The Judiciary Committee kicked off the new Congress on an extremely combative note, with Chairman Jim Jordan opening by accusing the Biden administration of “intentionally” causing the southern border crisis.
Democratic Ranking Member Jerry Nadler followed up with his own opening remarks calling Republicans’ focus on the southern border “racist” and a “distraction.” Jordan made the panel’s first hearing on the southern border crisis as the House GOP makes clear the issue is a top priority in their new majority.
Looking at the recent numbers, after a bad 2022, 2023 is starting off even worse. This is not an accident but rather a direct policy initiative by the Biden administration. See the latest numbers of migrant crossings in the chart below and learn more here.
How do Americans feel about this? It is clear from recent polling 54% of Americans feel the border crisis is an invasion, and at least 40% believe it is not an accident but rather by policy. At least 50% believe that the border crisis is causing the current disastrous drug problem in the US. Though Democrats are less likely to agree on the border crisis issues, nevertheless, it would seem to be a bipartisan issue on the whole. See this in the chart below and learn more here.
The leading edge of those global migrants is being welcomed into the US by President Joe Biden. Below is a chart of which countries migrants are coming from. What is particularly of interest is that the stereotype of most migrants coming from Mexico is on the decline. Migrants coming from other countries are on the rise. Just who are these “other” people? One wonders if drugs soon won’t be the only problem that this illegal immigration is causing – it could bleed into an actual invasion of foreign terrorism or worse.
In 2021, 16% of adults worldwide – which projects to be almost 900 million people – said they would like to leave their own country permanently if they could – as reported in a recent Gallup poll. See below, which are the sending areas.
Below’s chart is a rather state of affairs – when half your citizens want to leave. See this top list in the chart below.
The US is still the top destination for migrants – see the top destinations in the chart below. In general, migrants are chasing Western countries where they believe they will get a better lot in life.
So often, those that oppose illegal immigration cite the obvious issues of drugs, jobs, and social services cost that it brings to the receiving country. But what does it do to the sending country? Imagine having a country so bad that 20, 30, or even more than 50% want to leave. What are these countries doing wrong?
According to Rand, they say countries with a high degree of emigrants are positive. They state that the available data suggest that, on the net, emigration has a positive effect on the sending country. For example, by decreasing the labor pool in the sending country, emigration helps to alleviate unemployment and increase the incomes of the remaining workers. Also, emigres often send money home, enhancing their families’ standards of living and thereby contributing both to the home economy and the nation’s trade balance. This may be technically true, but looking at the list of sending countries, Rand’s explanation does not seem to hold water.
One of the first faults one thinks of in the sending countries of migrants is the economic situation (migrants mostly leave due to economic reasons) and the corruption associated with the poor economic situation. War and proximity (to the receiving country) are other factors. However, the corruption index nor these other factors do not line up well with the major countries with emigration.
There is a plethora of issues with emigration – learn more here. Most likely, some of the major negative reasons for emigration lie in both a “brain drain” of skills and a self-selection of a country’s citizens motivated enough to force change in a country’s governments. Fleeing a country instead of building it often can make a difference.
Give us your take in the comment section below on why these countries are so bad that half their population wants to leave.
By Tom Williams
