Immigration Issues and Reform

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altmin said:
Agriculture is the biggest lobby in DC. I was surprised to find it was bigger than defense.
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In 2019, farms received $22.6 billion in government payments, representing 20.4% of $111.1 billion in profits.
 
Another reason this issue is personal to me is that I had a childhood friend who died from fentanyl overdose last summer. The fentanyl issue is closely related to illegal immigration, although not exactly the same issue. See below.

“Trafficking of fentanyl appears to largely occur at the southwest border, where 90% of the drug seized by CBP is found. Over the past year, the agency seized 850% more fentanyl compared to 2019 and seized nearly twice as much fentanyl in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, according to data from the agency.”

“Authorities say Mexican drug labs are responsible for taking Chinese precursor chemicals and turning them into deadly fentanyl product. Fake pills resembling real prescription drugs like oxycodone are part of the scourge that has made its way into "every community," as one federal official put it.”

Full article: Border officials seize a lot of fentanyl but say it's complicated problem to solve
 
HeelYeah2012 said:
Another reason this issue is personal to me is that I had a childhood friend who died from fentanyl last summer. The fentanyl issue is closely related to illegal immigration, although not exactly the same issue. See below.

“Trafficking of fentanyl appears to largely occur at the southwest border, where 90% of the drug seized by CBP is found. Over the past year, the agency seized 850% more fentanyl compared to 2019 and seized nearly twice as much fentanyl in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, according to data from the agency.”

Full article: Border officials seize a lot of fentanyl but say it's complicated problem to solve
Click to expand...
So the Border Patrol is doing an even better job seizing the drugs now, so they're doing really well in that regard. I'd say we need to keep doing what we're doing right? I still don't get it.
 

The Truth About Fentanyl Trafficking​

Republicans want voters to think that undocumented immigrants are running across the border with backpacks full of fentanyl.5 But here are the key facts:

  • United States citizens comprised 86% of fentanyl trafficking convictions in 2021.6 1,322 of the 1,533 charged fentanyl trafficking offenders were US citizens.7 Even the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, acknowledges this point. In fact, just 0.02% of people arrested by Border Patrol for illegally crossing possessed fentanyl.8
  • More than 96% of fentanyl seizures along the border since the start of fiscal year 2023 have been at legal US ports of entry.9 Fentanyl is rarely carried over the border through the desert. It’s being smuggled across legal points of entry inside seat cushions, car batteries, even inside the metal frame of a walker.
  • Fentanyl deaths have been on the rise for the past decade.10 Overdose deaths from fentanyl aren’t new or a unique Biden Administration problem. Fentanyl deaths have been increasing since 2014, with significant increases during the Trump Administration. From 2016 to 2020, fentanyl deaths in the US increased by 191%, compared to a 25% increase from 2020 to 2021.11
  • 90% of fentanyl seized by CBP was at U.S. border crossings into Arizona and California.12 While Texas Republicans point to undocumented immigrants in their state as fentanyl drug smugglers and traffickers, almost all fentanyl seized by CBP was at legal points of entry in Arizona and California.

Third Way

www.thirdway.org www.thirdway.org
 

Biden Administration’s Fentanyl Crackdown is Moving Light Years Ahead of Trump’s​

The Biden Administration has been proactive about securing our border and stopping the illegal flow of fentanyl and other drugs. Their actions on fentanyl are significantly tougher and more comprehensive than any previous administration, including Trump’s.

  • In mid-March of 2023, the Biden Administration launched Operation Blue Lotus, a new coordinated operation among Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, and federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement to target the smuggling of fentanyl. In just its first week, Operation Blue Lotus seized over 900 pounds of fentanyl and made 18 arrests.13 Arrests should be considered a success, not an indication of failure.
  • The Biden Administration is installing new border technology called multi-energy portals at ports of entry to allow CBP to scan six times as much cargo per day. These scanners will ramp up US inspection from 2% of passenger vehicles and 17% of cargo vehicles to 40% of passenger vehicles and 70% of cargo vehicles, greatly increasing their ability to detect fentanyl or other drugs.14 Construction has already begun at some ports of entry, with the Biden Administration planning to install 123 new large-scale scanners by 2026.


Fentanyl%20Tracfficking%20BarGraph.png



  • President Biden recently announced his Fiscal Year 2024 budget, and unlike the House Freedom Caucus’s budget, it increases investments in border security. His budget includes $25 billion for CBP and ICE, $800 million more than last year’s budget. It includes funds for CBP to hire 350 more border patrol agents, 150 more CBP officers, $535 million for border technology, and $40 million for combatting fentanyl trafficking.
  • Some other notable steps include working with couriers like FedEx to inspect more packages for drugs, stronger penalties to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, federal funding to make fentanyl testing strips easily accessible, and increased funding for regional efforts to disrupt drug trafficking organizations.15

Third Way

www.thirdway.org www.thirdway.org
 

Republicans Slash Funding to Fight Fentanyl​

While House Republicans haven’t released an official budget yet, it’s likely they’ll propose returning to Fiscal Year 2022 funding levels. This would likely mean significant cuts to CBP’s budget and personnel as well as federally funded substance use treatment and prevention programs.

