Concord, the capital of New Hampshire, USA, on the 21st of last month (local time). In front of the winter shelter for the homeless, located on a quiet street behind the main street, cigarette butts were scattered under a waving American flag. This shelter, which can accommodate 40 people, currently houses illegal immigrants in addition to drug addicts and homeless people. To help illegal immigrants who have crossed the border between the United States and Canada avoid the extreme cold below -10 degrees Celsius, the state government is housing them in about 10 shelters, including this one. Mr. Gray, owner of a nearby convenience store, said, “The number of immigrants started to increase last year, and recently, most of the shelters are occupied by immigrants.”
The issue of illegal immigration has emerged as a major issue in the recent US presidential election. While the southwestern U.S. border with Mexico is on the verge of closure due to a record number of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border, the northern U.S. border is also becoming increasingly controversial due to an unprecedented surge in illegal immigrants. Following former President Donald Trump’s pledge to “immediately deport millions of illegal immigrants when he returns to power,” President Joe Biden has also taken a hardline response policy, such as closing the southwestern border.
On the 23rd, when the New Hampshire primary was held, former President Trump met with reporters after visiting a polling place in Londonderry and said, “The southern border is at an unprecedented level, but the northern border is just as bad,” adding, “This is the worst tragedy that has ever hit the United States.” “One of them.”
On the 20th, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who is competing with former President Trump in the Republican presidential primary, said, “We need to strengthen crackdowns not only on the southern border but also on the northern border,” adding, “If necessary, build a wall and patrol the border to block illegal immigrants.” “We also have to do this,” he said. Like the border wall built between the United States and Mexico, the ‘necessity of a wall’ has emerged on the border between the United States and Canada.
These claims reflect the recent surge in illegal immigration through the border between the United States and Canada. In fact, last year, 189,402 cases of illegal immigrants were detected at the northern U.S. border, an increase of 109,535 cases, more than double the previous year. Considering that the number of illegal immigrants detected at the northern border in 2021 was only about 27,000, the number has increased more than sevenfold in two years.
Former President Trump’s running mate, Republican Congresswoman Ellis Stefanik, who is mentioned as a vice presidential candidate, claimed on the 29th, “There were 91,000 illegal immigrants crossing the border last year just at the New York state border,” and “the movement of illegal immigrants is at an alarming level.” did.
The reason illegal immigration through the northern border is increasing is because the number of illegal immigrants through the U.S.-Mexico border has increased dramatically. As a result, southern states such as Texas significantly increased surveillance and patrols, and criminal organizations that arrange illegal immigration turned their attention to the relatively less monitored northern border. In particular, due to a lack of patrol personnel at the southern border, a large number of northern border patrol agents moved to the south, and the lax northern border surveillance also encouraged an increase in illegal immigration.
The increase in illegal immigration has a direct impact on the increase in various crimes such as drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, and residents’ dissatisfaction is growing. New Hampshire Governor Chris Snunu announced that he would invest $1.4 million (about 1.869 billion won) to strengthen border security. The state of Massachusetts, which is quite far from the northern border, is also struggling with its response to illegal immigration, including designating four large-scale immigration detention facilities. New York City declared a humanitarian crisis after the number of illegal immigrants arriving through the northern border increased significantly in addition to those sent from Texas.
The spread of the illegal immigration problem in the United States was largely due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). As jobs disappeared in neighboring countries due to COVID-19, the number of people willing to immigrate to the United States to find work, even at the risk of risk, increased significantly. In addition, millions of refugees resulting from political instability in some countries, including Haiti, drug cartel violence, and natural disasters caused by abnormal weather, are attempting to immigrate to the United States in search of refuge.
The end of ‘Policy 42’, which required the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants under the Trump administration in May of last year in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19, was a culmination. Illegal entry attempts, which had been somewhat lulling, are increasing rapidly in the second half of last year. Moreover, the policies that the Biden administration has been pursuing for orderly asylum are having the opposite effect. After the expiration of Policy 42, the Biden administration has banned asylum seekers from entering the United States for the next five years if they apply for entry in advance through an app and are caught entering the country illegally. However, the reservation system was virtually paralyzed as those who were not eligible to apply for asylum flocked to get a chance to enter the country.
What is noteworthy is that the number of illegal immigrants in family units increased significantly after the policy of mandatory isolation of families of illegal immigrants implemented during the Trump administration ended. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border with their families exceeded 1 million last year. This is more than double the number of people in 2021, which was 480,000.
Merrill Matthews, a researcher at the Texas Institute for Policy Innovation, wrote in an article for the congressional newspaper The Hill, “In 2019, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States was around 10.2 million, but it is estimated that an additional 10 million immigrants have crossed the border since the inauguration of the Biden administration.” insisted.
Voices of concern about illegal immigration are gaining strength in conjunction with the presidential election. According to a public opinion poll released by the U.S. CBS Broadcasting on the 7th of last month, 63% of respondents said that the government should take stronger policies against illegal immigrants. It is higher than 55% at the time of the survey in September last year. In a poll released by Emerson University on the 30th, 36% of Republican voters responded that illegal immigration was the most serious issue. This was more than the number of respondents (30%) who cited economic problems such as rising prices.
On the 26th, President Biden took a hard line, saying, “We will close the border as soon as Congress gives us the authority.” It has been reported that the White House and the Senate have reached an agreement that would give the president the authority to stop refugee screening and close the border if the average number of illegal immigrants exceeds 4,000 to 5,000 for 5 to 7 days.
However, the Republican House leadership, where pro-Trump hardliners hold the casting vote, is opposing this bill, saying, “President Biden should immediately close the border through an executive order.” Therefore, it is highly likely that the power struggle over illegal immigration will continue for a considerable period of time. Former President Trump declared on social media on the 29th of last month, “There is no need for the Democratic Party’s complex border bill that makes the Republican Party look bad,” and “When I return to power, I will immediately close the border (via executive order).”
The New York Times (NYT) said, “President Biden tried to show off that the United States is a humanitarian country and show Americans that the government can function properly again by ending the policy of deporting illegal immigrants,” and “But the border is engulfed in chaos. “With re-election at stake, all these promises were postponed,” he pointed out.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.