10 JUNE 2021
Hub Highlights: VP Focuses on Solutions with First Trip Abroad, GOP Spreads Border Misinformation to Voters and the Media
WASHINGTON, DC— This week, Vice President Kamala Harris made an official visit to Mexico and Guatemala as part of her role to strengthen international diplomacy and address the core causes forcing migration from the region. The vice president’s talks with leaders, non-governmental organizations, and communities in the two countries is an integral part of the Biden-Harris administration’s strategy to take a holistic and comprehensive approach to modernize the country’s immigration system, manage the border and migration, and create legal pathways for migrants and refugees and opportunities to strengthen the region. While Vice President Harris delivers on the administration’s immigration goals, the Republican Party and their surrogates - Fox News, Stephen Miller and the like - have re-upped their nativist dog whistles against Democrats, centering the narrative on the border and migrant “criminals” to misinform voters and influence national coverage.
“We should not lose sight on the point of the vice president’s official visit: a crucial step to discuss and implement strategies to address forced migration from the region with the intent and purpose to fix the broken parts of our immigration system, manage migration to the United States, and create safer and stronger opportunities for economic growth,” stated Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub. “Yet despite much of the substance from the trip, here we are again talking about the border in a vacuum because Republicans have nothing better to offer than red meat to their nativist base. The attacks against Vice President Harris have not only been riddled with xenophobic tropes, but also falsehoods that ignore the Biden-Harris administration’s progress to undo the damage inflicted by Trump and Stephen Miller’s immigration policies. The majority of Americans support the administration’s solutions and want to see a bold, new approach on the issue than the failed policies of the past decades.”
Highlights to follow this week:
GOP Deploys Misleading Border Attacks. The Republican Party, including members of Congress such as Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Scott Perry, and their surrogates this week used the VP’s trip to Mexico and Guatemala to deploy their hyperbolic messaging across Fox News and social media to double down on anti-immigrant, border attacks. The party has already admitted that the “border” will be their go-to electoral play to undermine President Biden’s progress on immigration, congressional citizenship proposals, and various other administration proposals. With over 4,000 media mentions on “border crisis” over a span of three days, the GOP sent a clear message to the American electorate that they’ll continue to weaponize immigration with dog whistles and no solution.
New CBP numbers show a sharp decrease in the number of families and unaccompanied children arriving at the border. Putting a nail in the coffin of Republican political spin and media hysteria about “surges” and “spikes,” newly released data from May show apprehensions for families and unaccompanied minors are down another 16% since April, and overall border apprehensions fell by 1% last month. Further, Title 42's effect on single adult apprehensions is decreasing, up just 8% compared to an 11.5% rise from March-April. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick from the Immigration Council summed it up: “To the extent there was ‘Biden effect’ for families, it's largely over; apprehensions fell steadily since March.”
ICYMI: More Texans Back President Biden Over Texas Governor on Immigration. While Governor Abbott holds another photo op at the border, a new poll shows that the majority of Texans support the president’s approach to immigration. The results are in line with previous polling that demonstrates large support for Democratic solutions, such as creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, orderly and fair measures to process migrants and refugees, smart border management that invests in infrastructure, and strengthening legal immigration pathways.
VIDEO: A new approach to immigration. President Trump gutted and weaponized an immigration system already broken by decades of inaction and a complete misunderstanding of forced migration. He separated families and used cruelty in an attempt to deter immigration. Putting a stop to Trump’s failed and inhumane approach, the Administration is employing a new and more promising strategy to address forced migration in a way that is humane, orderly, and effective. It’s not only more humane, it’s actually going to make progress. Watch and share the video explainer, here.
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.