In a letter to House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, the Department of Homeland Security detailed the impacts of these funding cuts. CBP would be forced to implement a hiring freeze and cut up to 1,000 CBP Officers and 1,400 Border Patrol Agents.16 Over $640 million in border security technology would no longer be operational due to resource cuts.17 Agents would have to reduce vehicle inspections at ports of entry due to limited capacity, allowing more drugs like fentanyl to be smuggled into our country.

The Republican budget would also make significant cuts to substance use treatment and prevention programs, a very important tool in reducing overdose deaths. The State Opioid Response grant program would see their budget slashed by 22%, denying more than 29,000 people admission to opioid use disorder treatment.18 This would undoubtedly lead to a rise in fentanyl deaths.

Conclusion​

Despite what Republicans want Americans to think, we do not have “open borders,” and the Biden Administration and undocumented immigrants aren’t the reason we have a fentanyl problem in our country. Fentanyl is primarily brought into the country by US citizens at official border crossings. The Biden Administration is proactively investing resources at these crossings to slow the flow of fentanyl. Republicans are just interested in fearmongering and grandstanding, not actually addressing the fentanyl crisis.

Third Way

www.thirdway.org www.thirdway.org
 
HeelYeah2012 said:
Another reason this issue is personal to me is that I had a childhood friend who died from fentanyl overdose last summer. The fentanyl issue is closely related to illegal immigration, although not exactly the same issue. See below.

“Trafficking of fentanyl appears to largely occur at the southwest border, where 90% of the drug seized by CBP is found. Over the past year, the agency seized 850% more fentanyl compared to 2019 and seized nearly twice as much fentanyl in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, according to data from the agency.”

“Authorities say Mexican drug labs are responsible for taking Chinese precursor chemicals and turning them into deadly fentanyl product. Fake pills resembling real prescription drugs like oxycodone are part of the scourge that has made its way into "every community," as one federal official put it.”

Full article: Border officials seize a lot of fentanyl but say it's complicated problem to solve
Click to expand...
Here is the ultra-conservative Cato Institute's take. Notice the data: 87% of all fentanyl smugglers were US citizens. Almost all fentanyl enters the US through legal ports of entry. It is simply not the case that there are caravans of immigrants carrying loads of drugs and sneaking across the border at night. Fentanyl is so compact that a carry-on suitcase full of it can contain millions of doses.

Illegal immigration and fentanyl are just not connected issues, no matter how hard the Right wants to lie to you about it. For instance, fentanyl deaths doubled between 2019 and 2021, despite the "closed border" of the late Trump years.


Read the whole thing. Again, these people are not liberals. They aren't pushing a partisan agenda.
 
OK, so just clarifying what the data says so I can try to understand this issue more.

Undocumented immigrants:
- are less likely to commit crimes in the US
- improve our economy
- 86.3 percent of convicted fentanyl drug traffickers were US citizens
So is it really just they are culturally different? Whats the deal here?

I happen to really like their culture, customs, food, work ethic etc, so help me understand where's the bad part?
 
CFordUNC said:

The Truth About Fentanyl Trafficking​

Republicans want voters to think that undocumented immigrants are running across the border with backpacks full of fentanyl.5 But here are the key facts:

  • United States citizens comprised 86% of fentanyl trafficking convictions in 2021.6 1,322 of the 1,533 charged fentanyl trafficking offenders were US citizens.7 Even the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, acknowledges this point. In fact, just 0.02% of people arrested by Border Patrol for illegally crossing possessed fentanyl.8
  • More than 96% of fentanyl seizures along the border since the start of fiscal year 2023 have been at legal US ports of entry.9 Fentanyl is rarely carried over the border through the desert. It’s being smuggled across legal points of entry inside seat cushions, car batteries, even inside the metal frame of a walker.
  • Fentanyl deaths have been on the rise for the past decade.10 Overdose deaths from fentanyl aren’t new or a unique Biden Administration problem. Fentanyl deaths have been increasing since 2014, with significant increases during the Trump Administration. From 2016 to 2020, fentanyl deaths in the US increased by 191%, compared to a 25% increase from 2020 to 2021.11
  • 90% of fentanyl seized by CBP was at U.S. border crossings into Arizona and California.12 While Texas Republicans point to undocumented immigrants in their state as fentanyl drug smugglers and traffickers, almost all fentanyl seized by CBP was at legal points of entry in Arizona and California.

