Nolan writes:
. . . .
Trump isn’t the first president to use the National Guard this way. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama did it when they were presidents. Their National Guard operations were successful, and Trump’s probably will be too, if his operation is similar to theirs.
Apparently, the Border Patrol feels that way too. According to Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, experience has shown that the military can supplement the work of agents on the ground.
We do not know yet how the troops will be used. The memorandum gives the secretary of Defense, working with DHS and the attorney general, 30 days to submit an action plan detailing what resources and actions are needed, including federal law enforcement and U.S. military resources.
. . . .
In any case, it doesn’t make sense to use the number of apprehensions as the criterion for determining how secure the border is. What about the aliens who were not apprehended? There is no way of knowing how many aliens succeeded in making an illegal entry without being detected by the Border Patrol.
Ultimately, Trump’s decision to send Border Patrol agents to the border should not be considered unusual or inhumane. Instead, it is a continuation of his existing immigration policies and even presidential precedent.
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As Nolan points out, sending the National Guard to the border is neither unusual nor unprecedented. But, that doesn’t mean it’s smart, effective, or cost efficient.
I’m aware of no hard evidence that sending the National Guard makes any long-term difference in border enforcement or security.
A number of commentators have also questioned whether the somewhat marginal short-term enforcement benefits of sending troops outweighs the substantial costs and negative perception issues. See e.g.,
https://www.dailysignal.com/2014/07/16/sending-military-border-good-idea/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160421171156.htm
I see no evidence of any real security crisis at the Southern Border. Certainly, Trump’s panic about the so-called “Caravan” (actually largely made up of desperate women and children) is totally bogus, apparently based on over-hyped reports by Fox News.
It’s obvious that having blown the chance to get funding for his Wall, Trump is looking for some way to hype a non-existent “Southern Border Crisis” to show his base that he hasn’t given up on his racist approach to immigration. He also keeps raising his bogus claims that we need to further truncate the already too limited existing rights of children and asylum seekers and expand the “New American Gulag.” What total BS
There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Northern Triangle causing individuals to undertake the journey North. That’s been going on for many years, and is almost certain to continue as long as folks like Trump are in charge. It’s not like Obama or Bush helped the situation either. Indeed, the US policy toward Latin America has been screwed up during my entire lifetime and shows no signs of changing.
Nothing Trump does is going to change that. Indeed, by almost any rational measure, Trump’s enforcement bluster is likely to make the situation even worse. As a number of commentators have pointed out, if Trump actually goes through with his stated wish to expel Hondurans and Salvadorans currently here in TPS status, that would almost certainly further destablilize both countries, further strengthen the hands of gangs, and guarantee an even larger northward flow.
PWS
04-09-18
Paul says, “As Nolan points out, sending the National Guard to the border is neither unusual nor unprecedented. But, that doesn’t mean it’s smart, effective, or cost efficient.”
No, it doesn’t, but I choose to believe that the president is in a better position to make that judgment than immigration experts who do not have the advisors or the access to data that the president has. That doesn’t mean that using the National Guard is the right thing to do. But it does mean that Trump’s decision is a well-informed educated guess, and Paul’s isn’t. Or mine either.
Paul says, “I’m aware of no hard evidence that sending the National Guard makes any long-term difference in border enforcement or security.”
Trump hasn’t claimed that it will, and neither did Bush or Obama. Bush and Obama did it to support the Border Patrol while they recruited, hired, and trained new agents. Trump is doing it to support the border patrol until a wall is built.
Paul says, “A number of commentators have also questioned whether the somewhat marginal short-term enforcement benefits of sending troops outweighs the substantial costs and negative perception issues.”
So? Did they have access to the information and advisors that Trump has?
Paul says, “I see no evidence of any real security crisis at the Southern Border.”
Really? Apparently, Paul hasn’t read about the problems in America that are caused by the drug cartels and the violent street gangs from Central America? Or the State Department’s report on human trafficking of women and children kidnapped and smuggled into the US for sale?
And what about the fact that no one knows how many successful illegal crossings are being made?
Paul says, “Certainly, Trump’s panic about the so-called “Caravan” (actually largely made up of desperate women and children) is totally bogus, apparently based on over-hyped reports by Fox News.”
I don’t know if it is correct to say he is panicking. I think the reality that he can’t stop them from getting into the US has frustrated and angered him.
Paul says, “It’s obvious that having blown the chance to get funding for his Wall, Trump is looking for some way to hype a non-existent “Southern Border Crisis” to show his base that he hasn’t given up on his racist approach to immigration.”
How is it racist to enforce the law as written by Congress and signed by previous presidents? I haven’t heard of a single case in which he has deported an alien who wasn’t deportable under the law. If you are troubled by the fact that noncriminal aliens who are not a threat or a problem to the U.S. are deportable, complain to congress, not to Trump. Under our separation of powers government, Congress passes the laws and the Executive Branch enforces them.
Paul says, “He also keeps raising his bogus claims that we need to further truncate the already too limited existing rights of children and asylum seekers and expand the “New American Gulag.” What total BS”
I was the immigration counsel for the democrats when the Trafficking Act provisions Paul refers to were passed. Attended all of the hearings and markups and was on the floor when it was passed. And I provided the dems with the talking points they used to oppose it.
I can say with absolute certainty that those provisions were not intended to apply to the present flood of unaccompanied alien children.
Paul says, “There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Northern Triangle causing individuals to undertake the journey North. That’s been going on for many years, and is almost certain to continue as long as folks like Trump are in charge. It’s not like Obama or Bush helped the situation either. Indeed, the US policy toward Latin America has been screwed up during my entire lifetime and shows no signs of changing.”
Law enforcement is never 100% effective. Should the police stop giving drunken drivers tickets because it doesn’t stop fatal crashes caused by drunken drivers? Should they stop arresting murderers because it doesn’t stop murder? And so on. Trump can’t change the humanitarian conditions that compel aliens to come here illegally, but he can keep some of them out by enforcing the law and he has a duty to do it as the person responsible for implementing the laws that congress passes.
Paul says, “Nothing Trump does is going to change that. Indeed, by almost any rational measure, Trump’s enforcement bluster is likely to make the situation even worse. As a number of commentators have pointed out, if Trump actually goes through with his stated wish to expel Hondurans and Salvadorans currently here in TPS status, that would almost certainly further destablilize both countries, further strengthen the hands of gangs, and guarantee an even larger northward flow.”
TPS should be terminated if it is no longer called for by the provisions in the TPS criterion congress established. Complain to congress, not to Trump.