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With less than seven months until the midterm elections, Democrats face a number of major and mounting crises. Record-high inflation, soaring crime rates, the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the shadow of President Bidens foreign policy failures in Afghanistan already have Democrats facing an uphill battle in November.

On top of that, recent developments surrounding another key issue immigration further threaten the Democratic Partys ability to retain its majority in Congress this year.

In a comprehensive and in-depthpieceforTheNew York Times, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Michael D. Shear and Eileen Sullivan detail the extent of the chaos and infighting inside the Biden White House over the administrations immigration policy, specifically with regard to the migrant crisis at the southern border.

Among other revelations in the article, in a heated exchange over the surge of migrants in March 2021, President Biden erupted at staffers. Sensing that some were attempting to evade responsibility for the issue, the president demanded: Who do I need to fire to fix this?

To be sure, this is not the first presidential administration that has been caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to tackling this complex problem. Past presidents from both parties have tried and failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Yet, the Biden administrations internal division and paralysis on immigration policy as detailed byTheNew York Timespiece is particularly noteworthy, as it is emblematic of this White Houses inability to effectively solve problems.

Put another way, when it comes to managing crises both domestic and international the Biden administration is hopelessly divided and beset by internal strife, and the immigration crisis is no exception.

As a result, the Biden administrations immigration policies have come under fire from both parties Republicans attack the administration for the migrant crisis at the southern border, while progressives accuse the administration of failing to prioritize human rights and not living up to campaign promises to permanently protect Dreamers.

Indeed, a recent Politico Morning Consultpollshows that, when it comes to handling immigration, voters trust Republicans (47 percent) over Democrats (38 percent) in Congress. Worse, just 27 percent of Independents trust Democrats more on the issue.

TheNew York Timespiece notes that one of the major policies implemented by President Trump, Title 42 which is designed to give the president power to prevent immigration in times of public health emergencies has proven to be highly contentious and problematic inside the Biden White House.

Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argued that Title 42 was no longer necessary, as the delta variant was already spreading rapidly throughout the U.S. Thus, preventing migrants and asylum seekers from entering the U.S. would not protect public health in a meaningful way.

The CDCs position was opposed by Bidens senior advisors, chief of staff Ron Klain and policy advisor Susan Rice, who feared that repealing Title 42 would worsen the migrant crisis at the border and become a political headache.

Even so, two weeks ago, the Biden administration announced that it would in fact end Title 42. Now, the Department of Homeland Security isreportedlypreparing for a worst-case scenario of up to 18,000 people trying to cross the border daily, a number that would surely overwhelm the already full border facilities.

While it remains to be seen whether COVID-19 infections will spike as a result, it is clear that the political consequences of repealing Title 42 will further complicate Democrats political prospects in this years midterms.

For one, voters will almost certainly be put off by the hypocrisy of the Biden administration repealing Title 42 while Democratic-led cities announce returns to mask mandates amid spikes in COVID-19 infections, as is the case inPhiladelphia.

Furthermore, if there is a surge at the border, as is expected, Republicans will be able to weaponize the issue against Democrats in the midterms. Rightly so, moderate Democrats in Washington, D.C. fear that appearing soft on illegal immigration will hurt their party politically.

AsThe New York Timespiece describes, Klain expressed concern that accusations about border chaos would grow worse, anger moderate voters, and potentially sink the party during 2022 midterms unless the administration found a way to deter illegal immigration.

Moreover, Democrats appearing soft on illegal immigration will allow Republicans to easily make the case to voters that Democrats are also soft on crime, especially as crime rates climb across the country.

Ultimately, the Biden administrations uneven and ineffective approach to immigration which mirrors their incompetence on issues like the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic, crime and foreign policy is giving Republicans fresh ammo going into the midterms.

As Lanae Erickson of Third Way a centrist Democratic think tank told the Times: Republicans are trying to make the case that Democrats are the party of chaos.

Unless the Biden administration can turn things around and prove to voters that they are not the party of chaos but rather of progress and problem-solving Democrats are almost certain to be brought down by Republicans in 2022, 2024 and beyond.

Douglas E. Schoen is a political consultant who served as an adviser to former President Clinton and to the 2020 presidential campaign of Michael Bloomberg. He is the author of The End of Democracy? Russia and China on the Rise and America in Retreat.

Originally posted here:
Chaos, crisis and infighting threaten Democrats in 2022 - The Hill

While Mr. Biden won most of the Texas border in 2020, some towns there saw a shift to the political right. The region has been particularly hard-hit with the influx of migrants being released into local communities. Nonprofit organizations along the southwest border provide a significant amount of assistance, but the spike at times has been overwhelming for them as well.

