U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to undertake a course of action that his predecessor, Donald Trump, vociferously criticized has stirred controversy. Despite facing backlash, Biden has pledged to construct a new section of the border wall in Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border. This move underscores the severity of the migration issue in America, which he describes as “a colossal problem spanning the entire United States.”
In response to this crisis, some governors in southern states are dispatching asylum seekers to major cities in the northern regions, such as New York, which is straining its resources and finances. The city is hemorrhaging funds. Although the country is in dire need of a solution to this problem. No one seems to have a viable answer, not even prayers. The decision to construct a wall is the pinnacle of irony.
The funding for this construction comes from money set aside during the Trump administration. Biden has justified using these funds, claiming that there is no alternative use for them, so he’s building a portion of the wall. However, Biden is quick to emphasize that the wall is not a comprehensive solution to the migration challenge. People can still scale it, tunnel beneath it, or even attempt to cross the sea from the California side. It’s not effective, and this fact is recognized even in the Trump camp.
Nevertheless, the migration problem has grown to unprecedented proportions and visibility. This is partly due to the tactic of relocating asylum seekers to major cities by bus. New York, governed by a law dating back to 1981, is obligated to provide shelter to those in need. This obligation has been invoked as around 120,000 asylum seekers have suddenly arrived in the city. New York is grappling with the situation, with approximately 300 hotels repurposed for refugee accommodation, costing New York taxpayers $386 per refugee per day. Biden should have taken action much earlier instead of being caught off guard.
Migration issues are also a topic of discussion at the Summit of European Political Affairs in Granada, Spain. European leaders find themselves similarly perplexed by the situation. For instance, the migration agreement with Tunisia is in jeopardy, and Germany has admitted that it is struggling to handle the influx, despite the previous rallying cry of ‘wir schaffen das’ in Berlin.
The agreement with Tunisia might have been a mistake, noting that numerous attempts have been made, but almost everything has failed. However, there is an international accord that obliges countries to provide political asylum to individuals who arrive at their borders and invoke the two crucial words: “political asylum.” While most countries adhere to this practice, the overwhelming surge of migrants has made finding a feasible solution exceedingly challenging. Certainly, in our case, the government is in turmoil, and it’s not without reason.
About the author: Wesley C Waldo
Wesley C Waldo, a promising writer who is preparing to publish his first novel in 2023. Travels a lot and collects the clues for a new book. He writes on social topics, sometimes describes an event or two.
