Republicans are obsessed with “the border,” but not in any real way. They are not particularly interested in the health and safety of migrants or those seeking to come here for more opportunities. They aren’t concerned about the issues in their homelands, either. They are concerned about riling up their voters with xenophobic attacks, though!
One of the leading politicians pretending to care about “protecting the border” is Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has recently implemented a border security program called Operation Lone Star. What sounds like a rejected John Wayne movie is actually an initiative that has already sent thousands of National Guard troops to the border. Two of the most heinous measures in this initiative are Abbott’s shipping of migrants to different states, which may constitute human trafficking, and putting up miles of razor wire and buoy barriers along the Rio Grande river.
Even a Texas Trooper has spoken out about the conditions. Trooper Nicholas Wingate said that he was told to “push the people back into the water to go to Mexico.” In an email from July 3, Wingate called the actions “inhumane.” If a member of law enforcement on the ground is describing the actions as such, then it must be bad. Wingate gave another more specific example, citing a four-year-old girl who had attempted to cross the wire. She was pushed back by members of the Texas National Guard and ultimately fainted from the heat. The White House has condemned Abbott’s policies, and even the Mexican government filed a diplomatic complaint in relation to the razor wire barriers. What’s happening at the border shows the horrifying realities faced by many immigrants.
Cruelty is the point with the modern Republican party, but a judge is now saying not so fast. Abbott constructed a buoy barrier in the river without federal permission, with Judge David A. Ezra contending that the move violated federal law. Abbott stands by the barrier, saying that he stuck within the rules while blaming the federal government for not doing enough. He will clearly fight back against this ruling, but it’s a positive step.
Over four million people have been apprehended at the border in recent years. Because of these numbers, the governor’s policies are costing taxpayers about $5 billion annually. Legal specifics aside, we have to examine why conservatives are doing this. Donald Trump coming down the escalator to announce his candidacy for President while spewing hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric was just a template for the current GOP. With no real policies to help their constituents who actually need it—mitigating the costs of medication for the elderly, saving the planet from climate change, or anything else useful—they have to focus on fear.
I can’t guarantee that the strategy won’t work, either, which shows that America still has a long way to go.
Abbott’s policies are nonetheless going to be key for Republicans as they move forward. Regardless of how a judge decides, Abbott will tout what he is doing as the only way to “keep Americans safe.” With Texas being such a big state and so key to immigration issues, other elected officials and candidates will continue to cosign Abbott’s hateful policies. We have already seen violent language from Florida Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis. Last month, he told conservative radio host Erick Erickson, “If you have somebody coming in with the fentanyl in the backpack, they even break through the border wall where there is wall, if they’re doing that, that’s the last thing they’re going to be able to do because we’re going to leave them stone cold dead at the border.” Very harsh language, which I am sure appeals to the worst members of the GOP base.
The question remains: How far will they go?
(via The Houston Chronicle, featured image: Brandon Bell, Getty Images)
