Yes Virginia, there is a national border emergency

Flopping Aces ^ | 03-06-19 | DrJohn

[Starman417]

Ripped from today's headlines.  Literally.

I used to work with a guy who, when he heard about a new concept, said (when he wasn't deriding it) "Let's think about that." Then about a week later he'd say "I have this great idea."

Just like the NY Times.

After beating on Donald Trump for weeks screaming that there is no border emergency, the NY Times does a 180 and declares that there really is an emergency at the border:

Border at ‘Breaking Point’ as More than 76,000 Migrants Cross in a Month

For the fourth time in five months, the number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has broken records, border enforcement authorities said Tuesday, warning that government facilities are full and agents are overwhelmed.

More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, more than double the levels from the same period last year and approaching the largest numbers seen in any February in the last 12 years.

“The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point,” Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told reporters in announcing the new data.

Diverted by new restrictions at many of the leading ports of entry, migrant families continue to arrive in ever-larger groups in remote parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. At least 70 such groups of 100 or more people have turned themselves in at Border Patrol stations that typically are staffed by only a handful of agents, often hours away from civilization. By comparison, only 13 such groups arrived in the last fiscal year, and two in the year before.

More than 90 percent of the new arrivals were from Guatemala, officials said, with a significant change in the dynamics of the migration: While Central American migrants once took weeks to journey through Mexico to the United States, many Guatemalan families are now boarding buses and reaching the southwest border in as little as four to seven days “on a very consistent basis,” Mr. McAleenan said.

It's a damned invasion. It's the worst it's been in a decade. And it's only getting worse:

If Trump had not signed the disastrous budget bill several weeks ago and we were still operating on a short-term CR with immigration remaining the top issue, today’s news could have strengthened Trump’s leverage. According to CBP’s preliminary figures obtained by the Washington Post, 76,325 illegal aliens were apprehended at the border in February, more than any other month in over a decade since the decline of migration from Mexico. A record 40,325 family units arrived, blowing out the previous records by almost 10,000. Sadly, Trump already signed away his leverage to force a national dialogue over this issue.

As a nation, we are left debating presidential power from an obscure statute that enables the president to obtain a mere $2.5 billion for partial fencing to deal with a policy-driven invasion. The joke is that even if Trump had full unity behind this approach, it would do little to stop this invasion, which is strategically directed toward soft parts of our border. Unless we force a national discussion over the courts and the illegal immigration magnets that are bringing immigrants in, this entire debate is a non-sequitur. Unfortunately, without a budget deadline for another seven months, no matter how bad things get at our border, there is no mechanism through which to pressure Democrats into submission.

A record 76,325 apprehensions for one month is truly staggering, not only because it’s the single worst month at the border since fiscal year 2008, but because almost all of these people get to stay on our dime. Projected for the whole year, this pace would result in 916,000 apprehensions. But the pace is growing every month, because the catch-and-release expands. As the Washington Post observes, “The number of migrants taken into custody last year jumped 39 percent from February to March, and a similar increase this month would push levels to 100,000 detentions or more.” That would be an annual pace of 1.2 million.

A 10 year high.

An average of 55 illegals every day are being sent to hospitals- paid for by the US taxpayer.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials report that agents and officers are referring an average of 55 migrants per day to hospitals. Over the past four years, this resulted in a taxpayer cost of $98 million.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief of Operations Brian Hastings told reporters in Washington, D.C. Tuesday that Border Patrol agents are facing both national security and a humanitarian crises. The challenges have been brought on by the massive numbers of family units and unaccompanied minors.

“We are committed to addressing these humanitarian needs but the current situation is sustainable,” Hastings said regarding Border Patrol agents being pulled off the national security mission to assist migrants with medical needs. “The increased flow (of migrants) combined with the stress of the journey, the crowded conveyances, and flu season has resulted in significant increases in the medical referrals for Border Patrol.”

I haven't heard of a single illegal offering to put down his Central American Express card to pay for treatment.

It seems like just a month ago the NY TImes told its gullible readers that there was no emergency- it was just another Trump fabrication.

Wait- it was.

[MeganC]

The New York Times (The Paper of Record!) wouldn’t lie to us...would they?

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

Better late than never, I guess.

[rawcatslyentist]

Invasion=state of war/emergency.

[Amendment10]

Although there is a national border emergency, the root of the problem is corrupt, post-17th Amendment ratification Congress.

So the people’s wall will help protect citizens from Congress as well as illegal aliens.

[FamiliarFace]

“Ripped from today’s headlines. Literally.”

Literally? Really? So tired of this word being misused. I can’t read past it anymore. I stop.