The crisis on the southern border has been going on for years. This is a problem that predates the Trump administration. It’s safe and sound to say that this has been a thorn in the side of the United States for over a generation. Many presidencies have tried unsuccessfully to enact significant immigration reform, and now this legislative goal has become something of a unicorn on the hill. For now, the GOP wants a border wall and restoring power to immigration officials to enforce existing laws on illegal migrant crossings.
On the other hand, Democrats will not budge on any border issue unless a massive amnesty is announced and citizenship is granted to millions of illegal immigrants. No comprehensive immigration package will be agreed unless Democrats in Congress deliver their lofty care package to illegals. So the issue remains unresolved, and both Democrats and Republicans are also struggling with intraparty drama on the topic. But in the meantime, the United States and Canada have agreed to new asylum policies for migrants (via NOW):
The United States and Canada have reached an agreement that will allow both countries to turn away asylum seekers at their borders at a time when migration is surging across the hemisphere, a U.S. official familiar with the deal said Thursday.
The agreement, expected to be announced Friday by President Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the two leaders meet in Ottawa, would allow Canada to turn away immigrants at Roxham Road, a popular border crossing from New York for migrants seeking asylum in Canada.
In return, Canada has agreed to provide a new legal refugee program for 15,000 migrants fleeing violence, persecution and economic devastation in South and Central America, an official said, easing the pressure of crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico.
Biden was scheduled to arrive in Ottawa on Thursday evening for a 24-hour visit aimed at underscoring unity of purpose between the United States and Canada after four years of frosty and even openly hostile exchanges between Trudeau and former President Donald J.
[…]
The agreement removes one of the relatively few disagreements between Trudeau and Biden ahead of the president’s arrival. The two leaders are expected to discuss differences on how to stabilize Haiti and the global race to extract key minerals needed to produce batteries and other technologies.
But the agreement is likely to further anger refugee advocates who are already frustrated by Biden’s decision to crack down on asylum seekers on the southern border with Mexico.
As Katie wrote, Biden chose to go to Canada instead of East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a recent toxic train crash that no one in this administration seems to care about. While this new arrangement is one of the better initiatives of the Biden White House, perhaps he can find some time to visit those whose drinking water safety remains questionable. The real incentive is that a new asylum deal wouldn’t be necessary if Biden left the border on his own. The Trump administration got the situation under control, and then Biden decided to open the floodgates, creating a humanitarian crisis
