Donald Trump began talking about a “migrant crisis” some time ago, and today he’ll insist he’s been proven right when a migrant crisis is discussed in the news. However, the crisis isn’t the one Trump pushed in order to fearmonger around brown people coming into the United States to rape and kill everyone. Instead, it’s a crisis that Trump himself created.
"Bring them to the Trump hotels," Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said following reports of a possible government plan to send migrants to South Florida. https://t.co/1KXh22d55A
— diamondryan (@diamondryan) May 18, 2019
There are a few facts that Trump ignores in his racist rhetoric on immigration. First, immigration rates had fallen drastically under President Obama, and no wall was necessary. Some of the policies Obama put into place on immigration were highly contested, but none of them included taking children out of their parent’s arms and throwing them in detention centers separated from their families. Trump’s plan has been to detain everyone, just throw them all in prisons, and now the prison system in border states is bearing the burden. That is the crisis.
Recently, a rumored plan to send some migrant detainees to South Florida got lawmakers in the state talking. According to CNN, Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen suggested the perfect plan for how to avoid the same overcrowded prison system seen in places like Texas and Arizona:
‘Bring them to the Trump hotels and ask the President to open his heart and home as well.’
Trump administration planning for major surge in detention of migrant children over next five years https://t.co/PMNC7tTXVs
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) May 17, 2019
Bogen says that Florida Democrats are more than happy to help vulnerable migrants caught up in this political web, but that the federal government would have to help fund the efforts. Perhaps some of that border wall money could be diverted to Trump’s plan to detain everyone?
‘This is a humanitarian crisis. We will do everything possible to help these people. If the President will not provide us with financial assistance to house and feed these people, he will be creating a homeless encampment.’
U.S. Speaker Pelosi opens door to more funds for border migrant crisis https://t.co/YFPIoWhCsm pic.twitter.com/WXFwKB9PPO
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) May 17, 2019
The rumors are being denied by Customs and Border Patrol, at least for the present time. However, a plan does need to happen, and simply pouring poor and struggling families by the thousands into sanctuary cities helps no one. Instead, real common sense needs to be brought to the conversation. For instance, we could not throw everyone in prisons. Instead, increase funding for immigration courts in order for asylum claims to be processed and provide lawyers who can represent this population.
‘On Friday, a CBP official said there were no plans to send migrants to Florida “immediately,” adding that the agency has been in “preliminary” conversations with a number of localities across the country about “contingency plans” to move groups of recently apprehended immigrant families.’
Here's a good idea from Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen. The Trump hotels and resorts in South Florida could open their doors to the thousands of migrants the federal government is sending here. https://t.co/8CXiMOMxUN
— Lidia Dinkova (@LidiaDinkova) May 17, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license
