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This past weekend the 20th busload filled with immigrants arrived in Los Angeles, sent from Texas, whose name ironically means “friendship.” Like many of those that went before, the bus that arrived Saturday originated in the Rio Grande Valley.
Gov. Greg Abbott, boasts that he has shipped more than 45,000 “illegal aliens” out of this state, although he, as most Americans, know, they are not illegal by any means. They are people who have sought refuge in this country, processed by federal immigration authorities and released to await hearings regarding their requests for asylum.
The buses have been sent to what Abbott and others call “sanctuary cities” such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Some of those cities have formally announced that they recognize local law enforcement officials don’t have jurisdiction to enforce federal immigration laws, and they aren’t asking their agencies to do so. Others haven’t, but they are large, high-profile cities with Democratic Party mayors or council majorities.
Some buses have even dropped migrants off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence on Capitol Hill.
It’s an obvious political move that panders to right-wing voters who fear anyone who might be different.
President Joe Biden, in an equally political move, has announced he might counter Abbott’s actions with his own rule that would force migrants to stay near the border area where they originally crossed.
Lost in this tussle roiling in this “land of the free” is any apparent consideration of the migrants themselves.
The Biden administration might be focused on stopping Abbott’s little stunt, but ignores the reasons immigrants are allowed their freedom while they await their immigration hearings. Aside from the obvious humanitarian issue of not incarcerating people who have committed no official crime and the equally obvious fact that the government is not equipped to house, feed, care for and protect so many people in detention centers, many migrants already have family members or sponsors throughout the country, and they need the freedom to reach those people.
It’s important to remember that most of the current wave of immigrants are no flight risk. They are refugees who voluntarily turned themselves in to federal authorities when they arrived here. They are seeking safe haven from violence, corruption and other intolerable conditions in their home countries.
During a previous heavy period of immigration, the Barack Obama implemented a practice of fitting many migrants with tracking bracelets like those worn by many people who are on parole or probation. During that time — a time when few of those cases were asylum requests — immigration officials reported that as many of 80% of the migrants in some areas showed up for their detention hearings.
Abbott, Biden and other officials can continue to seek political points by fighting over our immigration policies. If they had any decency, and any sense, they would recognize that immigrants are people and deserve humane treatment. They also would understand that pursuing real, permanent immigration reform will greatly reduce the problems that plague our country today.
