Border Crisis Scrambling the Politics of Immigration Policy

The Washington Post ^ | Saturday, July 12, 2014 | Karen Tumulty and David Nakamura

[kristinn]

Until now, the politics of immigration have been seen as a no-lose proposition for President Obama and the Democrats. If they could get a comprehensive overhaul passed, they would win. And if Republicans blocked it, the GOP would further alienate crucial Hispanic and moderate voters.

But with the current crisis on the Southwest border, where authorities have apprehended tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American children since October, that calculus may be shifting.

Republicans and even some Democrats have accused Obama of being insufficiently engaged in a calamity that many say he should have seen coming.

And the president’s own party is deeply divided over what must be done now — particularly on the sensitive question of deporting children who have traveled thousands of miles and turned themselves in to U.S. authorities to escape from the desperate situations they faced in countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The emergency has also renewed questions about the administration’s competence, reminiscent of those raised during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, last year’s botched rollout of the health-care law and more recent revelations of mismanagement that jeopardized care of patients at veterans hospitals.

SNIP

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Tex.) agreed in an interview: “I would like to see him place greater emphasis on the interests of these children who are refugees from extreme violence and instability in their home countries” instead of “an acceleration of the deportation process at the expense of these children.”

But O’Rourke added that he has been surprised by the anger he has heard toward the refugees from many of his El Paso constituents, who “feel like we can’t take care of everyone, and these children and their families are gaming the system.”

[sheana]

It is not just in the barrios. I live in a small city in California that has been taken over by illegals. Our house is in a nice country club area. We had a rental behind us that was rented by some Mexicans. Next thing I knew I heard construction going on so I looked over the fence. They were adding a room......to a rental! We had a windstorm and part of the fence between us blew down so I went over there to get owner info. There was a curtain up across the door of the formal dining room and a curtain up across the door of the formal living room. They had turned a nice 3 bedroom house into a 6 bedroom flop house.

[TADSLOS]

This "federal cash" is our taxpayer money. We are paying for our own invasion!!!

Everyone gets a taste of mordida- from the beltway bandits in DC to the tinpot dictators who facilitate the invasion and the disease ridden foot soldiers who arrive in shiny new Obama running shoes. EVERYONE, except the American taxpaying citizen bill payers.

[KosmicKitty]

BO has managed to p*** off his last main group of supporters, the obama phone crowd.

That takes something, alright.

[Travis McGee]

That’s what they do!

[Kackikat]

I know that Belize City is terrible, and I know there are gangs in all those big cities, and Panama has had a rise in juvenile and gang crime. With that being understood, I don’t think all those children came from those particular cities. I saw where it was advertised in many of the Central American Newspapers to come here and it would be okay. A lot of it is in Spanish.

Here are some of the blogs I looked at:

http://innicanow.com/2012/12/18/a-house-to-write-home-about-san-juan-del-sur-nicaragua/

http://expatlifeinnicaragua.com/

http://lifeofagringoexpatinelsalvador.com/4th-july-2014/

http://vivatropical.com/el-salvador/top-best-cities-for-expats-in-el-salvador/

http://abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com/

http://tacogirl.com/island-life/expat-living-finding-a-way-to-live-and-work-in-belize/

http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/07/04/dutch-expats-prepare-for-showdown-with-costa-rica

http://adullroar.blogspot.com/

http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/search/label/travel%20in%20Honduras#.U8Hlf_ldVbE

http://www.expatarrivals.com/honduras/moving-to-honduras

However, the other Freeper was right when he said that Americans are sheltered and have drivers, maids, and gated communities....but not all of them. There is an abundance of petty theft due to the poverty in those countries, and now that petty theft is going to be here too. So if you research and find something I missed let me know..thanks.

[Kackikat]

I wasn’t disagreeing with you, as the Americans have more money and can afford those things including gated communities.

I just think that those larger cities have always had problems....and some worse now. I think we have to know that the petty theft, pick pocketing, and other Central American crimes will be here now on a large scale.

The years of living like a King in those other places is coming to an end, as I have researched the food, housing, and other prices now almost equal to here.

[sheana]

I know. sigh Am still trying to talk hubby into buying a 60 foot or larger motor yacht and moving on to it. So far no dice, so I just spend as much time on the sailboat as I can.

[yorkiemom]

“I know. sigh Am still trying to talk hubby into buying a 60 foot or larger motor yacht and moving on to it. So far no dice, so I just spend as much time on the sailboat as I can.”

We’re escaping California and moving to the USA next march. I can’t wait!

[IWONDR]

“....Once the “Operation Tug at the Heartstrings” campaign gets rolling and the innocent looking poster children are chosen and splashed all over the MSM .... tugging at the heartstrings of a nation comprised of low information voters ....”

you have got their real motives down perfectly in calling it “Operation Tug at the Heartstrings.”