Migrants become a weapon for US politicians

The issue of migrants has a long history in the United States, a country once known as the "Melting Pot". After the Johnson-Reed Act was passed in 1924, which established a quota system based on the nationality of immigrants, problems began to emerge. Subsequent US administrations have resorted to various measures to hound and intercept migrants, but these brutal measures have done little to solve the problem.

Today, in the “city of tents” of migrants aspiring to enter the US at the US-Mexico border, a huge smuggling network has developed into a profitable industry controlled by international criminal cartels. Bribes, kidnappings, extortion, executions, corporal punishment, sexual assault, torture and disappearances are rampant, and the number of unaccompanied children is increasing, creating a situation of serious humanitarian crisis.

Ironically, the migrant issue has become a political tool in party rivalry, particularly before and during the US midterm elections. Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, sent immigrants to New York after several rounds of debate with Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, for his words on Twitter that “We should protect our immigrants” and “New York City will remain a sanctuary city under an Adams administration.” However, even after the immigrants arrived in the "Big Apple", their situation had not improved. It is just a move from their “city of tents” in Tijuana to New York, bringing them nothing but higher cost of living and higher risk of deportation.

Adams and his New York City is not the only target of Abbott. Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia are also drop-off locations in Abbott’s “Busing Strategy”. Hundreds of buses carrying thousands of migrants arrived in these “blue state” cities from Texas. Abbott called it a relief for Texas and the US-Mexico border. But his deceptive, coercive tactics to force them onto the buses are hardly a relief for the migrants.

Many other Republican governors have followed suit. In the name of “burden sharing”, a large number of migrants were sent to the blue states. These immigrants were transported directly by bus or other vehicles from the border cities to specific states, without being allowed to get off elsewhere. New York City, a main target, has received more than 17,000 migrants since April and was forced to declare a state of emergency. Although this is already far beyond the capacity of New York's asylum centers, migrants are still being sent there by the Republican governors of the border states.

For Democrats, the migrant issue has been used as a political stunt to boost public support, but only to end up with serious humanitarian situation. As soon as the Biden administration came into power, it rolled back Trump's policy of building a border wall and tripled the number of immigrant admissions. Though the policy seems a lot looser, it allows only 62,500 admissions per year. Still, it had given hope to migrants previously separated from their families, causing them to flock in large numbers to the US-Mexico border and stay there, resulting in serious humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, the US continues to deport immigrants back to Mexico. The US government detained more than 1.7 million immigrants in a single year. All the stress and tragedy is being thrown back to Mexico as if it has nothing more to do with the free and democratic United States.

The curtain has come down on the midterm elections. Both the Democrats and Republicans have made their political gains, only leaving the immigrants abandoned “after being used”. What is waiting for them? Probably deportation from the “City upon a Hill”.

Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, Global Times, CGTN and China Daily.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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