Whenever an event happens at the border, the rote reaction of the media and political parties is almost a waste of time to repeat. The right talks about border security and the left, along with the media, talk about migrants who just want a better life. But several sinister changes at the border are elevating this discussion to a unique level bordering on dangerous: the control of Mexican cartels and the absolute chaos of large migrant groups rushing the border. Just this week over 1,000 people attempted to rush the border officials in El Paso, causing the federal authorities to close the northbound bridge. Yuma, Arizona residents are noting the extreme increase in cartel activity and have noted that the border is essentially wide open leading to an increase in drug and human trafficking activities never seen before. But beyond that, US citizens are now cautioned not to travel or go on spring break due to the violence of the now cartel-controlled land. Why is our federal government not acting and what is the proper role of the federal government in these cases?
The Federalist Papers are the natural place to go to begin to understand how our federal government was constructed to deal with these border issues. When writing to the colonies, the authors noted that unity of the colonies was necessary in order to prevent foreign attacks or intrigue. But the writers were even more philosophical than just the founding or purpose of our federal government, they started with the premise of what is most necessary for any national government. What is noted in Federalist Paper No. 3 is that the primary purpose of any government is to provide security and safety to its citizens. This provision of peace and tranquility is not just to protect from the danger of foreign arms and influence, but also from similar domestic causes. Throughout the subsequent Federalist Papers, the writers note why the federal government is the proper authority for these issues: because the states have differing interests and needs. We see this in real time right now. Maine does not have to worry about the millions of illegal migrants crossing the border, whereas Texas and Arizona do. Why should New York be concerned with what is happening over a thousand miles away? The jealous or uninterested behavior of states towards one another are why the Federalists insisted on a federal government taking on the responsibility of enforcing the sovereignty of the nation, because the federal government can see the bigger picture and should be interested in the actions that provide the most good for the nation, not just for individual states.
Which brings us back to the issue of border security. The issue has largely been politicized due to the government failing its main purpose which has led to border states to act out in ways to get the federal government to do its duty. The primary border with Mexico is a conservative state which has politicized the issue further instead of all the states seeing and understanding that this is a national issue. It does not matter what your moral or political beliefs are about the migrants crossing our border, the degradation of peace and tranquility within the US is an issue that the federal government is responsible for. Whether or not you label the cartels as domestic or international terrorists, the fact remains that the federal government is responsible for fixing the issues it has created. A label of terrorist does not magically give or absolve the federal government from securing the safety of its citizens. The undeniable facts are American citizens are being put in danger by the cartels either with direct or indirect violence. The utter depravity of the human trafficking should be horrific enough that all should galvanize behind federal action. And while this issue is seen as a Texas issue to many of the interior or democrat led states, the fact is that the border crisis has far reaching implications to all the states.
Texas and Florida are attempting to make their issue a nuisance to other states by sending them the illegal immigrants. This again was predicted by the founders and shows a collapse of the proper role of the federal government. The purpose of the government was to prevent these disputes and jealousies between the states. But immigrants are not the only issue affecting the states. Commerce from Mexico was halted this week due to the mass entry attempted. How many legal business dealings were prevented or delayed due to the bridge to El Paso being closed down for a day? It is nearly impossible to put a number to the disruptions the cartels have caused not only with border businesses but also to the commerce with Mexico itself. Interstate commerce is critical for our entire economy and should draw the interest of all of the states. The influx of drugs has had a profound and deeply disturbing impact on especially metropolitan cities. With more federal inaction, the drug trade along the border will have a massive impact on the livelihood of every citizen in our republic. It is the federal government’s responsibility to stop this before it reaches that level and it is in the best interest of all the states to demand the federal government do its job.
When will enough be enough? At what point will our congress address the issues and stop the incessant, factious demagoguery? Can we not admit to our rational selves that the border situation is hurting our country and even other countries? How many innocent humans have to be trafficked before we acknowledge that the government needs to stop its political posturing and start fulfilling its primary obligation? The drug crisis and the violence that the cartels are causing is a direct result of the federal government not fulfilling the primary obligation of any government. We the People deserve and need to demand more from our elected representatives who are more interested in their political careers than the peace and safety of our country.
Responses
100% agree. Security is job number one and always has been. A long time ago when humans were organized by tribes all over the world, security was the first thing that was needed to protect themselves from other tribes. Eventually, full-time security guards were established, also known as armies.
National security is one of the very few proper roles of government.