President Joe Biden said Thursday that he doesn’t believe border walls work, even as his administration said it will waive 26 laws to build additional border barriers in the Rio Grande Valley amid heightened political pressure over migration.
According to a notice posted to the Federal Register Wednesday, construction of the wall will be paid for using already appropriated funds earmarked specifically for physical border barriers. The administration was under a deadline to use them or lose them. But the move comes at a time when a new surge of migrants is straining federal and local resources and placing heavy political pressure on the Biden administration to address a sprawling crisis, and the notice cited “high illegal entry.”
Biden – who, as a candidate, vowed that there will “not be another foot” of border wall constructed on his watch – defended the decision to reporters Thursday, saying that he tried to get the money appropriated for other purposes but was unsuccessful.
“I’ll answer one question on the border wall: The border wall – the money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate it, to redirect that money. They didn’t, they wouldn’t.
And in the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated. I can’t stop that,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office.
Asked whether he believes the border wall works, Biden answered, “No.”
Agriculture in the US would literally collapse in a matter of weeks. Just like… make legal immigration easier.
Agricultural seasonal worker visas are a thing. It's even the one group of visas that has no limit on numbers other than what employers are willing to hire, and they're more protected than a lot of other workers.
It's just cheaper to skirt all that and hire those who have immigrated illegally.
The issue with the protections is that they’re tied to the visa, which can be rescinded by the owner of the farm at a whim. Which is to say, there aren’t any protections unless the owner of the farm decides to adhere to them.
Your second point is entirely true.
Like any work visa, it's tied to having the job. Unlike most work visas, it has additional requirements for the one hiring.
Of course it is. It's always going to be cheaper to hire someone at the cheapest price available than to also have to house and feed them on your dime in addition to pay.>>