Migration And Metropolis: Understanding The US-Mexico Border And NYC

By The New York Immigration Coalition

The Biden administration and Congress are proposing draconian measures that would create a government-mandated asylum ban.

These proposals are so extreme that even Border officials recognize that they will create more chaos at the southern border while failing to address the structural issues at hand.

Our nation must uphold its commitment to its humanitarian values and ensure the safety of all communities seeking protection within our borders.

The USA must invest in strategic and humane actions that will help alleviate pressure at the southern border. We must prioritize fair and efficient treatment for asylum seekers.

The USA must reform the country’s immigration system by creating pathways to legalization and permanence for both newly arrived asylum seekers and established immigrant communities. 

Rolling back asylum is counterproductive:

FACT: Border crossings are down. 

• In January, border crossings from Mexico into the U.S. decreased by 50%.  
• Arrests for border crossings are down 37% in Tucson, Arizona, 60% in the Rio Grande Valley and 76% in the Del Rio sector.
• These figures highlight that border crossings can be stabilized without the draconian measures being considered by President Biden and Congress. 

FACT: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s detention facilities are inhumane and a financial drain. 

• Under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, at least 5,000 children were separated from their families, and at least 2,000 still remain separated. The process to reunite these families is slow-moving, leaving thousands of children and parents in limbo while opening up the federal government to lawsuits. 
• The Biden administration recommended shutting down or reducing nine detention facilities due to operational issues that caused fiscal concerns and unsafe conditions. This would have saved $235 million, but ICE only closed two of the facilities. 

FACT: Police and military presence at the border is dangerous and lethal. 

• A mother and her two children recently drowned in the Rio Grande after life-saving efforts were prevented by Operation Lone Star (Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s state-wide border control campaign). 
• ICE’s 287(g) program allows local law enforcement agencies to carry out border control duties in place of ICE. In 2022, an ACLU report found that 77% of jails and prisons participating in this program have a history of unsafe living conditions and violence against detainees. 

FACT: Immigration is good for the economy. 

• Immigration is one of the key factors behind the U.S. economic recovery after the labor force losses related to the pandemic. 
• In 2023, 50% of the labor market’s growth was a result of immigrant workers. The economy is projected to grow by $7 trillion more over the next decade than it would have without new immigrants, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy & advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York. The NYIC serves one of the largest and most diverse newcomer populations in the United States. The multi-racial and multi-sector NYIC membership base includes grassroots and nonprofit community organizations, religious and academic institutions, labor unions, as well as legal and socioeconomic justice organizations.

The NYIC not only establishes a forum for immigrant groups to voice their concerns, but also provides a platform for collective action to drive positive social change. Since its founding in 1987, the NYIC has evolved into a powerful voice of advocacy by spearheading innovative policies, promoting and protecting the rights of immigrant communities, improving newcomer access to services, developing leadership and capacity, expanding civic participation, and mobilizing member groups to respond to the fluctuating needs of immigrant communities.

Photo credit: Wiki.