From watching some of the media coverage of the mass influx of illegal immigrants at our southern border, one might come away thinking this is some sort of natural disaster – an “act of God” like a hurricane or earthquake that could never have been foreseen.
But as early as six months ago, the Obama administration requested increased funding to deal with the influx, showing knowledge of the issue before it blew up in the press. And the waves of immigrants are, in some cases, crossing through the borders of multiple countries on their way to the U.S.
To that end, instead of funding the malfeasance and incompetence of foreign countries, the U.S. should hold them accountable.
With estimates of over 130,000 children from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras streaming over the border in the coming year, it’s time to ask the obvious question: who is holding these countries accountable for sending their children to America en masse? Something this monumental and cataclysmic does not happen on its own; these governments are either criminally negligent in caring for their own people or are insidiously encouraging them to migrate across the border illegally.
According to the Congressional Research Service, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras receive $65.2 million, $22.3 million, and $41.9 million in foreign aid respectively. Some more funds are funneled to these countries through sundry programs run by the State Department, such as the Western Hemisphere Regional program. Recently, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the annual appropriations bill funding the State Department’s budget. If this bill comes to the floor, conservatives should push for some sort of conditioning of foreign aid to their commitment to stem the tide of the migration.
Moreover, it’s time for Congress to start holding Mexico accountable for their unwillingness to stop the flow from their side of the border. It’s hard to imagine how hundreds of thousands of children from Central America can march straight through their country and across our southern border without some degree of cooperation from the Mexican government. Perhaps some sort of deterrent can be attached to their foreign aid, which topped $200 million last year.
Every year, we send hundreds of millions to Latin American countries in order to build up their economy. If they turn around and send their citizens through our southern border while leaving us with the tab, the least we can do is end this gratuitous aid.