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What steps should the Senate take to address immigration and the border crisis?
The Border Wall is America’s unsuccessful attempt to draw a line in the sand, to cordon one group of humans from another. It’s based on the ever-shifting question of “who belongs.” Since my recent visit to the border, those rusty slats of steel, with razor wire waiting to rip open the flesh of daring migrants, solidified my disdain for the towering monstrosity.
During our visit, we heard the stories of refugees seeking asylum from terror in their homelands. Most people do not want to leave their communities. They seek only to stay alive and keep their families safe. They risk being among the 7,000 bodies who have already been killed or died in the desert.
On the Mexican side, we witnessed asylum-seekers with their children sleeping outside awaiting appointments. We must relieve the stress at the border by hiring and training more workers and judges to speed up the processing of immigrants. We saw business owners on the Mexican side of the border paying $3.50 per hour while living in nice homes and their children attending school on the American side.
We heard about a time when the wall and border patrol buildings were not there, when the area was a place for trading, craft shops, restaurants, and festivals throughout the year. While we listened, we saw in the distance that someone had successfully descended the wall and faded into a crowd of local customers—despite border patrol being nearby. The futility of the wall was obvious.
Let’s be honest about what immigration has meant for economic growth thus far. Agriculture, construction, medical services, hospitality and food services depend significantly on immigrant labor, and we know by the unmet gazes that many of the workers are undocumented. Federal, state, and local taxes paid in 2022 by undocumented immigrants were estimated to be $96.7 billion. If we allowed undocumented immigrants to work legally, workers and employers currently in the underground economy would pay income and payroll taxes. This policy would increase revenue and decrease the trafficking and exploitation of workers.
Annually, this “border crisis” is sustained by Congress. This year a bipartisan measure was hammered out by both houses of Congress. Unfortunately, it was withdrawn on the insistence of former President Donald Trump, who preferred to campaign on the issue and to continue to vilify immigrants.
Although border crossings have recently diminished under the Biden administration, our public discussion must go beyond the situation at the border. A comprehensive approach to immigration must include basic questions about the nature of our workforce needs, as well as humanitarian concerns for refugees. That is why more than 500 immigration-related bills were introduced in Congress during the current session.
We need to simplify unwieldy and confusing immigration procedures that turn applications for lawful admission into years-long sagas. Congress has the information and has done the analysis, negotiation and bill-drafting needed to overhaul our immigration policies and procedures. But little will happen until public servants put aside political posturing and engage in reasoned public debate. When elected, I will be that sort of public servant.•
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McCray, a Democrat, is a mental health clinician running for U.S. Senate. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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That would be correct since they are spending our tax dollars.