In previous articles, I identified the need for a regional strategy to deal with immigration from Central America to the US. Some might ask: What’s the alternative? The alternative is to do nothing (bad idea) or to use knee-jerk reaction, which is how the Trump Administration has handled this issue so far.
The first knee-jerk reaction was the promise to build a wall to stop the flow of people; however, anyone who has been in the military knows that any barrier can be breached unless it’s protected by mines and live fire. The second knee-jerk reaction was to threaten to cut-off foreign aid to Central American countries unless they stop the outflow of people; however, most of the aid goes to non-profit organizations that are trying to address underlying problem of poverty that spawns immigration. The third knee-jerk reaction was to threaten to close the border with Mexico until it stopped allowing people to cross it—an action that would decimate border-state economies. The fourth knee-jerk reaction was to threaten tariffs against Mexico, which we discussed at length in a previous article.
Some problems are simply too complex to handle by knee-jerk reaction. Knee-jerk reactions are sometimes required in fast-paced dynamic environments where quick decision-making is essential to success (think combat operations, live news reporting, or a crisis in a manufacturing plant). Few national-level issues fit this category; certainly, this one does not. A holistic strategy is the only way to handle this problem effectively. Even if not all of the plan is accomplished, or even enacted, it is still better to start with a plan.
The Trump administration is not the first one to struggle with this issue. None have put forth a comprehensive plan, largely because of the political sensitivity of the issue. However, now would be a good time to look at it holistically, with regional stakeholders involved.
References:
Washington Post, “Trump struggles with spike at border,” 7 Apr 2019, A1.
Washington Post, “Trump cuts aid in border reprisal,” 31 Mar 2019, A1.
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