Immigration and human rights advocates have said that the order turned out to be former President Donald J. Trumps most successful measure to limit the number of people getting asylum in the United States. Stephen Miller, the architect of Mr. Trumps restrictive immigration policies, tweeted on Wednesday that lifting the public health order would be one of historys most spectacular travesties and would open the floodgates on a biblical scale.

Mr. Bidens decision to leave the order in place for more than a year, after campaigning to restore compassion to the immigration system, raised doubts among immigration advocates about his commitment to doing so.

Even with the order in place, the Biden administration has allowed hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants to face deportation proceedings, many of whom arrived in the country with young children. Reasons have varied from humanitarian exemptions to operational restrictions such as limited detention space. The United States cannot expel migrants from certain countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, because of diplomatic strains, and those migrants are making up a fast-growing number of new arrivals.

Since October, border officials have apprehended 900,000 undocumented migrants at the southwest border, according to the Homeland Security Department. In the 12 months before that, undocumented migrants were caught a record-breaking 1.7 million times. Among the reasons the department has cited for the increase are natural disasters, severe economic decline causing food and housing insecurity, crime, corruption, lack of education and health care, and the pandemic.

Some argue that the inconsistent enforcement of the public health rule and an absence of punishment for those caught crossing illegally is partly to blame for the high numbers. Homeland Security officials estimate that 30 percent of illegal crossings during the pandemic are repeat offenders.

The spike in illegal migration has at times overwhelmed border officials. To speed up the time it takes to process people into the country and avoid overcrowding in congregate settings, border officials have released some migrants into the country with incomplete paperwork and no court date, leaving migrants in limbo and creating new backups in the already-backlogged immigration court system. Immigrants wait an average of five years before their first court date.

Continue reading here:
C.D.C. to Lift Order Restricting Immigration During the Pandemic - The New York Times

A multi-agency operation targeted people involved in organised immigration crime over the past three months.

Cheshire Police worked with Border Force, Immigration, the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVLA) and the local authority during three two-day operations over three-months, which aimed to disrupt illegal immigration to the UK. The operations were conducted at Burtonwood services on the M62 on January 10 and 11, Poplars 2000 services on the M6 at Lymm on February 10 and 11 and again at Burtonwood services on March 22.

The operations included offering advice to HGV drivers on how to avoid becoming involved in the illegal movement of people. Cheshire Police said that those involved also checked drivers' hours were being adhered to, lorries were roadworthy and ensured those who had travelled illegally were brought to safety and dealt with appropriately and sensitively.

READ MORE: Coked up yob displaying 'severe lack of driving ability' led police on two high speed chases

A Cheshire Police spokesperson said that the operation resulted in:

148 HGVs stopped and checked for illegal immigrants. 11,200 in civil penalty fines recovered from hauliers having outstanding fines for previous clandestine found on their vehicles One Iranian clandestine surrendered to police at the scene and dealt with by Border force officers 96 fixed penalties issued for various offences totalling 18,750 in fines

DS Darren Wright said: These operations highlight the work we do 24/7 to disrupt criminals who use our road network to commit crime, and serves as a warning to criminals that we are out there policing the roads with our partners to disrupt illegal activity and make Cheshire a no go area for criminals.

He added: "Clandestine entry to the UK poses a significant risk of life to those who have been concealed in the vehicles and transported overseas to the UK and vice versa.

We recognise that many of the successful clandestine entry attempts involve road haulage vehicles due to the amount of hiding space in the vehicle, and the ease of movement in and out of the UK through legitimate and identified travel routes.

Organised crime groups also know this and exploit this method of movement in and out of the UK, and recruit complicit drivers to assist with the facilitation of illegal entry of people and goods.

Sadly, many of who successfully gain illegal entry into the UK often end up becoming victims of modern slavery offences. Many will become subjected to further criminal exploitation, so its important drivers play their part in protecting vulnerable people by understanding the risks and knowing how to keep themselves safe from these criminal gangs.

Link:
HGVs stopped at service stations to disrupt illegal immigration to the UK - Liverpool Echo

Austin, TX, 12 hours ago As the federal government prepares to end its application of Title 42 to expel illegal aliens, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) has called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and asserted that Gov. Greg Abbott should shut down the border.

Texas ought to just flat out shut down the border. And Im looking at Governor Abbott right now when I say that. You shut down the border, governor, Roy said in a Newsmax appearance earlier this week.

