NYT Columnist Visits Border and Finds ‘Immigration Crisis,’ Recommends Building Wall

Zachary Stieber
By Zachary Stieber
April 25, 2019Politics
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NYT Columnist Visits Border and Finds ‘Immigration Crisis,’ Recommends Building Wall
Border Patrol apprehends illegal aliens who have just crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico near McAllen, Texas, on April 18, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

A New York Times columnist has said that he visited the United States-Mexico border and saw an “immigration crisis.”

Thomas Friedman said that on April 12 he toured the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, the busiest crossing on the border, and also visited a new 18-foot high slatted steel barrier nearby.

Friedman cited U.S. Customs and Border Protection data showing that since October 2018, there have been 190,000 “family units” apprehended, up from 40,000 a year ago, or an increase of 374 percent.

According to the Department of Justice, most of the claims are fraudulent—only 9 percent of Central Americans who pass an initial credible-fear screening at the border will be subsequently granted asylum relief by an immigration judge.

Tijuana_Mexico_border
Migrants break through the United States border fence just beyond the east pedestrian entrance of the San Ysidro crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 25, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

“The whole day left me more certain than ever that we have a real immigration crisis and that the solution is a high wall with a big gate—but a smart gate,” Friedman wrote on April 23.

“Without a high wall, too many Americans will lack confidence that we can control our borders, and they, therefore, will oppose the steady immigration we need,” he added.

“But for this wall to have a big gate, it has to be a smart and compassionate one, one that says, ‘Besides legitimate asylum seekers, we’ll accept immigrants at a rate at which they can be properly absorbed into our society and work force, and we’ll favor visa seekers with energies and talents that enrich and advance our society.’ That’s the opposite of the unstrategic, far-too random, chaotic immigration ‘system’ we have now.”

He said the current system allows millions of people into the country regardless of whether they can contribute to the country or their ability to assimilate.

San Ysidro port of entry temporarily closed
The San Ysidro port of entry at the United States-Mexico border is seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 16, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

President Donald Trump has long championed building a wall in concert with other measures, such as increased patrols and smart policing, or the utilization of technology. He repeatedly indicated a willingness to compromise during the government shutdown but Democrats refused to budge, leading to Trump declaring a national emergency to get funding for the wall.

Friedman blamed Trump for not being able to “forge a national immigration compromise” and claimed that the president is “wasting our immigration crisis.” He didn’t cite any evidence for that part of his column.

During an appearance on openly anti-Trump CNN on Wednesday, Friedman told Wolf Blitzer: “I’m as radically pro-immigration as they come. But, it’s pretty clear to me and unless we can assure a significant number of Americans that we can control our border, we’re never going to have proper immigration flow. I think we need, we desire, and that we actually have a moral responsibility given our history as a nation of immigrants.”

Friedman again blamed Trump for not hammering out an agreement, claiming that, “Democrats were ready to fund more border security.”

When host Wolf Blitzer said that Friedman’s call for a wall “is going to sound to a lot of folks out there [like] what Donald Trump wants,” Friedman replied, “Well, I think you’ve got to control the border.”

“When you have an increase of illegal apprehensions of illegal entries of 374 percent since October, obviously you’ve got a situation where the border security is not sufficient and that’s going to drive people who we should want to be pro-immigration against immigration,” he added.

“Democrats have been willing to fund more border security, okay. I’m for a high wall with a big gate, a compassionate, a smart gate so we could keep immigration going. Wolf, if people think they can just walk into this country, they’re not going to support the immigration that we need.”

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