Friday, September 23, 2022

Turnabout and Consequences: Illegal migrants in Liberal Martha's Vineyard

There's a certain comedic justice unfolding at Martha's Vineyard. Perhaps a better expression would be a comeuppance for the Limousine Class of liberals and conservatives living behind their gated communities on the posh getaway island of the rich and somewhat infamous. 

For those of you not familiar with the situation, about 50 illegal immigrants (the establishment media is calling them "migrants" and "future asylum seekers") were dumped off in front of the homes of some of the nation's wealthiest and most powerful residents, which includes the Obamas, the Clintons, Oprah Winfrey, and the Kennedy's, on Martha's Vineyard, which is an exclusive enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. Somehow, it's just seems appropriate, and why not?   

After all these individuals have been actively encouraging illegal immigration along our borders for  so-called "humanitarian" purposes for decades. They even symbolically declared Martha's Vineyard to be a "sanctuary destination", apparently assuming no one would actually take them up on their rhetoric. Well apparently no one told Florida Governor Rick DeSantis (R) that it was "BS" designed to win votes and that no one really meant it.

The Florida governor apparently reached out to about 50 "migrants" in Texas and offered them a one way ticket to swanky Martha's Vineyard where they could expect housing, food, and all the usual amenities the Limousine Class promises those who cross illegally into the border states (they also provided them with $10 gift cards from McDonalds).  

Attorneys for the Boston based "Lawyers for Civil Rights", a nonprofit group which represents primarily liberal causes, is currently representing 30 of the 50 recent arrivals (mostly from Venezuela). They claim their clients were "misrepresented" and cite a brochure given to the "migrants" promising housing, food, and cash assistance.  The brochure allegedly originated from an organization run by Governor DeSantis.

It should be noted that Venezuela has been in economic and political freefall  due primarily because of U.S. led economic sanctions. The sanctions result from a pissing contest starting in 2014 between former U.S. President Obama and the late Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez. The resulting sanctions triggered economic and political instability throughout the region (and devastated Venezuela). The meltdown has slowly been finding its way along the U.S. border.

Although numerous reasons have been cited (depending on who you ask), the primarily reason most often mentioned is Venezuela's cozy relationship with America's arch-nemesis, Cuba, which has survived an 59 year old (and largely failed) embargo amid claims of civil rights violations and election fraud by the Chavez Administration (not like the U.S. has much room to talk on the later issues). 

While the above mentioned resources (along with others) are available as outlined in the brochure, they are for those determined by the State Department to be refugees, which is a very specific term and generally applies to those forced to leave their country to evade persecution for political, ethnic, or religious reasons.  It does not recognize "economic refugees" (economic refugees are those seeking to improve their economic condition).

At present, it doesn't appear that any of the 50 individuals who voluntarily undertook the trip from Texas to Martha's Vineyard qualify. As an aside, the attorneys representing these so-called "migrants" expect that some or perhaps all of their clients will ultimately qualify as refugees as defined by the State Department (with the proper coaching no doubt).

The attorneys are also alleging that the relocation program by DeSantis and Abbott violates their client's "rights" under the Fourth and 14th amendments, as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Apparently those having illegally entered the United States are entitled to the same rights as U.S. citizens, which also overlooks the fact that these individuals are, by definition, criminals until a federal court determines otherwise. Therefore, while certain international and domestic laws would seem applicable, their legal protection would be limited. 

But then, who knows? Perhaps the newest way to achieve the "American Dream" is to enter the country illegally (immigration laws? We don't need no stinking immigration laws!"), find some bleeding heart liberal attorneys who are starving for some national notoriety, and sue the state and/or governor!

The old way was just a waiting game. It required the illegal alien to hide under some religious organization's wing until some poll told the president that voters wouldn't oust them out if they granted amnesty to a few million illegal immigrants. It worked for Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Obama!

Governor DeSantis, who is a likely Republican presidential candidate in 2024, said that no laws were broken, despite claims by the Lawyers for Civil Rights. The $12 million dollar program, based a similar program by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), is aimed at redirecting illegal immigrants from non-sanctuary cities and states to sanctuary locations.  I guess liberal politicians should be careful what they promise. They just might have to deliver.

Abbott has sent so-called migrants to not only D.C., but also New York City and Chicago.  Arizona's Governor, Doug Ducey (R), has also sent illegals to Washington D.C.  Both DeSantis and Abbott have indicated that they intend to continue to do so despite the threatened lawsuit by Lawyers for Civil Rights for fraud. 

The downside has been that mayors from these "sanctuary" cities (like San Francisco), have asked Washington for millions more in federal aid to cope with the influx of illegal residents. There's something wrong about a city or state which openly decides to blow off federal immigration laws, and then have the moxy to ask for federal (taxpayer) dollars to bail them out of the problem they created.

