A city is currently facing both a humanitarian crisis and a fiscal crisis, unlike anything witnessed in the last 25 years. This dire situation is a direct consequence of the ongoing influx of migrants seeking asylum. Dr. Sumantra Maitra, a global politics expert, shares his insights on the matter.
The focus now lies on the Mexico meeting, which appears to be engulfed in a never-ending cycle of planning future meetings without any concrete actions being taken. It is being questioned whether these gatherings serve any purpose other than projecting an image of attempting to address the issue. The Biden administration has repeatedly emphasized the need to identify the root causes of the migration crisis in the southern border, but Dr. Maitra argues that the actual root causes are known to all - the lack of strong deterrents for migrants and the issues surrounding corruption and governance in the countries from which most migrants originate.
So far, the Biden administration has failed to address these two critical factors. They have not established effective bilateral relations with the countries of origin, and they have chosen not to secure the border during the CR bill. House Republicans had called for allocating the entire appropriation money to secure the border and deter migrants, but the administration preferred to allocate funds for processing migration internally. This approach falls short of truly addressing the root cause of the crisis, as echoed by Dr. Maitra.
Furthermore, the issue of funding has arisen during discussions with the Mexican president. In December, the Mexican president stated that his cooperation in securing the border would be contingent upon the United States providing more funding to Cuba and Venezuela. This was seen as a display of weakness on the part of the Biden administration, as such demands were not made during the tenure of former President Trump.
Dr. Maitra concurs with this sentiment, highlighting that under the previous administration, the remain-in-Mexico policy was in place and effective. He emphasizes that Mexico depends on the United States for trade and other crucial matters, and therefore, the United States has leverage to apply pressure if needed. Possible actions include imposing tariffs on Mexico or targeting the cartels. It is important to note that such measures have been employed before and could be put into action once again.
In conclusion, the current meetings and discussions surrounding the migrant crisis seem to be stuck in a repetitive cycle. Issues raised by mayors and concerns presented to the Biden administration are met with inaction, resulting in a futile exercise that serves little purpose in addressing the crisis. The rescission of the remain-in-Mexico policy by the Biden administration has created a predicament, causing a continuous loop of discussions without meaningful progress.
