Current Events > Biden Admin waives federal laws to allow for border wall construction

(+) Yeah! (+)

bigblu89 posted...

And that's really the issue.

No one wants to get down to the real root cause of all of this. The fact that we are not even coming close to the monetary investment we need to solve the immigration issue.

It shouldn't take a decade-plus and thousands of dollars in lawyer fees for someone to legally become a US citizen.

Part of it rests on countries to elect leaders that are willing to fight corruption and give their people incentive to stay in their home countries. Guatemala just elected a president that proposes just that but he is facing a corrupt AG that is pulling election shenanigans.

Nok_Su_Kow posted...

So for the fentanyl that is seized a majority typically comes through legal ports of entry. So some of it must be getting through these heavily trafficked areas. That still is important to know when Republicans say that open borders and illegal immigrants are bringing the fentanyl when we know the majority of immigrants just are not doing that.

Of course we know that a majority aren't. Just like we know a majority aren't crossing the border to cause chaos, and are just looking for a better life.

That doesn't mean we should just sit back and let it happen. We really should be moving towards a better vetting process and streamlining legal immigration/paths to citizenship.

if we raised taxes on the rich and big corporations maybe we'd actually have money to fund proper border security and more immigration staff to process people

bigblu89 posted...

We really should be moving towards a better vetting process and streamlining legal immigration/paths to citizenship.

thronedfire2 posted...

if we raised taxes on the rich and big corporations maybe we'd actually have money to fund proper border security and more immigration staff to process people

All great ideas

thronedfire2 posted...

if we raised taxes on the rich and big corporations maybe we'd actually have money to fund proper border security and more immigration staff to process people

Might also help if people hiring undocumented immigrants to underpay and undercut American workers faced more than just a slap on the wrist. They should be seeing prison time for that shit

Intro2Logic posted...

It's not

And this is why I don't care about what either side has to say. They're both shit.

xlr_big-coop posted...

They're both shit.

https://imgur.com/2GjXSUF.jpg

s0nicfan posted...

Biden also promised that he would cure cancer, so I don't know why people are acting like campaign trail promises are anything to base a vote on.

By the way, that wasn't hyperbolic above. He literally said it:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/06/12/joe-biden-says-hell-cure-cancer-campaign-stop-ottumwa-iowa/1429287001/

People forget how kooky campaign Biden was. Healing the soul of the country. Curing cancer. That time he said he got arrested protesting apartheid in South Africa.

Heineken14 posted...

https://imgur.com/2GjXSUF.jpg

And yet here we are, with both parties building a border wall. Biden had to go out of his way to do this, using powers that he refuses to use toward progressive causes. The excuse that it's just to appeal to the center is weak as well and just admits in a roundabout way that the parties are the same. If you think you have to appeal to a "center" that is just republican, or republican-lite most charitably, then you cannot pretend you are a different party. While democrats and republicans have some differences, they're like pepsi vs coke.

This kind of stuff is why Biden is just not inspiring folks, for all he does that's good he also feels like he gives the Republicans to much. Most just want someone who will want to destroy the Republicans as much as Trump wanted to destroy Democrats.

There are significant differences between the parties, but immigration is probably the partisan issue where there has been the most continuity between Biden and his predecessor.

Which is a polite way of saying it's the issue his administration has been the worst at.

Intro2Logic posted...

There are significant differences between the parties, but immigration is probably the partisan issue where there has been the most continuity between Biden and his predecessor.

Which is a polite way of saying it's the issue his administration has been the worst at.

there's just really no way to do it without more spending. manpower guarding the border is effective, walls aren't. even just having guys stationed ~20-30 miles apart, they'll have vehicles and people crossing won't. all we need is surveillance. but we also need to be able to process people and support people who move here legally.

it's not a coincidence that the right never mentions the american dream anymore..it was a lie.

thronedfire2 posted...

manpower guarding the border is effective,

Effective at what?

Intro2Logic posted...

Effective at what?

...bringing people to places they can go through the hypothetically funded and efficient border crossing office?

walls are literally useless without people guarding them. do you think south americans haven't invented ladders yet? drug dealers can just drop a fucking kilo of fentanyl over the border with an undetactable drone if there's no one around to stop them

Has it already been mentioned that this is from a 2019 spending bill that Trump signed and Congress (Republicans) refused to changed how the money could be spent?

Pitbuller_26 posted...

Has it already been mentioned that this is from a 2019 spending bill that Trump signed and Congress (Republicans) refused to changed how the money could be spent?

How does an act passed by Congress compel the executive branch to waive federal laws? That's what I don't understand.

Also,

There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas, Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, stated in the notice.

