By Steve Levy
When it comes to illegal immigration, messaging matters. In fact, it’s almost everything.
That is why it is so essential NOT to send the message that ONLY criminal aliens will face deportation.
Yet, that is the new messaging many traditionally soft-on-the-border politicians are suddenly adopting as a way to misdirect the public from the fact that they have allowed, and will continue to acquiesce to, millions coming to, and remaining in, our country illegally. Two Long Island Dems recently made such a pronouncement as though they were disciples of incoming border czar Tom Homan. https://paper.newsday.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?edid=3f1a7790-61f8-4f80-a47e-872589dd969c&pnum=4
If we send the message that illegals are here to stay, so long as they keep their noses clean, what is to deter millions more of them from making the dangerous trek to cross the border?
When asked if the potential deportations deter a particular migrant from coming to the U.S., he responded confidently that it is his understanding that, if you come over and don’t commit further crimes, you can stay.
If the White House gives a clear signal —- as did the Biden administration —- that illegal crossings will be welcomed, then clearly more illegal immigration will follow.
Biden didn’t just turn a blind eye; he actively encouraged a dramatic increase of the illegal immigration flow that preceded him. In a 2020 Democratic Party debate, Biden stated we want “a surge.” But it wasn’t just Biden —- the entire slate of Democratic candidates were calling for illegal immigrants to get free healthcare and for the decriminalization of unauthorized border crossings.
Still, these weren’t the first encouraging messages that American leaders sent to would-be illegal border crossers over the years. While numerous blue states might not have been as overt as was Biden, many still supported illegal aliens receiving driver’s licenses, and even professional licenses.
Others have taken it even further by supporting illegals gaining entrance to state university systems, and even qualifying for reduced tuition and scholarships.
Thus, despite the tough rhetoric that many candidates would espouse prior to Election Day, prospective border crossers around the world were seeing with their own eyes how American elected officials were making life quite comfortable for the illegals by granting them so many privileges and establishing sanctuary cities, protecting even the most hardened criminals.
The cartels have picked up on these signals of weakness from our leaders. They immediately saw how former President Barack Obama caved under pressure from his party’s left flank and refused to close the loophole that allowed hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors to flow over the border.
This law was originally designed during the Bush Administration to prevent children who were sex trafficked from being sent back with their coyotes. It eventually morphed into a system of allowing any minor crossing the border alone to stay here indefinitely. (Obama received an inappropriate reputation as being the “Deporter in Chief” for supposedly cranking up the number of deportations during his tenure. But actually, that was just a numbers shell game. Obama‘s administration merely redefined turnarounds at the border as being deportations.)
Then the cartels read between the lines and got the message that if they simply told their smuggled migrants to utter the word “asylum” when confronted by border agents, they would be allowed entry into America and rewarded with cell phones, free airfare, and vouchers for free food and lodging.
They received yet another message that Biden’s America welcomed their illegal entry as the administration pretended to legalize their crossings by having them apply on an app.
Many claim it would be unfair, and even inhumane, to deport illegals who have been here for years on end without any incident.
But caving on this issue sends the message that only those committing crimes will be deported.
Beware, if that message continues, the flow of the illegal immigration will never end.
Will it be uncomfortable for those here illegally for years to constantly be looking over their shoulders? Indeed it will, but that’s what should be expected when one breaks the rules and cuts the line. Would any American feel immune from deportation if they entered a foreign country illegally?
The percentage of non-criminal undocumented aliens actually being deported will likely be small, compared to the gang bangers and those with preexisting deportation warrants. But, it is nevertheless essential that there remains at least a small amount of fear for all those here illegally that their number could be up next.
The alternative is to send the message that, unless you are a hardened criminal, our border is open. If that messaging remains, how many more tens of millions of illegal aliens will follow?