You stand up to this president. Im tired of Texas taking a back seat to an administration screwing the people of Texas.

Proponents of more assertive border security measures have argued that the illegal immigration is an invasion that justifies a response under Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution.

The provision states, No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

In an interview with The Texan, Roy stated on Friday that its certainly hard to argue that our nation is not being invaded. He pointed to the operational control the cartels have over our border.

If your state, your community, your families that are all sharing that community, Texas, if youre being invaded, harmed, you have a right to do something about that, Roy asserted.

Thats why that constitutional provision exists. And the federal government is refusing to do its job. You cannot ignore your duty to secure the border of the United States and then say, sorry, thats federal law. You have no recourse. Thats just straight-up bulls.

Roy also called for all Republicans to take a position on whether Mayorkas should be impeached.

Abbott was calling for Mayorkas to be investigated by Congress as early as October when he assembled with nine other governors in Mission to call on the White House to do more to stop illegal immigration.

For the past year, Abbott has been leading a border security effort known as Operation Lone Star that received bipartisan support and funding from the Texas legislature during a regular session last year.

In a press release on Friday, the governors office indicated that since day one, Operation Lone Star has resulted in several state agencies arresting about 225,000 illegal aliens. Abbotts office also reported more than 13,000 criminal arrests, 10,400 felony charges, 3,500 seizures of weapons, $30 million worth of currency seizures, and the confiscation of 289 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

The governors office also stated that a portion of the state border wall is nearing completion in Starr County using 30-foot bollards, which were part of leftover supplies from the U.S. border wall that Texas obtained through a federal program.

Abbott promised last summer to arrest everybody coming across the border, but that promise never materialized. Operation Lone Star has focused on referring illegal aliens to federal agencies and prosecuting them in South Texas for crimes such as trespassing.

Roy argued that Abbott should stop treading lightly around federal court decisions and that Operation Lone Star is not getting the job done.

The bottom line is you cant win this prosecuting trespassing crimes, Roy told The Texan.

What would we do if we were a stand-alone sovereign nation? Thats what we should do. Muster your own force. Sit down at the river and turn people away, and if youre not willing to do that or if that doesnt go far enough, then shut down I-35 and tell the rest of the country to kiss our a until the border is secure.

The congressman clarified that he is not seeking to rattle somehow negatively about Abbott and he supports the governors efforts on border security and the state wall, but that Texas cannot wait for a Republican-controlled Congress or president to act on the border crisis.

Defending the state efforts, Rep. James White (R-Hillister) responded to some of Roys comments in a social media post by emphasizing that the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety are already taking action.

However, if they cross anyway and touch our soil, the current [attorney general], his former employer, has stated that we have no immigration authority, as per the last Senate Select Committee on Border Security, White tweeted, referring to a committee in the Texas Senate.

Original post:
Congressman Chip Roy Backs Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas, Calls on Abbott to 'Shut Down the Border' - The Texan

Should we change course?

E.J. Dionne gushes over President Biden's State of the Union and how it will change the unwanted trajectory of his presidency.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

As many letter writers to The R-G are concerned with the evils of the Trump presidency, which is no more, they miss the counterculture Biden presidency. Nothing makes sense. For example, Russias brutal attack on Ukraine, negotiating with Iran (one of four countries in the world that is sponsoring terrorism), inflation, increased violence in the cities, illegal immigration at the southern border and curtailing fossil fuels in America, which leads to a loss of jobs and dependence on foreign countries who wish to harm America.

These are only a few such policies that testcommon sense andDionne is wrapped up inBiden's political speech andfuture when America is becoming a shellof the Jefferson/Madison/Monroe philosophy of limiting Federalism.

Is it too late to change course?

Joel Marks, Florence

Thank you for the very comprehensive article on Measure 110.

Voterswho approved Measure 110 legalizing certain quantities of life-ruining substances such as methamphetamine and heroin have been duped. A year later and there is no clear indication, contrary to the ballot measure contention, that funded treatment programs have materialized. Hard-drug abusers should be given the option to receive the treatment they need, or be forced out of our communities through incarceration.

Either way, voters have been fooled on this one. Bureaucratic infighting and red tape have prevented the immediate roll out of treatment centers, and police have one less tool to combat rampant drug abuse and property crime in our state.

Seth P. Shenker, Eugene

President Biden wont be sending our military to fight in Ukraine, so its simply a matter of time before Russias military capability overtakes Ukraine.

