The great wall of China stretches over 5000 miles long. It’s one of the greatest engineering feats of the ancient world and a great symbol of China.
Trump’s border wall on the other hand won’t
be nearly so grandiose in scope. It will only be…well let’s see, nobody really
knows. Anyway, despite a lack of details, Trump’s wall is also a symbol. It
started as a symbol of xenophobia and immigration fears of Trump’s conservative
base. It quickly became a symbol of change and a centerpiece of Trump’s
campaign.
Over the course of his presidency, the wall
has been a safe haven for Trump. Whenever under attack, whether it be the
Muller probe, his revolving door administration, more “fake news”, or the plethora of lawsuits and indictments against him, he
always had the wall to fall back on. If things were going badly, he’d start
harping about the wall again for two reasons;
1)
It’s a distraction from attack
or a diversion to draw your attention away from some agenda he’s trying to push
through.
2)
It’s a sure fire way to stoke
up support in his base and make him feel loved again. They believe in the wall.
Is illegal immigration a problem? Yes it
is? Do illegal immigrants sometimes commit crimes in the US? Yes they do. Does
border control need more support and upgrades? Maybe, but it sure the hell
doesn’t need $5Bn wall and congress is calling him on it.
There is no emergency. There is no crisis
at the border. The wall is, for lack of a better word, bullshit.
First of all, research shows that illegal
immigration in the USA has actually been declining. According to 2016 data from
The Pew Research Center, the illegal or undocumented immigrant poplulation was
about 10.7 million. That was the lowest number since 2007. Furthermore, the
number of undocumented immigrants in the US workforce has declined during the
same period. According to the Customs and border patrol, in 2018, approximately
400,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended and an additional 125,000 presented
themselves at ports of entry. This makes about 525,000 people. However, this is
far smaller than the 1.6 million that were apprehended in 2000.
Also, the overwhelming majority, about two
thirds of undocumented immigrants have lived in the US for over a decade. Many
immigrants become illegal when their visas run out, not because of a great
influx from the border. One study from MIT Sloan suggested that
the illegal immigrant population may be much higher than 10.7 million, as much
as double, but the authors were quick to point out it does not indicate an increase in recent years. In fact, a larger immigrant population would mean crime rates are actually lower per capita among immigrant communities.
As far as crime, the State department did find that
for federal crimes, undocumented immigrants made up a disproportionately higher
number of federal inmates. However, the vast majority of crimes (over 90
percent) are dealt with at state and local levels where jurisdictions rarely
record immigration status of prisoners. In addition, numerous studies have shown
that crime rates in areas with high immigrant populations actually decrease.
After two years and without a single brick
in place, what began as a symbol of change has become a symbol of something
else. To his supporters it’s a symbol of failure to live up to his campaign
promises. To his critics, it’s a symbol the Alice-in-Wonderland like fantasy world
where Trump resides. And it’s becoming more and more a liability to his
administration. In a recent interview, outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly said,
in stark contrast to Trump’s statements, “To be honest, it’s not a wall.”, instead
calling it “fencing”, “a barrier”, or “steel slats.” He went on to say, “Illegal
immigrants overwhelmingly are not bad people.” This is coming from the former
secretary of Homeland Security and a retired four star general.
Trump’s wall has been the center of the
gridlock over the government shutdown, Feeling increased pressure from the
right and criticism from the left, Trump finds himself deeper and deeper in a
hole he himself dug. As the shutdown continues, and even after the President's National address, the fog is clearing and the people can see Trump's wall for what it is, a politically motivated sham.
Sources:
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