Edan Held
World News Editor
In recent years, specifically the past year, America has experienced an unforeseen influx of migrants arriving at its southern border. Many Republicans blame President Joe Biden’s weak immigration policy; however, Joe Biden himself has commented that he wants to punish illegal immigrants while increasing the legal ways of entering the United States.
Throughout the world, conflict and catastrophic events have pushed people to seek shelter in the United States. People have moved from both Russia and Ukraine to countries in South America, where they later realized the move didn’t fulfill their needs. In turn, they come to the U.S. in search of refuge, attempting to get meetings with Customs and Border Control officials to seek asylum. But long wait times and a complicated process have forced many migrants to consider entering illegally, simply in search of safety.
Following the expiration of Title 42 in May of 2023, which eased immigration restrictions after COVID-19, Customs and Border Patrol only reported around 3,500 arrests of illegal border crossings each day. However, in the last three to four months, they have arrested nearly 8,000 migrants per day following attempted border crossings, requiring increased government spending and resources. In the first half of September alone, 142,000 immigrants showed up at the US-Mexico border.
This surge in immigration has put pressure on border towns, and even towns further north. Eagle Pass, Texas declared a state of emergency following an influx of immigrants, and San Diego has received 230,000 people just this year — up 30% from 2022. New York City has announced that they have reached the maximum number of immigrants that they can take in, and can no longer offer shelter to those coming to the city.
The increase in immigrants seeking legal entry into the U.S. poses a big problem for President Joe Biden and whoever wins the next Presidential election. The Republican nominee will likely target Joe Biden for his “weak” immigration policies, while that nominee will also have to create a plan to combat the surge in immigrants showing up at the southern border.
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