There is no "crisis at the border"

You expect Trump to lie about immigration. After all, without xenophobia and scapegoating Trump doesn't have much to sell.
But when I see even the Democrats use the term "crisis at the border" then you know the rhetoric has left the realm of reality.
I'm going to bust some myths with this essay.

Myth #1) There is an "invasion".

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Apprehensions on the Southwest border peaked in 2000 at 1.64 million and have generally declined since, totaling 396,579 in 2018.

Illegal border crossings aren't just down, they are just a fraction of what they were in the late 90's.
If you call what is happening now an "invasion", then what happened 20 years ago should be called a war that border enforcement unquestionably lost.

Myth #2) Obama and/or Trump is/was the Deporter In Chief

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According to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, more than 12 million people were "deported" -- either removed or returned -- from the US during the Clinton administration. More than 10 million were removed or returned during the Bush administration. Far fewer -- more than 5 million -- were removed or returned during the Obama administration.

Obama was called the "Deporter in Chief".
Trump wants to be the "Deporter in Chief".
Yet neither of them comes anywhere close to President Clinton's record for deporting people.
In fact, neither Obama nor Trump will come close to Bush's numbers.

Myth #3) ICE is a growing problem

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ICE is unnecessarily cruel. That isn't in dispute.
But the reality is that ICE is only a minority of border enforcement.

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Myth: marijuana legalization is reducing arrests

Marijuana arrests are rising in the U.S., even as more states legalize cannabis.

There is now an average of one marijuana bust roughly every 48 seconds, according to a new FBI report released on Monday.

The increase in marijuana arrests—659,700 in 2017, compared to 653,249 in 2016—is driven by enforcement against people merely possessing the drug as opposed to selling or growing it, the data shows.

Last year, there were 599,282 marijuana possession arrests in the country, up from 587,516 in 2016. Meanwhile, busts for cannabis sales and manufacturing dropped, from 65,734 in 2016 to 60,418 in 2017.

The increase in cannabis possession arrests comes despite the fact that four additional states legalized marijuana on Election Day 2016.
...Overall, marijuana arrests made up 40.4% of the nation's 1,632,921 drug arrests in 2017.

we had more marijuana possession arrests in our country than all other violent crimes combined

As for Booker’s claim, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) database, law enforcement nationwide made an estimated 518,617 arrests for violent crimes in 2017. That includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

That figure is lower than the 599,282 arrests made for possession of marijuana.

marijuana-and-violent-crime-arrests.jpg

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thanatokephaloides's picture

ICE is unnecessarily cruel. That isn't in dispute.
But the reality is that ICE is only a minority of border enforcement.

The real problem ICE created won't go away even if ICE is completely abolished. The other agencies at the border have taken their cues from ICE, often acting with similar cruelties or worse. (And all with the blessings of D. Trump and his court!) Moreover, where are the current ICE assets going to find work if ICE is abolished? The remaining agencies, of course!

Only actual solutions to the immigration problem (read: get the fuck out of where we don't belong) will put an and to the suffering.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

thanatokephaloides's picture

Please allow me to add a "Myth #4":

Myth #4) There is no one "financing" the appearance of the Latin American immigrants on our border. This ridiculous piece of unsubstantiated conspiracy theory nonsense deserves all the oppobrium society associates with "unsubstantiated conspiracy theory" and then some. The source is reputed to be a right-wing copy writer at Fox News, who pulled it out of anatomical regions normally associated with solid biological wastes. Versions exist associating the claimed "financing" with "Jewish financier(s)" in methods familiar to those well acquainted with anti-Semitic "literature".

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@thanatokephaloides
To believe Myth #4 you have to believe Myth #1, and the numbers don't support Myth #1.
Because if Myth #1 isn't true, then whoever is organizing Myth #4 is incompetent.

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earthling1's picture

@gjohnsit
on right wing sites that posit George Soros is financing the caravans, with no corroborating evidence, of course.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

thanatokephaloides's picture

@gjohnsit

I hadn't heard that one

We had some spewage of it right here on c99.

To believe Myth #4 you have to believe Myth #1, and the numbers don't support Myth #1.
Because if Myth #1 isn't true, then whoever is organizing Myth #4 is incompetent.

In very deed.

My demand for direct evidence of that ridiculous claim has acquired some notoriety here on c99.

Wink

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

thanatokephaloides's picture

...Overall, marijuana arrests made up 40.4% of the nation's 1,632,921 drug arrests in 2017.

[...]

As for Booker’s claim, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) database, law enforcement nationwide made an estimated 518,617 arrests for violent crimes in 2017. That includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

That figure is lower than the 599,282 arrests made for possession of marijuana.

Those days will end, and soon. The Feds won't be able to resist that sweet, sweet tax money for much longer.

Sounds like the "Sergeant Stedenkos" out there are gunning for those bust points while they still can get them, for they know their time is short.

Wait a minute! Where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah, here we go:

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

-- Christian Scriptures, Revelation 12:12 (KJV)
source

Things that make you go "hmmm...."

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Phony issues like a 'border invasion' vs real threats like climate change or the White Nationalist threat to this country

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