There is likely no more toxic and polarizing public policy issue in our country than immigration and the question of how best to secure our borders from migrants crossing into the United States to escape violence, 失业, 政府腐败和惨淡的经济机会. 家庭, 无人陪伴的儿童和青年男女离开中美洲国家, 委内瑞拉, 海地和墨西哥，然后北上到美国.S. 德克萨斯州的边界, 亚利桑那州, 新墨西哥和加利福尼亚没有适当的文件寻求庇护身份, 这将允许他们留在美国，直到他们的案件由适当的司法当局审理.
因为这些国家的经济形势非常糟糕, 进入美国的移民数量是惊人的和无情的. 根据移民政策研究所(Migration Policy Institute)的数据，这个数字是11.2 million illegal immigrants living in the Unites States in 2021; that number has certainly increased in the last two years. 例如，美国和欧盟.S. 海关和边境保护局(CBP)办公室, 谁负责保护我们的边境，不让没有合法证件的移民进入, 报告近7人.在边境遭遇非法移民的人数达到700万，2022年12月达到了30万人的峰值.
然而，非法进入美国的人数一直在波动. In 2020, 特朗普政府执行所谓的《ladbrokes立博官网》第42条, a public health regulation that allowed the Border Patrol to expel illegal migrants for public health reasons associated with the spread of Covid-19, 移民的流动是否显著减少. 但当第42条在拜登政府的压力下于2023年5月结束时, 非法移民到美国的人数猛增. 媒体和互联网报道显示，数千名移民越过德克萨斯州的格兰德河, 在埃尔帕索等边境城镇寻求庇护. 这些移民创造了巨大的经济效益, housing and food burdens on the towns and cities overwhelmed by the constant arrival of new migrants seeking entry into the United States.
The constant flow of illegal immigrants into the United States has created not just an economic burden on border states like Texas, Florida and California but has led to conflicts with the federal government (which has control over the border) over the need for more aggressive policies to limit the flow. The Trump administration promised to build a huge wall separating Mexico and the United States but much of the construction has not been finished. Governors like Greg Abbot of Texas have set up makeshift barriers along their borders or initiated programs to send migrants by bus to northern cities like Washington, D.C.纽约和芝加哥. 在一次高度公开的行动中, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida flew hundreds of 委内瑞拉n migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts without notice and with the false promise of housing and jobs. The tactic of busing immigrants to northern cities continues unabated as big city mayors and governors have been overwhelmed with new arrivals who often live in hotels and motels, 空置的公共楼宇, churches and on the streets as they wait for asylum hearings or some action by the federal government to provide short term work permits that allows them to remain in the United States.
美国面临的移民危机的根源在于联邦政府的失败, 特别是国会就移民和无证移民问题达成两党一致的解决方案. The political division in Congress over what policy steps to take to stem the tide of the migrants has made it impossible to reach a compromise solution. Political leaders from both parties and candidates for public office use the immigration crises as a talking point to win over voters and place blame on their electoral opponents. 共和党人越来越强调增加开支以雇用更多的边境巡逻人员, 购买高科技设备来探测移民和收取费用的走私者, 还有未完工的特朗普墙. Governors like Abbott of Texas and DeSantis of Florida constantly are at odds with the federal government and the Biden administration over the failure to stop the so-called “caravan” of migrants. The Republicans charge that the Biden administration has a lax approach to the migrants because they view them as potential voters in the future. 近年来, 共和党人还提出了非法毒品的问题, 尤其是致命的芬太尼. Republicans make regular claims that illegal immigrants are the major source of fentanyl coming into the United States and that taking steps to close the border is a critical strategy for dealing with illegal drugs coming through the migrant pipeline.
至于民主党人, the Biden administration often show data that the policy of “catch and release” of the migrants back to their home countries along with formal deportations of illegal immigrants remain high despite the high numbers of new arrivals. 民主党人 also state that the migration is best dealt with by working with foreign governments in Central America and elsewhere to strengthen the economies of these countries and defeat the gangs and smugglers who benefit from the movement of people northward. The Biden administration has directed considerable financial assistance to the countries of Central America as one means of lessening the migration. 民主党人 also continue to stress that the process of gaining asylum needs to be speeded up because many of these migrants are fleeing the danger from gangs and would be certain target for death should they be forced to return home. 目前, 在移民法官面前举行听证会的等待时间大约是两到三年.
It is fair to state that the Republicans hold to an illegal immigration position that stresses heightened border control, 权利限制, 快速驱逐程序和对移民进入美国后的严格法律限制. 民主党人, 另一方面, hold to the view that is based on our historic values such as support for the the openness of our country to immigrants, 我们接受追求更好生活的人的传统, and the need to support established procedures to allow migrants to make their case for asylum before an immigration judge. 共和党和民主党的立场都有各自的优点, but they fail to deal with the fact that migrants continue to head north to our borders and do not appear to be concerned with the dangers and limitations that face them once they enter the United States. Comprehensive immigration reform is absolutely essential in order to address the continued flow of migrants into this country and the economic and financial demands placed on state and local government. 但是，如果两党在有效应对移民危机的必要步骤上没有达成共识, 其结果将是目前的政治僵局继续下去，无法解决这一人口迁移问题. 与此同时, the migrants without proper documentation but with a dream of a better life continue to make the trek northward despite the uncertainty.