“Violent entry into the country not only threatens our sovereignty, but also puts the migrants themselves at risk,” said the president.
He said his country “… does not permit and will not permit entry into its territory in an irregular fashion, much less in a violent fashion.”
The president speaking was Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico.
And he was speaking of “the caravan” of refugees coming from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
Like or dislike President Donald Trump, he is right about turning the caravan back when it reaches the border of the United States.
We cannot let a mass of illegals march across our border because they want to, or some politicians wish to exploit them, or even because they are deeply sympathetic and truly need help and a new start in life.
Yes, the words of Emma Lazarus are engraved in the Statue of Liberty and in the hearts of all Americans: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.” And that is, indeed, what the caravan looks like — huddled masses.
But we say: Give all these to us, legally.
Those who wish to come to the United States to live must be vetted and either go through the rigorous process of becoming citizens or receive temporary, but legal, visitors visas
For the president is also right about one big thing: Without borders, a county is not a country.
No president, of any country, could yield to the caravan.
What this president can and should do is what our presidents have done for more than 200 years: Encourage more legal immigration.
Legal immigration is not only “the American way,” but it is good for the country.
Legal immigrants not only augment the labor force at a time when Americans are bearing fewer children, but they add to American intellectual capital. Roughly half the technology startups in recent years have been founded by immigrants. According to McKinsey, the global management consulting firm, our nation could significantly boost productivity by increasing the the annual flow of highly skilled immigrants.
The caravan is something else — supported for domestic political purposes in the United States (it may have backfired) and exploiting the vast majority of its participants, who will be turned back in disappointment. Their lives will be worse for the march to the border, not better. Sadly, this is how liberal and leftist compassion often works — the posture is at the expense of those who need help. And an emotional response is supposed to trump reason and the rules.
The people in the caravan do need real help — food, water, political asylum from repressive regimes that the U.S, government has too often aided and abetted, and a path to applying for U.S. citizenship.
Those who want to help the people in the caravan should seek to provide these forms of practical aid.
But there is no way to justify admitting thousands of illegals when thousands more have respected the process and sought legal citizenship and are waiting now for an answer. The latter group has done it right — the way it has always been and must be done.
Should we expand legal immigration? Absolutely.
Should we provide a path to citizenship for “the dreamers” who were brought here by their parents and have made good lives here? Yes.
Should we liberally apply the safe haven of political asylum? We should.
But we must also secure our borders. And we must do that first.
The president will turn back the caravan because it is his duty to do so, as it would be any president’s. And then he will, now, likely get his wall, in some form, along most of the Mexican border.
One group that supports the caravan is called Pueblo Sin Fronteras — People Without Borders. Most Americans believe in borders. A borderless nation is not a nation.
They also agree with a liberal, expansive, legal immigration policy. It built the nation. And it is the fair thing to do for people who seek to come to the U.S. the right way.
In most years our nation takes in thousands of legal immigrants. We can take more. We should. We cannot have open borders.
First Published: October 25, 2018, 10:00 a.m.
