QOTD: Down On The Border

 

"Psst. Have you heard? Illegal border crossings are down. Way down.

"From the last four months of 2023 to the first four months of 2024, illegal crossings at the U.S. southwestern border fell a whopping 40 percent, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Such crossings usually rise in the early months of a calendar year, as the weather warms, so this number might even understate the turnaround.

"Two takeaways from this development: First, the standard GOP (and media) talking points about the 'border crisis' are woefully out of date. Second: Anyone who cares about border security should support a presidential candidate with (ahem) good diplomatic relationships..." -- Catherine Rampell, in the Washington Post, discussing the "border crisis" (that Republicans, at the Malignant Loser's behest, don't want to address so they can use it as an election issue).  The main point Rampell makes is that having a President who can engage in serious multilateral diplomatic relations has been a key to the turnaround. U.S. Mexico relations are, of course, key and have greatly improved under President Biden (not having a bomb-throwing racist buffoon as President helps).  But other countries in Latin America and around the world have helped with interdiction and shutting down smuggling networks.  Now, getting a Democratic House that will pass an effective, humane border security bill is the next step.