When planning Ukraines invasion, Putin anticipated the current sanctions and for years has accumulated a pool of money intended to offset the effects he knew sanctions would have on Russias economy.

Recently, Putin rattled his nuclear sword. Bullies are only deterred after their own nose gets bloodied. Without harsher economic reprisals for Putins brutality happening soon, Moldova will become his next victim.

Today our best option for supporting the brave Ukrainian people and avoiding WWIII is to punish Russia with sanctions on their fossil fuel exports. Russias money pool will evaporate much faster without fossil fuel revenues.

This move will drive up already high world oil prices and put further economic hardships on Europeans as well as Americans. That is still much less traumatic than what Ukrainians are experiencing and a much better choice than shedding blood and risking nuclear war.

Doing nothing further to punish Putin would eventually represent a more substantial risk to world peace.

Bob Hoitt, Springfield

In the March 3 Register-Guard guest view supporting EmX buildouts, no mention was made of EmX ridership, nor revenue data. That could be because no accurate, verifiable statistics exist. Unlike conventional buses, EmX has no internal fare enforcement. Drivers have no contact with passengers, so they cannot ascertain fare payment. No electronic, nor mechanical, oversight exists to verify ridership or revenue. Very rarely does a transit officer check fares, but only at Eugene or Springfield stations. They do not ride the route to confront oncoming passengers.

Why hasnt LTD or Eugene remedied this huge hole in their accounting records? EmX virtue invocation means nothing without paying customers. Accurate and auditable revenue and patronage metrics must be collected. Both federal and state agencies granting taxpayer money for EmX projects demand that data. What are LTD and Eugene going to present? EmX has been in existence for nearly 15 years, so no excuse exists for not solving this problem. Until then, shelve proposed EmX buildouts.

Charlie Rojas, Eugene

The article Moving ahead (R-G, March 6) indicates thepurpose of the partnership between Eugene, LTD and other regional entities" (unnamed) is to redesign major streets inEugene to "make them work better for takingthe bus, walking and biking.

Since the majority of users of these thoroughfares arepeopledrivingprivate or commercial vehicles and since a significant portion of thefunds are generated from gasoline taxes, itseems to me that the paramount purpose of anyredesign (if really necessary) should be toredesign these roads for the use, convenience and safety of those driving trucks and cars on them. Did I misssomething?

Ridership on LTD is as low as it has been since 2012 and walking and biking are fine, but they simply do not represent the majority ofusers. Redesigningand spending tax dollars on these projects for the stated purpose of enhancing bus, bikes and walkers should be reconsidered.

Make your voice heard.

Shannon Roseta, Eugene

I would like to share a quote from Mohammed Rafik Mhawesh, a Palestinian writer and journalist based in Gaza City.He says, "We fight our oppressors, and we get branded terrorists.Ukrainians do the same, and they get applauded for their courage."

Hmmm.

Margaret Brye,Eugene

For all who are concerned about the effects climate change will have on our grandchildrens world, now is a critical time. The new report by the International Panel on Climate Change tells us that the window of opportunity to prevent the average global temperature from rising more than 1.5 to 2.0 degrees centigrade is closing fast. The report goes into detail on the predicted devastating effects global warming will have on the planet.

Action must be taken quickly at the national level to accomplish the goal of at least keeping global temperature rise below 2.0 degrees C. A 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 are important components. Polls consistently show that a majority of Republicans and Democrats are worried about the effects of climate change and want Congress to act. This should not be a partisan issue. Now is the time to let our senators and representative know we want them to pass effective climate legislationthis year.I hope you agree that we owe this to our grandchildren.

Richard Barnhart, Eugene

If just for one minute we were to think of taking care of ourselves first, the gas prices wouldn't be where they are.Why are we exporting so much oil to other countries and evidently ignoring our own shortage here? It doesn't take rocket science to look out for No. 1 and any overages can move elsewhere.That's No. 1. No. 2, we do have oil reserves. How about tapping them until all this mess is over.And No. 3, gas stations do not refill their tanks every day, but they sure do like to increase gas prices daily.

Simply put, it's another case of corporate greed.

Richard Besser, North Bend

M. Reza Behnam'sarticle "Palestinians are refugees in theirown land" is long overdue.It explicitlypoints out theconditions Palestinians have lived with since the Zionist war of 1946-1947.

Palestinian children are put in Israeli prisons for throwing rocks at tanks, but their parents are not allowed to visit them because they are not allowed to enter Israel.

