Julia Preston on the Real Origins of the Border Crisis
The issue isn't just about the "push" factors behind mass migration. It's also about the antiquated, bureaucratic and overwhelmed U.S. asylum system.
Julia Preston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter on immigration, has written a clear but comprehensive analysis of what is happening at the U.S.-Mexican border, and why.
She dissects the funnel-like asylum system we have in the United States, which has a “wide opening” for people arriving at the border in desperation, followed by a very “narrow chute” of strict parameters they must fit to qualify for asylum. Because there is no guaranteed right to counsel in immigration court proceedings—even though the consequences of failure (deportation, persecution, possible torture or even death) can be more severe than the consequences of a criminal conviction—it is almost impossible for most asylum seekers to prove that they meet the strict standard of what constitutes “persecution” under U.S. law.
She also talks about how migration at the border has changed; dissects the policies implemented by the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations; and discusses the flaws in the asylum system itself.
Bottom line? The real cause of the migrant crisis at the border is the dysfunctional U.S. asylum system itself.
If you want to understand more about the current situation at the border, set aside 15 minutes to read this article. It’s worth your time.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/origins-immigration-border-crisis-biden