This doesn't read like "damn our hands are tied jack"

Bald Man Bad

I'm sick and tired of these politicians talking about the border. Neither party actually wants them gone, Republicans especially. We already have a working solution to keep them from coming and staying. The fact that they don't do that solution just shows how full of shit the GOP are, and how brainwashed their voter base are to not notice.

Yeah, this would have been tied up in court for years otherwise.

So, having heard a better explanation of it, this was money appropriated specifically for the border wall in 2019 that was legally required to be spent before the end of 2023. It would have become illegal for Biden to not spend the money and use it for anything else as he has spent years trying to see if he could get the money spent on other border projects and even today has said a border wall does not work.

Doesn't justify or explain the waiving of the federal protection laws, though the company who will be handling it claims they will do it as environmentally conscientious as possible. The only thing I can think of is he wants to get it expedited and over with since the money has to be spent by the end of 2023.

It sucks and I hate it, however it doesn't seem like he's changed his mind on the wall, the law has just tied his hands with these funds.

I wonder why Trump didn't spend the money since it was appropriated in 2019, however we'll never know since he's just gloating victory and saying Biden owes him an apology.

The funding ties his hands but environmental review laws don't?

1337toothbrush posted...

And yet here we are

You're right. A dump truck and a unicycle ARE the same thing because they both have a wheel. You've convinced me.

streamofthesky posted...

It is refreshing seeing the stupidity of "sanctuary cities", "open borders", "immigration is always a good thing" types to eat crow.
I just don't get it, in 2020 Biden was one of the only Democrats to NOT support open borders, but then apparently went left on it once in office?

In any case, trying to "protect" thousands of miles of border is pointless and a waste of money past a basic level of security, and a wall is especially stupid. If people really want to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in this country, go after the employers and throw them in jail. Once the supply dries up from fear of prison and there's no trabajo, the immigrants will want to leave on their own, just like during each economic crisis.
Could even offer free bus trips to the border and no criminal charges if they willingly turn themselves in.

But no one ever does that, b/c they like the cheap exploitable labor, but want to sound like they give a shit about poor people having their labor value diluted, so they attack the immigrants instead.

While that would help, you have to take into account the 12-20 million possible undocumented, not to mention cash is still king in many areas like NYC.

Unknown5uspect posted...

Yo lemme get the data on that.

bigblu89 posted...

Thats widely known by anyone who does even the smallest bit of research, but Fox News cant talk about that aspect because theres tens of thousands of white Europeans that are here illegally because of that, and its easier for them to blame brown people.

Except it's not true anymore.

850k total overstays in 2022, which is the highest on record. Most of it coming largely from Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil and China.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/23_0707_FY22_FY23_CBP_Integrated_Entry_Exit_Overstay_Report.pdf &ved=2ahUKEwi43f2E892BAxXSrokEHTuFB9sQFnoECHYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0rQVUt7DpT2iBKRVCCoHFh

For border crossings, from October 2022 to December 2022, 860k were encountered with 20% sent back.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-december-2022-monthly-operational-update

After expulsion amounts.

FY 2021 700k.
FY 2022 1.5 million.
FY 2023 will probably be 2.4 million.

This is ignoring all the people who never get caught crossing and choose to just stay undocumented rather than seeking asylum.

willythemailboy posted...

Technically true but presented in a way to be deliberately misleading. Overstay is more common but of lower duration - most overstay violations persist for less than a year, while illegal border crossings more commonly lead to permanent residence. So while a larger number of overstays occur each year compared to illegal border crossings, more illegal immigrants are in the country due to illegal border crossings than overstays at any given moment in time.

Ah, that's the nuance I've been missing. Makes sense.

Heineken14 posted...

You're right.

I am. Next time quote my full post or don't bother. In fact, just don't bother because that non-sequitur was terrible.

Watch them trick the Republicans into funding an immigration reform bill by building a wall of DHS facilities.

xlr_big-coop posted...

And this is why I don't care about what either side has to say. They're both shit.

We know you dont believe that.

so are border walls still racist or nah?

MattSFfrd posted...

so are border walls still racist or nah?

Yes.

so Biden is racist, cool. actually we already knew that

MattSFfrd posted...

so Biden is racist, cool. actually we already knew that

Not the gotcha you were going for, but ignoring context was expected I guess.

MattSFfrd posted...

so Biden is racist, cool. actually we already knew that

Then why did you ask?

InfinityMonster posted...

Except it's not true anymore.

850k total overstays in 2022, which is the highest on record. Most of it coming largely from Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil and China.

Unless I'm reading it wrong, the non-Canada, Non-Mexico overstay rates are in the HUNDREDS of thousands.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/2/AAafKOAAE59o.png

Heineken14 posted...

Then why did you ask?

it's fun to watch you have to admit it

Fucking stupid. Good to see we continue with such useless policies.

