The Border Invasion is an Existential Crisis for America

The invasion crisis on our southern border is baffling. How could this outrage be happening?

The White House wants you to believe that they’re powerless to stop it. They’re willing to appear negligent and/or stupid to keep the wheels turning.

But there’s only one possible explanation that holds water: it’s a plan. And it’s working, as the border zone is flooded with millions of illegal immigrants, almost all of whom will stay permanently and lay the groundwork for an invincible voting bloc in the future.

If they sincerely wanted to do something about it, officials wouldn’t have to do any complicated thinking. Just stop egging on illegal immigrants to come and reinstate the Trump-era policies that were at least somewhat helpful.

You have to almost admire the masterminds of this catastrophe for persevering in the face of growing bipartisan revulsion at this inhumane tragedy. They are playing the long game even at the price of taking short-term political hits.

In contrast to the helpless-to-resist image they’re trying to peddle, they’re contemplating the revocation of Title 42, a Trump-era rule allowing migrant crossings to be turned away for public health reasons. Homeland Security projects ending Title 42 would result in an inconceivable 18,000 migrant crossings daily, up from our already unmanageable 7000. At that rate, by the end of Biden’s term, one in five American residents would be here illegally.

Americans don’t need to be told the results of massive illegal immigration. We live it daily. Illegal immigrants by law have access to our emergency rooms. Over half of the newborns at LA County Hospital are newly minted American citizens born to illegal immigrant parents at taxpayer expense.

Illegal immigrants crowd our schools, forcing our already stressed educational system to divert focus to ESL instruction. Moreover, they undercut unskilled American workers and drive down their wages.

They also contribute to our burgeoning crime problem. The number of criminals who have evaded Border Patrol is obviously unknown but over 40 migrants on the terror watchlist have been apprehended in addition to those who have slipped through. Enough fentanyl has been imported for every single American to have taken a fatal overdose.

But America’s greatest threat from massive illegal immigration isn’t the effect on our safety, our education nor our healthcare.  It’s not the welfare and correctional services illegal immigrants consume. The greatest danger is losing our nationhood.

America is uniquely a nation based not on geography nor blood but on its values and ideals. We have amply demonstrated our ability to absorb large numbers of immigrants who love America, who come because they want to be Americans and share our values and ideals, established in our Declaration and Constitution.

Illegal immigrants, by contrast, begin their relationship by defying a foundational principle that has made the US a magnet for immigrants since its creation: the Rule of Law.  This is the belief that we are ruled by laws, not men (people), and that each of us stand as a free and equal individual before the law.

Unfortunately, this tsunami of immigration from socialist autocracies where corruption is the norm is occurring at a time wherein America is struggling with growing levels of tribalism. E Pluribus Unum is fading as many Americans now identify primarily as members of a political, racial or other groups that competes for favors from government.

Assimilation is now scorned as a micro-aggression.  America is regarded by its own citizens as oppressive and bigoted.

Tens of millions of illegal immigrants who neither know nor care about America’s defining values don’t bode well for our future. In a decade or two, we’ll undoubtedly begin to hear about how they “deserve“ citizenship, they’ve been here a long time, don’t have any other home, and so on.  Our unity as Americans will become more fractured.

Americans are historically compassionate and resilient.  But it is past time for Americans to reinforce the crucial distinction between illegal and legal immigrants.

It’s not racist or xenophobic to protect our borders from those who ignore our principles but want to enjoy the fruits of our success. It is crucial to the survival of America as we know it.

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Thomas C. Patterson, MD is a retired Emergency Medicine physician, Arizona state Senator and Arizona Senate Majority Leader in the ’90s. He is a former Chairman, Goldwater Institute.