There are so many other inhumane practices that exist, yet anyone who objects to those things is called antisemitic.Year after year, our senators and representatives vote to send $3.8 billion to Israel.The majority of that money goes to the military, which continues to bombard Palestine, destroy its homes and take their land for Zionist settlers.

Where is the sanity in all of this?

Ruth Roberts, Corvallis

The Lane County commissioners have fast-tracked a request to their planning staff to consider funding for a new baseball stadium for the Eugene Emeralds. The stadium is estimated to cost $50 million, which the county can't afford even with the $7.5 million approved by the Oregon Legislature. I don't believe local government agencies ought to fund a private for-profit business unwillingto assume some or all of the cost. In this case, the parent company of the Ems, the San Francisco Giants, has not indicated an interest in providing funding.

Why does the local government in Eugene immediately rush to consider approval ofany sports-related facility? Such a venue willlikely disrupt the neighborhood, exacerbate traffic and be available only for those with enough discretionaryincome to afford season tickets.

Has a sportscomplex ever been turned down in Eugene? Not that I recall.

Pat Reilly, Eugene

Carol Carver (Letters, March 3), in relating her experience with racism, sadly, is mild compared to the rampant racism that makes up our nation's history.

I wish to share one of my own. I grew up in the projects in a Queens neighborhood. These were high-rise apartment buildings with culturally diverse, lower middle-class families. One day two Black siblings, perhaps 5 and 7years old, were arguing. One screamed at the other, "White Jew, White Jew!" Obviously, learned by environmental rote.

Carver cited George Santayana's quote: "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it." German philosopher Georg Hagel's quote is far more accurate: The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history."

Prejudice is not race-, religion- or gender-specific. It is human-specific and humankind, left to itself is hapless and helpless. Providentially, we are not left to ourselves.

James Tsalapinas, Harrisburg

I was glad to see that in the March 6R-G all nine letters to the editor condemned Putins attack on Ukraine and Trumps praise of the brutal dictator. Some on the far right, like Marjorie Taylor Green and Tucker Carlson, are applauding Putin, but the vast majority of Americans support freedom and democracy.

Another story by the AP, The West recalculates the cost of war," said U.S. citizens might have to pay higher gas prices. Russia supplies 40% of Europe's oil and gas, and Putin thought he could hold Europe hostage because of Europes dependence. But Germany shut down the NordStream2 pipeline and is accelerating its move to renewables.

We should do the same.

Putin will be hurt the most if the world shuts down its oil and gas. We should temporarily ramp up U.S. production to help the Europeans, but at the same time curtail our own use of fossil fuels and increase alternative energy to keep prices down. Russian oil production is more harmful to the environment than ours, but we need stricter regulations, to do less harm. China is watching, and if Russia can invade Ukraine without severe consequences, it may invade Taiwan.

Jerry Brule, Eugene

When I see the struggle the Ukrainians are goingthrough in their fight for the freedoms America and a host of other countries have enjoyed in the lesson of self-government,greed, self-indulgence tainted with sloth and debauchery have made anugly reflection of a once revered symbol.

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

What do you see when you look into the mirror? Do you see a person who rejects your doctor's adviceon free immunizations or perhaps paying $4 to $5 a gallon for gas?

Woe be you. It tugs at my heartstrings to see you suffer so.

Review your self-imposed ills from your place of comfort, if you're not too busy slamming government, the price of beer or some social atrocitythat has discomfitedyou. If that isyou in the mirror, go back to watching TV and see what true grit and democracy are all about. The fighting and dying Ukrainians are what we used to be. If you're not too mentally inert you might learn what a true Americans should be.

Leslie Marti, Eugene

The citizens of Ukraine are fighting against an aggressive and more powerful adversary to protect their democracy. As the fight rages in Ukraine, we must not forget the fight that rages in our own country to defend democracy and its tenets.

A local young woman who graduated from Sheldon High School and UO has already been shot with rubber bullets and teargassed in Texas for trying to get the voting rights promised for all Texans. She works for Good Deed Corps in the Texas Rising effort. It seems many Hispanic Texas residents in the Rio Grande area have been discouraged from registering to vote for years. The unpaid workers for Texas Rising are trying to change that. Theyve legally organized registration drives and voter education activities all allowable under Texass new voter suppression laws.

Unfortunately, when these voters submit registration forms or ask for mail-in ballots, the state denies those efforts. When the state was asked for more registration forms, the head of Texas elections said there were no more forms and no more would be printed as the state couldnt afford to print more.

Thats not democracy, thats tyranny.

Hal Huestis, Eugene

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Letters to the editor: What will it take to beat a bully? - The Register-Guard