The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Jul 1, 2022; Day 322

Fallout (Any adverse and unwanted secondary effect) of policy failure: On the U.S. migrant tragedy

The U.S. must humanely (characterized by kindness, mercy, sympathy, etc) manage the inflow of migrants across its southern border

In what appears to be the worst episode in recent times of migrant deaths associated with dangerous border crossings into the U.S., the bodies of at least 53 people were recovered from an abandoned tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. Reports suggested that the migrants, hailing from Mexico, the Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, died from the extreme temperatures inside the truck, amidst a lethal (Of an instrument of certain death) heat wave. The grim (Shockingly repellent) episode highlights yet again the perils (A source of danger) faced by those seeking asylum (A shelter from danger or hardship) or better economic prospects in the U.S., who come up against the country’s immigration policies, which are yet very much a work-in-progress. On the one hand, the latest crisis underscores the serious lacunae (A blank gap or missing part) in border policy enforcement. Despite the searing (Severely critical) summer, border crossings in this region have remained stubbornly (difficult to handle) high over the past two years. In May 2020, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered 23,237 migrants, whereas in May 2022, that number was 2,39,146 — said to be more than in any single month in the past three years. Even worse, Mexican officials have confirmed that the truck passed through a federal immigration checkpoint within the territory of the U.S. and yet was not inspected. With approximately 20,000 trucks passing through the commercial corridor from Laredo to San Antonio every day, and even more across U.S.-Mexico crossing routes overall, there is a woeful shortage of manpower and surveillance systems.

Nevertheless, it is the bigger questions behind cross-border migration into the U.S. and its fallout, as shown above, that are troubling. Democrats and Republicans have locked horns (argue about something) over comprehensive immigration reform in a multitude (A large indefinite number) of negotiations and across hundreds of bills proposed in Congress. Yet there is a fundamental unwillingness to find bipartisan (Supported by both sides) solutions for immigration policy, in the way that the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act came out of a collaborative (Accomplished by working jointly ) effort and now offers a glimmer (a faint indication) of hope towards containing gun violence. While Democrats have dug in their heels (dig in one’s heels means resist stubbornly; refuse to give in) on subjects such as a path to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented workers in the U.S. who meet certain conditions, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Republicans have tended to focus more on keeping undocumented migrants out at the border. The problem with their refusing to hammer out (Discuss vehemently in order to reach a solution or an agreement) compromise solutions is that the resultant failure to evolve a well-funded yet enlightened immigration policy leads to avoidable deaths of the kind seen in San Antonio. Whatever they cede (Give over) or do not cede politically to liberals, conservatives must realise that there is no resisting the “melting pot” (a place where a lot of different cultures, ideas, etc. come together) effect coterminous (Being of equal extent, scope or duration) with the U.S.’s social and economic progress, and for that process to work smoothly, the U.S. must rationally and humanely manage the inflow of migrants across its southern border.

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