Immigration

Senate Democrats are deeply divided over an emerging border deal that some Democratic lawmakers fear will include harsh asylum policy reforms plucked from the House-passed Secure the Border Act in order to win GOP backing of long-delayed funding for Ukraine.

A growing number of Senate Democrats, including Latino caucus members, are sounding the alarm over leaks that say the administration is prepared to support new authority to expel migrants without asylum screenings and expand their detention and deportation.

They worry they’ll get blindsided next week if Senate negotiators reach a deal on border security and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N.Y.) rushes it to the floor.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4361362-tensions-rise-among-democrats-over-looming-border-deal/

For those who say our borders are open. 

https://www.today.com/video/record-12-000-migrants-apprehended-at-southern-border-in-a-day-200620101606

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/20/texas-plane-immigrants-chicago-greg-abbott-busing/

Texas flew out over 120 immigrants from El Paso to Chicago on Tuesday as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s policy of transporting recently arrived migrants to Democratic-led cities he has described as sanctuaries, according to the governor’s office.

Since April 2022, Abbott has ordered to send buses with immigrant passengers to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles, sometimes mocking those cities’ leaders for saying they welcome immigrants and criticizing the Biden administration’s policies on immigration.

In total, Texas has bused over 80,000 people from border cities to those six cities, according to the governor’s office. Tuesday’s flight was the first time Texas has used planes to transport immigrant passengers.

I wonder if, the way discussion on immigration matters is heading, there will be more incidents such as this recent one in Germany:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/24/german-hiking-group-reported-police-illegal-migrants

I find it quite disturbing for several reasons, not least being that group hiking is such a traditional pasttime in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, parts of Italy that there are songs about it, and to identify walking groups, as well as yodels to warn others of oncoming hikers, dangers or the need for help. The assumption that any groups of strangers are illegal migrants is shocking.