Tom Paine 1949
Diamond Member
- Mar 15, 2020
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Bowser argues the migrant crisis is 'certainly not of our making'
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency over buses of migrants that continue to arrive in the city from Texas and Arizona on Thursday.
Bowser's emergency declaration will set aside funding to accommodate migrants as well as create the Office of Migrant Services. The OMS will be tasked with providing temporary accommodations, urgent medical needs, transportation" and other services for migrants….
"Regardless of the federal response — which I think has been lacking in some respects — that the District of Columbia would continue to work with partners to advance what we need and ensure our systems in D.C. are not broken by a crisis that is certainly not of our making," Bowser added.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declares emergency over migrant buses from Texas, Arizona
Well, I sort of laughed when I heard that Texas & Arizona were sending undocumented immigrants (awaiting refugee status rulings or other investigations) to NYC and the D.C. area. Talk about an “Office of Migrant Services”!
I laughed, but it’s a tremendously serious issue, and not just for Texas and border states either. The failures here go back a long way and should not be blamed on just one party, or on just a few industries that desperately seek cheap labor. As a political issue the Trump Republicans have taken this issue over and used it extremely effectively. V.P. Harris and her whole party in my opinion have shown utter incompetence in addressing this problem politically.
It is a tragedy and absolutely unacceptable — on many levels — that our country has well over 10 million almost permanent illegal residents. I think the Democrats have been badly mistaken in not getting ahead of this issue. They should be pushing loudly for a comprehensive solution to the illegal immigration issue, even if It goes nowhere at this point.
The original compromise “Gang of Eight” proposals advocated by 4 prominent Dems and 4 prominent Repubs (passed in the House in 2013) can still serve as a foundation for emigration reform if both parties return to their senses, but they will have to be updated:
Gang of Eight (immigration) - Wikipedia
I believe that a road to “conditional permanent residency” and even eventual citizenship for “dreamers” and millions of others who can show they have lived here for years as honest workers … remains viable and should be pursued.
Such reform will have to be combined with gradual extension of the still limited “E-Verify” program to ever smaller businesses, as well as with the “border security upgrades” usually promised, and other new immigration programs, and probably with changes in handling refugee claims too.
There was actually a “Dignity” immigration reform bill put forward by seven Republicans last year that was based on the lines above. Here is a Liberal Democratic critique of that proposal and a MAGA Republican critique as well. What do you think?
The Dignity Act Could Signal Increasing Support for Immigration Reform on Capitol Hill
Handful of House Republicans Unveil a New Amnesty Bill | Federation for American Immigration Reform
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