5,000+ refugees are waiting at the U.S./Mexico border to be granted asylum in the United States. Traveling mostly from Central American countries, these refugees are attempting to escape extreme poverty and violence in their home countries. On Sunday, an incident occurred where a small group of refugees attempted to cross the border into the U.S. and the U.S. military responded by firing tear gas into the crowd and temporarily closing the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which has since reopened. The refugees were protesting the extremely slow process of being granted asylum in the United States, especially because of the large group of asylum-seekers and the state of living they're facing on the Mexico side of the border while they wait. With limited resources for living and shelter, refugees must wait months in line to be heard by the U.S., and then more months or even years before asylum is even granted.Granting asylum is a right protected by the international community, the U.S. included. In my opinion, it's not fair to make these refugees wait months, or even years, to be granted asylum. At the very least, we should be providing resources for shelter and living to the refugees waiting, because it's clear that there aren't enough resources to provide for them on the other side of the border. I'm strongly against using violence on innocent people who are rightfully partaking in a peaceful protest; but, because a few migrants attempted to cross the border forcefully, I believe the tear gas was viewed as a necessary precaution by the U.S. military and border security. This incident once again brings attention to the issues with immigration into the U.S., seeing as the wait time for the legal process can take many years to finalize.
Questions:
1) How do you believe the border security and U.S. military should've handled the situation? Do you think the use of tear gas was necessary? Why or why not?
2) How is President Trump handling the situation and the issue of immigration overall? What could he do better and how is his stance on immigration and immigrants affecting his decisions?
3) The relationship between President Trump and the Mexican Government is tense and their negotiations/discussions are almost non-existent. Is it important to have a positive relationship with surrounding countries even when there are issues involving both of them? What does the tense relationship between the U.S. and Mexico mean for the future of immigrants?
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/27/670807343/fact-check-whats-happening-on-the-u-s-mexico-border
http://time.com/5464560/caravan-mexico-border-iconic-photo/
It is absolutely important for the United States to have positive relationships with their neighbors, especially Mexico. I find it disturbing that our president has little respect for diplomacy, and decided to burn bridges with the Mexican government, which is having huge repercussions right now and will into the future. If the United States and Mexico had a more cooperative and amiable relationship, collaboration regarding immigration could help the situations of both countries. Trump's inability to maintain cordial relationships and have basic respect for other world leaders is extremely harmful and detrimental to the future of this country.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree that it's important to have positive relationships, this really doesn't have anything to do with Mexico. Most of the migrants aren't from Mexico, I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "burn bridges with the Mexican government". Additionally, you say that there are current repercussions going on in the U.S. because we aren't being nice to Mexico, once again, I'm not to sure what you're talking about with that statement, if you could elaborate for me that'd be great.
DeleteThe most concerning affects of the military force used at the border is the aggressive and undiplomatic image the US is presenting to the rest of the world. The videos and images the press has been circulating are disturbing and make America look like a harsh and uncaring aggressor who is attacking children and families. The negative publicity defies American values and is embarrassing if not detrimental to the nation's image on the global stage. The United States should have found a way to diplomatically resolve the situation with either the Mexican government or with the caravan itself. Trump should have visited the border and turned refugees away but at least give the caravan supplies and make attempts to peacefully resolve the situation without brute force.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Yasmina and that I think we should be having positive relationships with our neighbors. I don't think that tear gas was necessary and there are many different, non-violent ways to handle this situation. I think that our system needs to be changed so that it is easier to cross the boarder legally and the process of granting asylum. With an easier process to get legal status in America it reduce illegal immigration. Many of these families are trying to have a better life for themselves and I think they should get the opportunity. I think the United States and Mexico can have a cooperative and friendly relationship in regards to boarder control and immigration, and I think we should have that kind of positive relationship because we are neighboring countries.
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ReplyDeleteWhile I don't condone the use of tear gas, I do understand why it was used. This complex situation requires a balance of ethical behavior (i.e. not tear gassing people escaping violence) while also recognizing the legal implications of a group of illegal migrants. Tear gas, while harmful, isn't seriously lethal, and is effective in dispersing people. However, it is also understandable why migrants would be frustrated; the asylum review process is incredibly slow, and as asylum requests increase, it is imperative that more funding and resources are given to make the process more efficient, and alleviate the tensions being put on both migrants and border patrol. As Sam and Yasmina pointed out, it is important that the US maintains a strong relationship with Mexico, and the way President Trump handled this situation is immature. That tear gas even needed to be used shows that the President must do something to speed up the immigration process.
