Border Patrol Chief | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #486

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Border Security and Immigration

Chris Clem, a retired Border Patrol Chief with over 27 years of experience, emphasizes the need to separate immigration and border security as two distinct issues.
He advocates for "tall fences and wide gates," securing the border where necessary while creating lawful pathways for work through ports of entry and visa programs.
The current immigration policy depends on the purpose of entry, with different requirements for tourists and workers.
The US immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed, as the current quota for non-immigrant work visas is too low and has not been changed in over 50 years.
The best way to solve the immigration issue is to get input from experts and have Congress support their solutions.

There has been a change in demographics of people crossing the border illegally, with an increase in family units and unaccompanied children from Central America and other parts of the world in recent years.
The recent surge in illegal immigration at the southern border involves people from all over the world, including over 20,000 Chinese nationals who have illegally crossed the border since October 2022.
Many migrants are using asylum claims as a defensive strategy to avoid deportation, clogging the system and denying legitimate asylum seekers of swift adjudication.
Cartels and smuggling organizations are marketing asylum seeking as a way to enter the US and are charging people large sums of money to provide them with information and coaching on how to answer asylum questions.

The influx of undocumented immigrants poses challenges for communities, particularly in terms of education, healthcare, and social services.
Sanctuary city policies that limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities can hinder efforts to address illegal immigration and public safety concerns.
The humanitarian crisis at the border is affecting migrants, border communities, and agents, with recent incidents highlighting the need for consequences and a clear path forward for migrants.
The Biden administration's policies have led to an increase in illegal immigration and a decrease in morale among border patrol agents.

The Obama administration's approach to immigration reform, including DACA and the attempt at comprehensive immigration reform, contributed to the surge in illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border.
The Biden administration initially denied the existence of a crisis at the border and the "horse patrol incident" in Del Rio, Texas, further damaged morale among border patrol agents.
The politicization of immigration, with different perspectives from the Democratic and Republican parties, may have ulterior motives behind allowing a large number of people to enter the country.