Ending the “Immigration Problem”
“The challenges ahead are formidable. But if the political will exists, there is no reason Central America cannot become the next great success story of the Western Hemisphere.”
“We also. . .must address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the President has described, to come here."
“I had to leave my home and family because my farm couldn’t compete any longer with the huge US corporations. I took the dangerous trip and crossed the US border. Now I weed gardens, share a tiny apartment with fifteen other men in Seattle, and send my money home to feed my children.”
-Undocumented Mexican Immigrant
President Biden and Vice President Harris seem to understand the problem that brings undocumented immigrants to the US. Why then do we in the US hear little (or nothing) about the root causes of the waves of immigrants that we are trying to halt at our borders? Why does Washington continue to implement policies that will never end the problem?
The US’s attempts to slow immigration by stopping people at the border or helping countries police their people and detain them from attempting to cross the border is the equivalent of trying to stem the rising oceans by building sea walls.
The root cause of these problems is the extremely unfair body of laws that govern commerce between the US and countries south of the Rio Grande – policies that support powerful international corporations.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the world’s remaining superpower, the United States, promoted and implemented “free-trade agreements,” such as NAFTA and CAFTA. They are crafted to benefit US corporations and the ruling elites of Latin American countries. For example, they prohibit tariffs on imports of US agricultural products that compete with local Latin farmers but allow the US to subsidize its agri-businesses. Thus, American corporations can sell US-grown corn, rice, cotton and other products to Central America and Mexico* for less than it costs local farmers to grow them. This is the case even though it actually costs the US agri-businesses much more to grow the crops than it costs local farmers (the US taxpayer foots the difference by paying for the subsidies). The devastating fallout for the millions of people who own or work for small businesses in Central America and Mexico that process, transport, market, and consume these goods is huge. The failed economies result in desperation that leads to violence, gangs, drug trafficking, and other conditions that make life unbearable and drive people to attempt the horribly risky trek to the US.
In addition to the lives destroyed south of the Rio Grande, we in the US are also burdened with huge financial repercussions. We're losing a wealth of human potential – individuals who could help alleviate the US labor supply deficit and significantly contribute to our economic well-being. There are two government policies that are especially costly.
First, our tax dollars subsidize Big Ag here at home. In 2020, the U.S. government provided farmers with over $46 billion in subsidies. It was a gift to powerful farming interests that drove net farm income to $147 billion in 2021. Although the subsidy was projected to decline to around $33 billion in 2022, it continues to place a heavy burden on US taxpayers. Second, the budget requested by the White House for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2024 for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was nearly $25 billion. Since DHS’s 2003 creation, more than $330 billion has been spent on immigration enforcement. And it has not worked.
President Biden and Vice President Harris have voiced their commitments to programs that echo those of post-WWII reconstruction activities that brought Europe out of the economic disaster caused by the war. If implemented properly — and with a recognition that such programs need to be directed at helping small farmers, co-ops, and family-owned businesses — these programs would stimulate the economies of our southern neighbors and alleviate the desperation of those seeking better opportunities. Why then are they not implemented? Why do most people in the US have no idea about the root causes of the “immigration problem?”
Ah yes, the power of Big Business. Follow the money. It leads to the lobbyists and politicians who depend on campaign war chests; all the banking, insurance, farming equipment, and food supply, distribution, and marketing corporations that are integrated with Big Ag; all the businesses that exploit the people and natural resources of Central America and Mexico; all the industries that serve and supply DHS and the other government agencies involved in immigration and customs enforcement; the hedge fund managers; the financiers and lawyers – the list goes on and on.
And let’s not forget the US media. Information about the true cause of those waves of immigrants is left out of the reporting by your favorite radio shows, TV stations, and newspapers. After all, they depend on advertising revenue – and you know who’s footing those bills!
A Few of the Actions You Can Take
Keep spreading the true story behind the reasons people are fleeing Central America and Mexico; use social media, your book club, dinner parties, and any other means you have to expose the facts behind US subsidies and “free trade” agreements;
Demand that your elected officials oppose laws that support the exploitation of Central Americans and Mexicans by international corporations and support new laws that reverse CAFTA, NAFTA, and other “free trade” agreements;
Buy Fair Trade (not “Free Trade”) products that support farmers and cooperatives south of the US border; and —
Join me on my 2024 trip to Guatemala, visit excavated ancient Mayan cities and learn directly about the real reasons Central Americans feel they have to leave their families and homes and migrate to the US. Join here.