Illegal immigration and border crossings have largely dropped off the establishment airwaves given that so much time needed to cover Trump, although there is a sprinkling here and there about the crisis in Ukraine, rising inflation, Putin's impatience with the EU and pending dual economic and social disasters with cutting off gas and oil shipments to Europe just as winter approaches, the climate change situation, China's  growing imperialistic aims, Biden's and Harris's pathetic approval ratings, and expected Democratic butt kicking at the midterm elections in November.

Nevertheless, illegal immigration remains a serious problem, and few can doubt that much of it is the result of U.S. foreign policy. At present, there is an estimated 14 million individuals living in the United States as of 2021 who are here illegally. Of course, no one knows for sure.

According to FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform), one of the nation's largest monitor of illegal immigration, these 14 million or so individuals cost taxpayers around $143 billion dollars annually, which is up by $9.4 billion over 2020.

That's money which could be used to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure such as roads or bridges, our antiquated and vulnerable electrical grid, our failing schools, and so forth.  Instead, it's going to support those who refuse to follow our immigration laws and apply like any other law abiding individual wanting to enter our country.

True, many take jobs that most Americans don't want, but if they weren't there, employers would be forced to raise wages and offer benefits to fill those positions. Instead, they offer low wages and few, if any, benefits. They force employees to work in unsafe and unhealthy conditions, long hours without so much as a restroom break because they know these individuals, whom they hired illegally, can't do anything about it.

Few speak the language and fewer still know the first thing about U.S. labor laws. They're desperate for the money and the employers know it. Besides, where else are they going to go? These low life employers who use the argument that they're holding down prices are using the argument that plantation owners used about slave labor. Cheap prices based on human suffering is nobody's bargain.

If they get busted, the employees lose everything, and get deported (or possibly face jail time) while the employers barely get an slap on the wrist. That's not justice regardless of how you feel about illegal immigration. At the bare minimum the employers should lose their business licenses, face minimum fines and jail time. Religious groups should face the same as well as lose their tax exempt status.

What governors like DeSantis, Abbott, and Ducey are doing may not be the right thing, but then they are forcing individuals who want others to deal with their decisions to step up and take responsibility for the political games they play with other people's lives. It's one thing to say "let 'em in" when it's someone else's yard but quite another when it's your backyard. Meanwhile, those who are being sent here and there are pawns caught in a political game.

The majority of our problems with illegal immigration are the result of poor foreign policy decisions. Most of these decisions are the outcome of a handful of very wealthy individuals and corporations attempting to gain greater shares of markets or control of assets and resources. People are a inconsequential byproduct; chattel to be used and discarded. What, I often wonder, would happen if the wellbeing of people was the priority rather than profit?

America is a nation of immigrants. As the country grew, it developed laws pertaining to immigration just like every country on the planet has. It is our right as a sovereign nation just as it is for every other sovereign nation. There's a popular sign at pro-immigration rallies which reads "No One is Illegal", which is true. But a person's actions can be. That's why there are laws, and laws are meant to be enforced until such time as they are changed.

Playing economic and military chicken for the sake of power and wealth makes absolutely no sense. In the name of acquiring resources, we disrupt and destroy the most precious resource of them all--- human life.  How does that benefit Humanity? How does that create a more productive and sustainable planet?  

Sudden mass and unregulated shifts of population typically result in conflict, be it cultures, laws, values, traditions, and incompatible religions. Ultimately, it sets the stage for the annihilation of one or the other under the euphemistic term of "multiculturalism". 

When population shifts are gradual and relatively small, there's an opportunity for absorption of cultures and everything migrants bring. When the influx is large and unexpected, there is no time for a "cultural courtship" to take place. Conflict occurs as one (usually the incoming group) attempts to assert itself. Not all conquest are at the tip of a spear or bayonet, but they are conquests nevertheless.

Martha's Vineyard is, in the short run, a minor blip in the news cycle. But the accumulative affects of these "minor blips" are how empires fall and civilizations vanish into the dustpan of history.

 

If you want to know more, please take a look at the links below. If you enjoyed the article, please consider passing it along to others and don't forget to subscribe. It's free! Lastly please be sure to "like" us on whatever platform you use to read A/O. It helps with the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation. Thank you! 

 

Migrants who landed on Martha's Vineyard were tricked by misleading brochure, lawyers say


Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard file class-action suit against DeSantis


Martha's Vineyard is a magnet for millionaires, CEOs and celebs...

 

Why Hollywood hides at Martha's Vineyard


Celebs on Martha's Vineyard


International sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis


United States embargo against Cuba


How many illegal aliens live in the United States?


 

 

 

1 comment:

South Ender said...

Truer words were never written!