ReplyDeleteI believe the US should have let the Mexican authorities handle it because it was on Mexican soil. President Trump is only putting on a show for his political supporters in terms of his immigration policies. I believe everyone should have the right to claim asylum and live and work where they want to contribute to society. I also think it is important to maintain a positive Mexican-American relationship so it is more likely that the Mexicans will handle situations in Americas favor.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the US did not handle this situation well. The use of tear gas was super unnecessary because these people are just trying to escape a harsh quality of life and seek asylum. While crossing the border without legal citizenship is illegal, the use of tear gas was too harsh for their nonviolent approach at gaining refuge. In addition, the asylum review process is incredibly slow and results in many being too impatient for their safety. President Trump is not handling the situation of immigration well, in fact the way he handled this particular situation could be deemed as immature. It is very important that the US has good relations with Mexico since they are a neighboring nation. Many Mexican citizens are waiting for asylum in the US and the tense relationship is making the process slower.
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ReplyDeleteTrump should not have used tear gas because I feel like there could have been better ways to solve the dispute while treating individuals with respect. I understand that tear gas isn't lethal but imagine how you would feel if you were fleeing your home country and had travelled hundreds to thousands of miles in hopes of starting a new life? Something else that I would like to point out is that Trump seems to be blowing the illegal immigration issue out of proportions. In 2000, there were over 1.5 million border apprehensions whereas, in 2017, there were only about 300,000. In addition, Trump seems to be demonizing Mexicans coming to this country when in reality, Mexicans don't even make up the majority of illegal immigrants anymore. In 2000, Mexicans accounted for over 90% of border arrests and in 2017, they were under half. Trump is also overly focused on securing the southern border, but he fails to address the fact that many illegals come by flying here and overstaying their visas. Some estimates are that up to 40% of illegal immigrants come to the U.S. by air. It seems that Trump is trying to excite his base by physically securing the borders but he fails to realize the big picture of the issue. All in all, America should focus a lot less on stopping illegal immigration and more on fixing the problems with legal immigration because there will be 15,000 baby boomers retiring each day for the next 15 years, and if we want our economy to continue to grow and Social Security to remain somewhat solvent, we will need to depend on legal immigration to feed our hungry workforce.
ReplyDeleteWhile the rush to the border did cause chaos and violence, I believe that the US should be responsible for housing and providing for these individuals/families seeking asylum across the border. Tear gassing people who desire to become citizens of our nation does not promote immigration or diversity, and goes against our nation and its values.
ReplyDeleteI do not think the tear gas was necessary because the refugees did not pose any violence to the United States. I think to avoid this situation in the future, the US can provide resources for the refugees because waiting at the border for months or years at a time is already unnecessary enough. The system for refugees is very complex and a difficult issue to solve, but I think the fact that the refugees are trying to come to the US should illustrate that the refugees are desperate to find refuge within the US and their immigration process shouldn't be difficult.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, the situation regarding illegal immigration can be dealt in much more civil manner. Although I understand that crossing the border without documentation is illegal, the people who are doing this are in need of asylum or are trying to make a better life. Few of them are coming to the US with ill intent. For these reasons, they should not be treated like criminals by the US border patrol. There are other ways to deal with the crisis at hand.
ReplyDeleteTear gas is an unnecessarily violent way to handle this type of situation, and I believe that it greatly dehumanizes the people trying to cross the border. As Mayuko stated, immigration on the whole is a messy and complicated issue without a clear solution. While we can't simply ignore the hundreds of people crossing the border illegally, we also just don't have the resources to provide for every person who wishes to immigrate to the US. In a perfect world, we could allow anyone to enter the US and not put a strain on our finances or resources, but at this point in time, it is not a feasible solution.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can understand how difficult these people's lives are and how desperately they want to get to the US, defiance of established laws can lead to unsavory consequences. When a certain power has amassed the influence and authority to implement and maintain a rule, there is really nobody who can get above the law, and in this situation, that is the sad reality. The more they try, the more they may suffer. And I know most of them are probably peaceful, but the few that are demonstrating violent behavior leave a bad impression on their entire group. So while the tear gas was meant to establish order, perhaps it might have gone too far.
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