In an article titled "Trump Says U.S. Is ‘Full’ and Can’t Accommodate More Migrants" by Alyza Sebenius, President Donald J. Trump paid a visit to the border wall of Calexico, a town in Southern California in April, 2019. He had visited to speak at a briefing regarding the state of the border, immigration, and whatnot. His reaction to the border was, "Our country is full. Our area is full. The sector is full[. . .] Can’t take you anymore. I’m sorry, turn around, that’s the way it is." (Sebenius, 2019.) Whether or not the president's words were true or false, there's two sides of a coin, so take everything said with a pinch of salt.
The United States is a highly populated country, with 50 states, 2 commonwealths, and a mixture of races, it's safe to say that the country is quite a handful as it is. The vast majority of citizens know the dangers of homelessness, substance abuse, corruption in the workforce, and much more within the country, enough to promote campaigns to fix them. They also deal with quite a few of their own crises, such as epidemics on the rise, increase in firearm danger, and activism controversies. Students have begun to take part in political debates, as well as use their platforms to share the voices of those who would normally be ignored.
While President Trump may have come off as dismissive and ignorant to the innocent immigrants trying to cross, there is substance behind his words. There are roughly 555,000 homeless people in the United States, of which around 37,000 are veterans. Within these statistics are children, families, mentally ill, and more people that are in need. With that high of a number comes consequences, such as street violence, an increase in drug abuse, and human trafficking.
How can we, as a nation, take in others who are suffering when our own people are suffering? There is not nearly enough being done to provide for our own people, so to bring in outsiders will create a bigger mess. With all due respect, helping those in need is something only possible in an ideal world. The United States may be seen as the Land of the Free, but there are dozens upon dozens of issues to be addressed, dealt with, and eradicated before its able to take in those who are seeking help.
President Trump had raised a deal, offering to just close the border, but stated, "Mexico over the last four days has done more than they’ve ever done[. . .] Apprehending people by the thousands and bringing them back to their countries." (Sebenius, 2019.) However, according to the author of this article, Alyza Sebenius, Mexican officials have said their immigration policies and enforcement practices haven’t changed this week.
The habit of making statements that blindsight the truth is a common occurrence in higher level politics, because it's a way to distract the audience from what's going on. Whilst it’s clear that the nation is dealing with its own problems, there’s no denying that there’s more room and help available there compared to any other country. Should the United States accept every single immigrant? No. But they shouldn’t blatantly lie about the situation, seeing as there is always a house for sale, a job opening, and other opportunities within the States. As a nation, there should be priority for the citizens before immigrants, which will balance out the need to help and those needing help.
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