02/11/2024
This morning on The Eclectic Radical, I was joined by co-host Renee Johnston, frequent guest Seth Sturm (former co-chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party Indigenous Caucus and author of Take A Stand), and first time guest Tasha (a West Virginia activist and founder of harm-prevention an mutual aid group Project Mayday) to talk about the lack of space between the Republicans and Democrats on the issue of immigration and border security. While at one West Virginia reporter called the decision by Democrats to support a WV House resolution expressing support for Texas’ Republican governor Greg Abbott’s claims that the federal government has deliberately failed to secure the US-Mexico border “tongue in cheek,” but there doesn’t appear to be anything tongue in cheek about Democratic Party House delegate Kayla Young’s tweet on the subject. It looks like another example of Democrats surrendering to Republican rhetoric.
At the same time, the media spectacle is ratcheting up. The USA Today Network is casually dropping badly sourced reporting about Mexican drug cartels operating in Puget Sound. All the sourcing is from law enforcement, and apparently the author hasn’t stopped to think about how drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl are actually manufactured and distributed. Cocaine and heroin come into the US from Mexico and sometimes China, but methamphetamine and fentanyl are usually made in a trailer park not too far from where they are sold. Remember “Breaking Bad?”
Nor is the agreement between liberal Democrats and and MAGA Republicans new. There hasn’t been any comprehensive action on the border since the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986. That law is largely responsible for the difficulties asylum seekers and job seekers face when trying to enter the US from Mexico. Clinton, Dubya, Obama, Trump, and Biden have all been enforcing it. It also made every immigrant who had been in the country before 1982 eligible for wide amnesty. The people who received amnesty were given a path to citizenship.
People who have entered the country since 1982 have not had the same opportunities. Dubya was willing to propose even tougher border measures, but attempts to pass a bill foundered because he wanted to extend amnesty the same way Ronald Reagan had done, and white Republican lawmakers wouldn’t let him. Barack Obama let the dreamers stay, but deported more asylum seekers than any other US President. In addition to racist lawmakers (not only Republicans, but also conservative Democrats) there is now the problem of profit: private prison contrctors provide border jail services as well and business has more control over their workforce with undocumented labor.
Instead of meaningful action, we get platitudes. Instead of amnesty and a path to citizenship, people fleeing poverty and oppression get imprisoned or deported.
I haven’t booked next week’s show yet. I had one idea for a show but haven’t heard back from the potential guest. I will keep working on getting it done and hope to have an update when it’s booked.
Thanks for the great conversation!