Article Reflection No. 71 (10/7/2023)

Article: “Biden, the Border, and Why a New Wall is Going Up”

Reflection:

In The New York Times article “Biden, the Border, and Why a New Wall is Going Up”, journalists Colbi Edmonds and Eileen Sullivan detail President Biden’s current immigration policies, which have included a 20-mile border barrier construction, While predecessors like former President Trump strongly advocated for a border wall, this move is “confusing” as it conflicts with Biden’s political values, according to Edmonds and Sullivan. Homeland Security secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas attributes this action to the barrier’s funding, which was not revoked since Congress approval back in 2019. However, both journalists suggest that this account only adds to the conflicting elements of this story; in a federal register public notice, Mayorkas noted the necessity of barring undocumented immigrants from entering the United States.

How much does it take to leave one’s home? Immigration is a controversial, politicized topic. Whether one should be let into a country. Whether one is considered a skilled worker or professional, with a higher chance of chain migration (bringing in directly related family members). As a legislator in the U.S., one can have so much power over others’ lives. International migration is much less frequent than internal ones within a country. There are so many factors to consider when it comes to immigration: the economy (labor force), the cultural diffusion, and sustainability (population size relative to the amount of available resources). How do we do what’s right?