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Trump’s border wall has been unusable and inoperable. That, at least for the purposes his sick mind devised before and during his rule. That millionaire architectural and anti-immigrant failure has been violated more than 3 thousand times, according to a recent journalistic investigation published by The Washington Post.
The result it is relevant because it exposes various aspects of a lie disguised as protection of the busiest border in the world. And it is, at the same time, a reflection that the anti-immigrant rhetoric that is resurfacing with a view to this year’s midterm elections may be effective in the immediate term, yes, but definitely a fiasco in the long term and counterproductive in every way.
If you look closely, the “white elephant” that Trump’s vulnerable wall has become is right now the most emblematic symbol of a position conservative that does not protect the border, nor stop the migratory flow. It is, in any case, a monument to political banality and an anachronism in the face of technological modernity that is now transforming everything.
Between and 2021, according to the investigation referred to above, more than 2.6 million dollars were spent to repair the structure, after the wall was perforated more than 3,200 times by traffickers.
That money, Of course, the taxpayers of the United States have paid for it, as well as the sections of the wall that were built, and not Mexico, as the former president had shouted at the time every time he needed to inflame his followers in search of votes.
But it is not just that kind of wall that is currently being built by conservative anti-immigrant rhetoric. It is enough to see the “wall” made by the Republican governors of Texas, Greg Abbot, and that of Florida, Ron DeSantis, to realize that their insistence on using the same strategies of exclusion of everything that has to do with the immigration issue has placed them as political “clones” of who occupied the White House between 2016 and 2020.
For example, Abbot was even able to celebrate the first anniversary of the so-called “Lone Star” operation in Texas , destined, according to him, to protect the border that corresponds to his state. And while it is true, the governor gave spectacular figures on the detention of more than 200 thousand migrants, among whom he mentioned dangerous gang members, we must not forget that this operation also had collateral victims among immigrants who only wanted to apply for asylum, but who were imprisoned for weeks or months in abusive conditions and without respecting due process, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW ).
Nicole Austin, executive director of HRW, quoted by Real America News ,1354099408 stated that “Lone Star” has “led to serious abuses of due process and civil rights, mocked the Texas judicial system, and fostered a dangerous xenophobia. That, coupled with the discomfort of the soldiers of the Texas National Guard, whose first contingent was only 500 military, but it grew until it reached ,000, for an operation to which they have been assigned 100 million dollars.
“Migrants who are detained, are handed over to the Border Patrol, processed, some are released and allowed to enter the country. So what is the purpose of us being here?”, according to the words of a military man also quoted by Real America News1354099408. “They only use us to take a picture and ‘prove’ that they are taking a tough stance on immigration.”
That is to say, one more screen of the true anti-immigrant purposes of a border operation of such magnitude.
Florida is not far behind in its anti-immigrant stance. Your recent bills (SB 1808 and HR 800) focus on attacking the so-called sanctuary cities, in addition to hindering contracts with companies that transport undocumented immigrants to that state. On the other hand, local leaders have demanded that Governor DeSantis rescind the decree closing the shelters that receive migrant minors and also stop using them politically.
In this regard, the Venezuelan community settled in Florida has also reacted against these bills, having detected the true anti-immigrant essence of their content. In fact, in a letter1354099408 sent to the political class of the state, the signatories explained that “ As written, this legislation would define us as ‘unauthorized aliens’ because our work permit applications are delayed due to no fault of our own.”
As can be seen, the impertinence of the anti-immigrant wing is seen naked all the time, despite its efforts to make up their campaigns with bombastic constructions, as well as with operations and bills always aimed at further harming the undocumented who cannot defend themselves, for the sake of obtaining political gain among their voters. The Democrats, of course, are not far behind, and right now the greatest demand on the Biden government is that it has not yet fulfilled what it promised in the area of immigration.
However, it is a fact that the reality of today’s United States perforates not only impressive border fences, but also those other failed “walls” that anti-immigrant campaigns are, however aggressive they may be.