The budget was allocated for the wall. As far as we can tell, Biden tried to use the money for other things, but was blocked every single step of the way, cause the money was allocated for the wall and could not be used for anything else. Now why Biden decided to actually use that money for the wall now, we dont know. Just that the money could literally not be used anywhere else.

LightHawKnight posted...

The budget was allocated for the wall. As far as we can tell, Biden tried to use the money for other things, but was blocked every single step of the way, cause the money was allocated for the wall and could not be used for anything else. Now why Biden decided to actually use that money for the wall now, we dont know. Just that the money could literally not be used anywhere else.

Its not like the government burns the money if it isnt spent, thats a stupid argument. Someone else said the money had to be spent this year or the allocation ended.

Then it could have been allocated somewhere else.

Alteres posted...

Its not like the government burns the money if it isnt spent, thats a stupid argument. Someone else said the money had to be spent this year or the allocation ended.

Then it could have been allocated somewhere else.

Havent heard of the last part. Sure the money isnt burnt, but it is just sitting there, usually you dont want that. Good as useless when it couldnt be spent on anything else.

bigblu89 posted...

Unless I'm reading it wrong, the non-Canada, Non-Mexico overstay rates are in the HUNDREDS of thousands.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/2/AAafKOAAE59o.png

Yes, which is included in the 850k total.

Should use that money to secure our points of entry. That's where almost 100% of the illegal drugs are coming in from.

Heineken14 posted...

https://imgur.com/2GjXSUF.jpg

I voted against the people who wanted to build the wall and the wall is being built by the people I voted for. Republicans would have done that and worse, but it really feels like attempts to vote against racism were in vain.

That is why we hate conservative politicians, right? Because they're bigoted. I don't give a fuck about whose dick is bigger or who can piss the furthest. I never cared for cock fighting contests or high school football rivalries. I vote Democrat because they're the anti-bigotry party. When I see them placating bigots, it nullifies my reason for even voting.

Yes, I care about economic policies that are harmful.
Yes, my sympathy goes out to the victims of gun violence.
But until its power is broken, priority one is fighting bigotry.

This is an unacceptable compromise.

LightHawKnight posted...

Havent heard of the last part. Sure the money isnt burnt, but it is just sitting there, usually you dont want that. Good as useless when it couldnt be spent on anything else.

"Better to spend the money on bullshit than to not spend the money until it can be reallocated to non-bullshit"

bigblu89 posted...

So how does this work now?

Does this make Biden a racist xenophobic piece of crap that doesnt care about the environment, or do we only say that when Republicans do things like this?

This the perfect example of same shit both sides.

Hily fucking shit! There is nothing Biden could do. The last administration codified this spending into law in such a way as Biden had no choice but to go ahead with it.

mustachedmystic posted...

Hily fucking shit! There is nothing Biden could do. The last administration codified this spending into law in such a way as Biden had no choice but to go ahead with it.

Literally the first sentence of the article: "The Biden administration announced they waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction"

If Biden did nothing, he'd actually have prevented this from happening. Instead he went out of his way to make this a reality. There is no defending this bullshit.

1337toothbrush posted...

Literally the first sentence of the article: "The Biden administration announced they waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction"

If Biden did nothing, he'd actually have prevented this from happening. Instead he went out of his way to make this a reality. There is no defending this bullshit.

So yes, it sucks but the point is compliance within the law. If DHS got their funds without the right of way to actually use them, then they could take the administration to court over it. Since the deadline is the end of this year, waiving these laws expedites the process and prevents any potential litigation. There is no placating or compromising going on here either. Nothing from what we can read here suggests that.

Nok_Su_Kow posted...

So yes, it sucks but the point is compliance within the law. If DHS got their funds without the right of way to actually use them, then they could take the administration to court over it. Since the deadline is the end of this year, waiving these laws expedites the process and prevents any potential litigation.

Why would you want to prevent the litigation (if that would even be the result)? Anything to delay or, better yet, stop this completely, would be a good thing.

"...congressional appropriation from 2019..."

Someone refresh my memory. Who was president in 2019 again?

Another lame gotcha attempt by MAGA chuds who literally have nothing else.

1337toothbrush posted...

Why would you want to prevent the litigation (if that would even be the result)? Anything to delay or, better yet, stop this completely, would be a good thing.

Probably because a lawless president isn't a good look and its not exactly a fight that can be won.

Nok_Su_Kow posted...

Probably because a lawless president isn't a good look and its not exactly a fight that can be won.

Not clearing the way for a stupid wall isn't "lawless". Seriously, these are some really bad excuses. You know what isn't a good look? Being elected as a democrat claiming to be against the border wall and then expediting that wall by bypassing environmental regulations.