Krish O'Mara Vignarajah is President and Chief Executive Officer ofLutheran Immigration and RefugeeService. He is a senior adviser to the State Department and policymaker for the Obama administration. Her views expressed here are her own. Read moreOpinionson CNN.
(CNN)Abandoned tractor trailers near 150 miles north of the United States53 immigrants are deadThe country was shocked when it was discovered last week on the border with Mexico, where more than 12 survivors, including four children, rushed to a nearby hospital and died. It was a terrifying, terrifying sight-most Americans couldn't imagine the despair of those embarking on such a dangerous journey.
However, those who have been closely monitoring border policy in recent years may have seen the tragedy of what it is.
If there is no other choice, people will take desperate steps to protect their families from the violence, persecution, climate disasters and extreme poverty of gangsters attacking Central America. And, thanks to strict and false policies, there is no way to seek asylum in this country. Basichuman rights
stipulated in national and international law tens of thousands of asylum seekers, including these failed deterrence tactics "Stay in Mexico" program Was forced to wait for a court hearing in a very dangerous situation. Of these,1,500are subject to murder, rape, torture and kidnapping. Violence. And that policy barely avoided being endorsed by theSupreme Courtin last week's thin razor 5-4 decision, but the Joe Biden administration has a way to end it altogether. Despite the opening, theTitle 42border expulsion policy remains in force, denying people seeking protection, such as interviews and court hearings.
The causal relationship is clear. Still, in the wake of such a devastating loss of life, political leaders quickly started playing games of blame. The Biden administrationemphasized the deadly role played by cartel smugglers who exploit vulnerable people in search of security and opportunity.
Meanwhile, immigrant opponents like Texas'sGovernor Greg Abbottcondemn the tragedy he misrepresented as President Biden's "open border" policy. Especially I didn't waste my time. .. This is based on Title 42, an immigration control mechanism issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, despite the fact that borders are closed at any point in its historyExpulsion of 2 million immigrants { It is a fact emphasized by 43}. In March 2020, it was disguised as a public health measure.
The logic of this argument alone is separated from reality. If there really was an "open border", why would so many people go unnoticed and endanger their lives?
Still, it is clear that this tragedy-is the latest in many-can lead to structural failures in our country's approach to immigration. Pointing to the facts is completely overlooked. This is the result of 30 years of inaction to deal with a seriously dysfunctional system, supporting militarized enforcement rather than human life itself.
Faced with desperate people, this nearly30-year current deterrenceis too deadly to maintain. Fortunately, we respect our moral and legal obligations to those seeking safety, strengthen our economy and deprive criminal cartel smugglers of the opportunity to exploit vulnerable children and familiesPractical Solution.
First, the Biden administration needs to urgently restore and rethink the asylum system that died under the reduction of a thousand people underhis predecessor. A safe, humane and orderly immigration system reveals the core business model of smugglers. By giving desperate asylum seekers a viable, life-saving alternative.
However, political leaders reduce the total number of people arriving at the southern border by creating real routes that do not require risks to vulnerable people or rewards for criminal coyotes. You can also. One such route is theUS Refugee Recognition Program. The program accepts and resettles refugees whose applications are processed while the applicant is abroad, eliminating the need to embark on a dangerous journey to the United States.
The Biden administration needs to quickly expand its processing abroad to new locations, such as South America and Central America, where large groups of refugees exist in protracted situations. Doing so will ameliorate the disastrous poor performance of refugees in fulfilling their promises. So far, in the fiscal year ending September 30, the United States has re-targeted12,641people of all nationalities toward its annual target of125,000
. I just settled down. Immigrants have increased access to work visas such as H-2A andH-2B visasto help people around the world in the nationwidelabor shortage. We are ready to make an enviable financial contribution. The opportunity to make a living in the United States is a strategic competitive advantage that we should take advantage of, especially in the face of the much more populousdominant China. Astudy by the Cato Institute has also shown that such legal measures reduce illegal migration from Mexico
corruption, political instability, economics, etc. It's just as important as dealing with the drivers of evacuation. Inequality, the Biden administration also needs to focus on climate-related movements. Given the role of climate change in theastonishing increase in global migration, the United States is a legalprotection route for those evacuated due to climate disasters in our hemisphere. You should set an example as a pioneer of.
And, as Congressman recently found a common ground forprevention of gun violence, immigration proposals that could be enacted as a law on a strong bipartisan basis. There is also. As the Senate talks aboutreopening, a law that implements innovative technologies at the border and issues more visas to health care workers and farm workers, among other common-minded reforms. There is a promising consensus about.
The choice is clear. Our country takes into account the failure of a deterrence-based framework and implements solutions that benefit both Americans and newcomers. Or, close to the human suffering of the militarized immigration system until the next tragic loss of life.
