Concerned About Illegal Drug Smuggling? Ask the Republicans Who Enable It.
If you know anybody in the Republican camp, you’ve likely heard the distressing talk about “Open Borders.” Now that there is a Democrat in the White House, the whole package of pre-2016 immigration and drug smuggling stories is once again available for use.
There are “caravans” miraculously appearing; the usual suspects are calling for a national guard mobilization, and killer drugs are flowing across the unwalled parts of the border. Are you afraid enough to vote for rotting corpses who have the GOP seal of approval yet, white people?
The false picture about what is occurring along our southern border is being broadcast by partisan networks ranging from Fox News to live steaming cams set up by Texas sheriffs. Dig through all the bluster and you’ll find that a big part of the border crisis involves finding photo opportunities for politicians.
Just about every right wing politician in need of a boost finds that putting on their cool guy shades for a trip to the border is great for image promotion and a little fundraising along the way.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, for example, shouldn’t have to worry about getting reelected in a solidly Red Florida district.
Except that he’s under investigation for crimes involving interstate trafficking and having carnal relations with an underage girl. His bestie has apparently flipped and is cooperating with prosecutors. Any day now, a knock on Gaetz door could be the FBI with a warrant for his arrest.
Given that the Congressman represents Florida, it’s also possible the investigation will mysteriously go nowhere. The late Jeffery Epstein and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft are two examples that immediately come to mind.
In the meantime, Gatz is taking no chances, promoting his “Firebrand” podcast and YouTube videos chock full of imagery and rhetoric about the border.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has his own state-funded border wall under construction, and has committed $75 million to Operation Lone Star, which uses state law enforcement and national guard reservists to seek out violators of state crimes.
The Army Times has chronicled habitual pay problems for soldiers on the mission, unsanitary conditions, poor equipment and reported on suicides by soldiers tied to the mission. (It kind of sounds like the same problems Putin’s having over in you-know-where.)
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While Republicans are certainly entitled to their own views on immigration and border enforcement, they’re not entitled to their own facts.
Here are some facts:
Under Biden almost 80% of those encountered by authorities at the border have been immediately removed, put in detention, or in the case of children, put in a government-run or contracted shelter.
For the 20% “released,” almost all show up in court. And the immediate expulsion of many migrants means that the overall data of total encounters includes many individuals who are multi-counted, as CBP data show.
Despite the open borders rhetoric from Republicans, immigration is, in fact, way down, with net immigration to the U.S. just 25% of what it was five years ago.
There is no (Zero,zip, nada) correlation between the number of migrants showing up at the southern border and the amount of fentanyl and other drugs coming into the country
Almost all fentanyl comes to the U.S, via ostensibly legal crossings at designated ports of entry. It arrives by car, truck, and train, mixed in with legal imported products.
Congressional Republicans voted against “$430 million to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the construction and modernization of land ports of entry and equipment and fixtures for operations.”
Only 5% of trucks entering the US are scanned with the kinds of technology likely to intercept drugs.
All these facts don’t deter Republicans from beating the drum about border horror stories as part of their campaigning for office.
At an online database compiled by America’s Voices they have compiled nearly 100 unique examples of Republican campaign ads employing misleading information in just the first three months of 2022.
Trump’s supposedly badass border wall was breached more than 3000 times in the first sixty days of this year. It’s not drugs coming through that sieve; it’s people who have been forced into camps while trying to navigate an impossible US system.
There are no open borders. There are, sadly, enough Republican types who’ve bought into the great replacement theory (short version: white people be afraid) who can keep a straight face when repeating lies about immigration.
If Republicans actually had any facts at their disposal, it might be possible to craft a compromise on immigration, one that would free millions of people to follow a path to citizenship. Let us not forget that there are also weak kneed Democrats unwilling to stand up for truth and what TV used to call the American Way.
If we manage to get through the coming years without all the history books being burned, someday our ancestors will look back on this time and wonder why philosophy steeped in racism was eagerly accepted by so many people.
Email me at WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com