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More than 50 migrants were found dead inside a truck in San Antonio, Texas. The few who survived were taken to the hospital. Authorities have claimed that heat and dehydration were the causes of the deaths. But the question remains: what is the Democratic Party doing about it?
One of President Biden’s main campaign issues was migration. He promised that he would solve the immigration problem in his first days in office and that he would treat migrants more humanely. However, every day we see poignant scenes at the southern border. Children are being abandoned, while pregnant women or women with children in their arms are crossing the river, and women and girls sexually are abused. And now, this. It should be obvious to anyone —regardless of party— that Biden has not only failed to keep his promise, he has made the situation worse.
If the Democratic Party really wants to solve the situation of millions of migrants, it should then present a serious project, negotiable with the Republican Party, to facilitate the legal entry of new people. If the Biden Administration wants to control the chaos on the southern border, it should prevent the entry of illegals and give the necessary support to the border authorities to make it clear to the region that it is not worth it to undertake that journey and attempt illegal entry.
Hispanics are not stupid. Although the administration insists that the border is closed, the fact is that the border is so open that on Monday more than 50 migrants died. It is evident that they use the immigration issue to pretend to be on the side of Hispanics, but when they have power, they do nothing to improve the situation. Probably because it is in their interest to perpetuate the narrative that they are pro-immigration and the only solution to the alleged racism of the Republican Party.
We Hispanics don’t want completely open borders where, without basic control checks, even criminals are allowed in. That’s not what we are asking for: we come from violent places, and we don’t want to repeat that situation. We don’t want our community’s reputation to be affected by the entry of the wrong people. But we do ask for dignified treatment, and that means not encouraging human trafficking. As long as people know that there are people coming in illegally, they will keep on trying. They will, once again, put themselves in the hands of traffickers. Dignified treatment also means that we shouldn’t be deceived by promises of solutions that won’t come, and if they ever do, they are unacceptable bills that clearly have no chance in Congress.
It is time to stop using the migratory drama as an electoral strategy. People are dying.
Vanessa Vallejo. Co-editor-in-chief of El American. Economist. Podcaster. Political and economic analysis of America. Colombian exile in the United States // Vanessa Vallejo. Co-editora en jefe de El American. Economista. Podcaster. Análisis político y económico de América. Colombiana exiliada en EE. UU.