, opportunities for any kind of normal life were practically nonexistent.
The most effective way to reduce the number of people from Central America, or from Mexico, seeking to illegally enter the United States, is to assist those countries in improving their economies, their standards of living, and reducing the influence of the drug cartels. Of course, this will not be easy, but it’s in the best interest of the United States, as well as in the best interest of these nations.
That doesn’t mean Trump is wrong about wanting to build a wall. I support that effort as well. In fact, here are several photos taken when I met with our Border Patrol last October and saw firsthand the thirty-foot-high prototypes of the wall. The wall will be an integral part of finally getting control of our southern border. And for many conservatives like myself, that must be done before we as a nation can come to a common-sense solution about what we do with the approximately 11 million illegal aliens already in the U.S.
I’d appreciate hearing from you on this important matter. It’s one of the most significant challenges our nation faces. See you next week.