Brunswick Beacon, 06.08.23
In early May, right-wing media predicted chaos when Title 42 expired. In his May 15 email, Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC) joined in. He accused Biden of “refusing to act” to stop a “massive influx of migrants.” Rouzer was wrong. Border crossings plummeted 70%.
Rouzer misrepresented the facts. Biden surged troops and resources to the border. He persuaded Mexico to accept more immigrants and spend $1.5 billion for border facilities to screen them. El Paso’s Mayor Oscar Leeser called Biden’s administration a good partner: “They really stepped up. We are getting the resources we need.”
Rouzer also misrepresented Title 42’s effectiveness. Trump used COVID as an excuse to expel asylum seekers without processing their claims, but allowed them to reapply without penalty. Trump gave them endless mulligans! Biden’s policies are tougher. Claims are again being processed, but now immigrants denied asylum are barred from reapplying for five years! That’s why crossings rose before Title 42 expired, and fell afterwards.
Rouzer’s fearmongering was irresponsible. He baselessly blamed Biden for thousands of children “being abused and sex-trafficked” in a “horrific humanitarian crisis.” Fox piled on, falsely claiming that Biden evicted homeless veterans from shelters to make way for illegal immigrants. That proved to be a hoax. Fox had to retract it when seven homeless men admitted being paid $200 each to lie.
Trump, his MAGA Republican enablers like Rouzer, and right-wing propaganda peddlers feed on fear. Fear of minorities has made white supremacist attacks the “most lethal threat” to Americans. Fear is the mind killer. Fear stops people from thinking, unable to tell fact from fiction, right from wrong. Don’t let them poison your mind with fear.
Robert Bannerman
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