Joe Biden's Wall Will Not Win Over Far-Right Conservatives
Despite his efforts since being elected, President Joe Biden is not winning over Trump-voting conservatives
No matter how hard President Joe Biden tries, far-right conservatives will not support him. This has been evident since he was elected to office. Republicans continue to drive the narrative that the border is open and regardless of what he does, they will continue changing the portrayal as they have for more than 3 decades. Now, the White House is playing right into their nonsense.
With Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas declaring that the administration will waive more than 20 environmental laws to build a border wall in Texas - mimicking former president Donald Trump’s policies at the border - Biden’s White House seems more content with appeasing Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s political stunts rather than challenge the illegality of Texas’ border actions.
Gov. Abbott continues to play games with human lives violating U.S. law and basic human rights and Biden's appeasing his actions is a disservice to the country. Misinformation is rampant. From major media outlets lying about the buoy barrier being ordered removed to Tucker Carlson and other conservative big-mouths claiming immigrants receive $2,200 a month from the federal government, Democrats have failed in countering the messaging with truth and facts.
If we can’t rely on legacy “news” outlets or the political party that is supposed to stand for justice and humanity, we find ourselves in a precarious time. It goes without saying that the current influx of migrants - at a time when border crossings usually decline due to the weather - was caused by misinformation based on clickbait headlines that are being used to lure migrants to cross right where Texas’ buoy barrier was supposedly ordered removed in Eagle Pass.
While a recent study showed that Republicans screaming that the border is wide open had led to some of the influx, that was true prior to Title 42 being lifted. Just like then, when all major media screeched about the incoming “surge” at the border - which didn’t happen - the lie about Judge Ezra’s order worked like a charm in baiting asylum-seekers.
When we talk about human smugglers and asylum-seekers, media complicity is huge as they feign outrage and compassion on television. It seems more reporters are concerned with the sensational - even if they have to create it - so they can get more attention than they are the humans they demonize. This is not to say that there aren’t good journalists out there reporting on immigration. But it does speak to what the ad-driven corporate media allows to pass for news while never challenging misinformation.
No, President Biden won’t win over any of the nearly 75 million Trump voters who are just fine with committing human rights abuses against those they deem inferior. In today’s environment, the targets for white society are by and large immigrants from the Global South more than anyone else. Hence, all the lies that are either spread or allowed to spread through white-owned media.
I am a freelance writer, journalist, and publisher of The Antagonist Magazine and a regular contributor at Latino Rebels and Unicorn Riot. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads.
I recently read an article detailing Governor Pritzker's frustration with the Biden administration's immigration policy.
Pritzker has been a strong supporter of Biden, and an ardent advocate for humane treatment of refugees, but the costs are straining Illinois budgets and there's been too little federal support. Those assigned to immigration issues don't communicate with one another, much less with state governors.
I truly don't understand why Biden 1) doesn't have a team dedicated to working effectively with sanctuary states, and 2) hasn't assembled a team of outside immigration experts to create a short and long-term immigration plan. Push it through Congress and force Republicans to explain their refusal to support the plan.