On April 2, Democrat presidential candidate Julián Castro said in an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that he plans to decriminalize illegal border crossings. Included in his plan is to cease detaining illegal immigrants.
Castro has introduced his plan to relax security at the border at a time when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is dealing with record-breaking numbers of illegal border crossings. President Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the border if Mexico doesn’t do its part in stopping immigrants from reaching the United States-Mexico border.
“I’m not buying into the [claim] that basically says that little children and mothers who are desperate—flee desperate circumstances—are a national security threat to our nation,” Castro told Maddow.
Neither Trump or CBP said that children and mothers fleeing desperate circumstances are the problem. Trump has said that he wants immigrants; but if they enter, they must enter legally. CBP has stated that many apprehended family units are from Central America who commonly claim asylum—and some have valid cases.
Part of the problem lies in the 85 to 90 percent of invalid asylum claims made by family units, according to CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan. When a family unit surrenders to CBP, they claim asylum and are “almost guaranteed to be released to remain in the U.S. indefinitely,” regardless of their case’s merit.
Cartels have also exploited the current asylum procedure, which they have monopolized, pairing children with strangers.
“The same criminal organizations that are smuggling migrants, profiting from them, abusing them on the journey, are benefiting from our reduced security presence,” said McAleenan. “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing adults who are trying to evade capture behind those families as we’re bogged down with large groups.”
.@CBP_McAleenan: We are now on pace for over 100,000 apprehensions and encounters with migrants—with 90% (90,000) crossing the border illegally between ports of entry. March will be the highest month in over a decade. pic.twitter.com/Nmuq00asZY
— CBP (@CBP) March 27, 2019
Candidates Believe in Less Security
Castro did not cover the loopholes in the asylum process during his interview, but his plan for more relaxed security at the border is mutual among other Democrats. Democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said he would absolutely take down the border wall in El Paso, Texas, if he could.
Beto O’Rourke when asked, since Rep. @DanCrenshawTX asked on Twitter, if he would tear down the walls that are already in place: Yes and I think a referendum to do so would pass. pic.twitter.com/ENZuYvdqEa
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 15, 2019
While O’Rourke says the wall is harmful, and Castro says the border is safe, another migrant caravan consisting of roughly 2,500 migrants is making its way to the United States, according to reports. Past media coverage of migrant caravans show the destructive and selfish actions that these massive groups are capable of.
MS-13 gang members have been found among the caravan and arrested. “We had around 10 gang members identified. Today, there are around 25 identified, who have been deported by [our] joint efforts with the Mexican government,” Coahuila Gov. Miguel Riquelme Riquelme told Mexican media on Feb. 18.
The caravan has contributed to the rise in crime in Tijuana, with over 280 arrested for various crimes, Municipal Delegate Genaro Lopez told Fox News on Dec. 13. And during the border rush, The Epoch Times recorded caravan migrants throwing stones at American law enforcement.
Mexico’s President Obrador has decided to take action, following pressure from Trump.
“Mexico, as you know, as of yesterday, has been starting to apprehend a lot of people at their southern border coming in from Honduras and Guatemala and El Salvador and they were really apprehending thousands of people,” said Trump. “And it’s the first time really in decades that this has taken place and this should have taken place a long time ago.”
