Most voters regard immigration as a primary concern. Yet, the authentic picture is veiled by several erroneous assumptions. One comes from the deceptive ‘bipartisan’ Lankford-Sinema Senate immigration bill that failed miserably earlier due to its potential negative impacts than benefits. A different one arises from the misguided belief that there is any genuine ‘vetting’ occurring on most illegal immigrants getting released and paroled in the United States. A clear example is the recent DHS’s confession about an Afghan plotting an Election Day terrorist attack in the U.S.
The largest falsity is the claim that undefined ‘root reasons’ such as global poverty, weak governments, and crime are driving the record surges of unacceptable immigrants to our southern border. This narrative strategically ignores the clear directives from the current government. A firmly held, yet misguided belief thrives that the U.S. is powerless to halt the influx of illegal immigrants to the southern border. However, this notion couldn’t be further from reality.
Mapped out clearly, Mexico’s border with the U.S. spans 1,800 miles, its boundary with Guatemala merely 541 miles, and with Belize only 160 miles. Considering these numbers, Guatemala stands as a significant gateway for South and Central American immigrants heading to the United States. Here lies an opportunity for leverage, given the significant influence the U.S. holds over Guatemala.
Among the numerous influences, financial remittances from their citizens in the U.S. sent to their families, trade ties, and aid agreements are highly significant to Guatemala. Convincing Guatemala to strengthen its borders with El Salvador and Honduras could effectively decrease the number of people from these two nations and Nicaragua coming to the U.S.
Currently, Nicaragua’s government shows an alarming level of leniency, allowing people worldwide to enter their country without visas in most cases, being fully aware that their ultimate destination is the U.S. Ensuring a more stringent Guatemalan border could effectively discourage people from crossing the notorious Darién Gap.
Darién Gap was initially an almost impenetrable jungle, with approximately 10,000 people traversing annually. However, during the Biden presidency, it transformed into a trafficked path for migrants. Now, the well-established paths can be crossed within a few days. By 2023, there were reports of 520,000 individuals traversing the Gap, the majority heading for the U.S.
José Raúl Mulino ascended to the presidency of Panama in May 2024, significantly due to his commitment to tackle the pressing issue of illegal immigration from South America. Historically, Panama’s strategy was to quickly move immigrants from its southern border to the next country on their northern trajectory. This ineffective approach eventually contributed millions to the U.S.’s immigration issue at the southern border.
Under Mulino’s reign, Panama decided to install barriers where smugglers and immigrants previously forged trails through the jungle. The intent was to guide migrants through ‘humanitarian corridors’ for easier screening. Those identified as economic migrants, merely seeking a better living standard rather than asylum from violence or oppression back home, and failing to gain asylum in Panama, could be swiftly sent back home.
The United States agreed to aid Panama in financing the return flights for such immigrants. The underlying strategy was to demotivate the migrants by increasing the risk associated with their journey. When the probability of entering the U.S. falls below a certain threshold, the numbers start to dwindle. This collaboration with the U.S. wouldn’t have eliminated illegal immigration through the Darién entirely, but it could have played a role in managing the influx.
This gives the various American governments time to devise effective, permanent solutions to deter mass illegal immigration. Despite the efforts, Panama’s measures resulted in only modest reductions in Darién Gap crossings. And there’s potential for a reflare.
According to Panamanian authorities, most of those crossing the Gap originate from Venezuela, with Colombia, Ecuador, and China as the prime countries of origin. Alarmingly, the ambition to cross does not appear to be waning. There are ongoing attempts to misrepresent mass illegal immigration to the United States as legal.
The objective appears to be sanctioning virtually unrestricted access to the U.S. under the guise of seeking asylum. Yet again, we witness the disturbing reality of how the current administration’s policies can significantly contribute to exacerbating the already grim immigration crisis the United States faces today. It’s about time that we admit that these misguided policies are a direct contributing factor to the escalating immigration issues.
This immigration crisis inevitably poses severe national security threats, and if continued unchecked, it will result in irreversible consequences. Therefore, it’s imperative we reconsider the detrimental role of the current administration in this worsening immigration scene and demand immediate rectification of their misguided policies.