On May 2, I wrote a letter to President Biden inviting him to visit our community, which borders Mexico and is one of the busiest U.S. Border Patrol sectors for illegal crossings in the country. Since then, many have asked about my intent with this invitation.
It’s simple. As a HidalgoCounty resident, I believe we have a responsibility to advocate for our community. In my opinion, the termination of Title 42 is a significant threat to the health and safety of our home. If President Biden were to visit HidalgoCounty I would show him how badly the current immigration system is broken; how we are not equipped to handle the looming influx of migrants; and that no changes to current immigration protocols should be made until a comprehensive plan is in place.
Our problem is not new. Since the Reagan administration, our border security policy has been locked in enforcement-only mode. This approach has proven ineffective. Our problem requires President Biden to show leadership. We cannot continue to leave it to future generations to solve this issue.
A recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics stated, “The number of job openings was at a serious high of 11.5 million.” This marks the highest number of job openings since this statistic was kept beginning in December 2000.
We must recognize that immigration is essential to the continued growth of our country’s economy. Immigrants bolster our workforce in many industries but are especially needed in critical areas like agriculture, construction, healthcare and hospitality. Labor shortages in these industries are a threat to our national economy; these are jobs that immigrants can fill.
There are three ways to grow our nation’s workforce: a higher birthrate; a lower death rate; and immigration. According to the U.S. Census Bureau our national population growth rate of 0.1% is the slowest since the founding of our nation. Twenty-one percent of our nation’s population will be at retirement age by 2030, a 15% increase in people older than 65 from 2015. Add to this imbalance the fact that America’s birthrate has been declining for decades and we are left with few options.
Our challenge is to increase the efficiency of our immigration process to provide entry to law-abiding immigrants who are looking to be a part of this great nation. Current immigration laws are antiquated and create a system that does not address the migration patterns we are currently experiencing. By updating our approach to immigration we can have a safer, more productive nation that benefits every American everywhere.
Beyond the practical financial incentives of a modern immigration policy, we must also recognize the humanitarian crisis we face. It’s a crisis that unfortunately we have helped to perpetuate. Current immigration policy is encouraging lawlessness, and the exploitation of countless recent immigrants.
Faced with little likelihood of success via the traditional immigration system, individuals and family units are presenting themselves at our doorstep as asylum seekers. Many of these migrants have no intention of returning for detention hearings, no incentive to participate in society and find themselves living in the shadows of those without status in our country.
By implementing comprehensive immigration reform we can move to address humanitarian concerns, incentivize productivity, and encourage hard-working migrants to participate legally in society. Comprehensive immigration reform will also provide much-needed relief for our border agents who are growing increasingly frustrated and demoralized by a broken system that asks them to work in difficult conditions. We ask them to apprehend those entering our country illegally only to face mountains of paperwork and an almost certain release with a simple promise to appear at some unknown date in the future.
If we fail to undertake some immediate action the impending suspension of Title 42 will only inflame an already volatile situation. This is what I have invited President Biden to observe first-hand. Our region truly is magical and our citizens work hard every day to live the American dream and to help others across this great nation live their dreams. It is unjust to have our border communities bear the brunt of this failed immigration policy. The challenges being faced by border agents, local governments and non-governmental organizations cannot be appreciated from thousands of miles away. The solution to this problem will start here. We must advocate for a better tomorrow for our community.
We stand at a crossroads in American history. President Biden and members of Congress, I invite you to stand with us.
Richard F. Cortez is Hidalgo County Judge.