Third Way

www.thirdway.org www.thirdway.org
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CBP officers in Arizona seize more than half a ton of fentanyl in largest seizure in agency history

Securing America's Borders
www.cbp.gov


U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Lukeville recently seized approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills -- weighing more than 1,000 pounds -- in the largest singular fentanyl seizure in CBP history.

“This is the largest fentanyl seizure in CBP’s history, and reflects our unwavering determination to protect our nation and to disrupt the criminal activities of ruthless drug cartels,” said Troy Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. “Every day, CBP officers and agents are on our front line, using their keen instincts and the latest technology to prevent deadly drugs from entering our country and poisoning our communities.”

On July 1, a 20-year-old Arizona man, who is a U.S. citizen, arrived at the Port of Lukeville driving a 2011 pick-up truck which was hauling a sport recreational vehicle on a utility trailer. CBP officers performing the inspection for entry to the U.S. sent the driver and vehicles aside for a more intensive inspection.
 
In 2021, 86 percent of fentanyl trafficking convictions were for U.S. citizens. The Cato Institute also notes how just 0.02 percent of people (279 out of 1.8 million migrants) encountered by the Border Patrol for crossing unlawfully possessed fentanyl.

immigrationforum.org

Illicit Fentanyl and Drug Smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico Border: An Overview

The United States faces a growing challenge related to illicit fentanyl. As the challenge grows, the conversation often turns to drug smuggling into the U.S. and how the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border enhances the problem. Illicit fentanyl has devastating impacts across all corners of the...
immigrationforum.org immigrationforum.org
 
It appears that the vast majority of fentanyl enters the United States through legal ports of entry. Certainly, in 2022, 90% of fentanyl seizures occurred at a legal port of entry or interior vehicle checkpoints.9 In 2022, Border Patrol agents who were not at vehicle checkpoints accounted for just 9% of fentanyl seizures.10 Since October 2022, i.e., the start of the 2023 fiscal year, 92% of fentanyl seizures occurred at legal ports of entry.

Mexican cartels intensively hire U.S. citizens to smuggle drugs across the border because U.S. citizens generate less suspicion and are often subject to less inspection scrutiny than foreign nationals. Drugs, such as fentanyl, are frequently hidden in concealed vehicle compartments driven by U.S. citizens with U.S. license plates. In 2022, 88% of fentanyl trafficking convictions were of U.S. citizens.12 In 2021, U.S. citizens accounted for 86.3% of fentanyl convictions.13 Only 0.02% of people arrested by Border Patrol crossing illegally into the United States possessed any fentanyl.


www.brookings.edu

Addressing Mexico's role in the US fentanyl epidemic | Brookings

The U.S. has an opportunity to strengthen and smarten up its own measures against Mexican actors participating in fentanyl trafficking.
www.brookings.edu www.brookings.edu
 
lightbluenc said:
Does this explain anywhere the "why" though? Not why they are winning on the issue, but why this is such an issue?

Is it truly because Republicans think Hispanic folks are poisoning the blood of white America? is that truly what it boils down to?

The data proves, it can't be crime, it can't be job losses, they are a net positive in nearly every way. What is the grand issue is all I'm asking for.
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you are correct...

It's not crime..."illegal immigrant" crime rate is less than native born American citizens
It's not taking away "black jobs"... Black unemployment is at record lows
It's not hurting our economy...it is projected that immigrants will add 9 trillion to GDP over the next decade

It's the proverbial dog whistle used to scare white folks into believing the brown people are invading the country to do them harm.
 
lightbluenc said:
OK, so just clarifying what the data says so I can try to understand this issue more.

Undocumented immigrants:
- are less likely to commit crimes in the US
- improve our economy
- 86.3 percent of convicted fentanyl drug traffickers were US citizens
So is it really just they are culturally different? Whats the deal here?

I happen to really like their culture, customs, food, work ethic etc, so help me understand where's the bad part?
Click to expand...
Skin color and language. That's what this is all about.

Somehow we managed as a country until the 1920s without ANY immigration quotas at all (except for Chinese laborers). Starting in 1882, immigrants were a) charged 50 cents for admission; b) screened for criminality and mental health; c) likelihood of becoming a ward of the state. But that was all. And the period between 1882 and 1914 was one of the fastest growing economies in the history of the world.
 
HeelYeah2012 said:
The fentanyl issue is closely related to illegal immigration...
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I'm not sure this issue is "closely related."

The reality is if there were absolutely no way to get fentanyl through the US/Mexican border - drug dealers would figure out another way to import these drugs to the USA or manufacture the drugs here. At issue is that fentanyl is cheap, easy to produce, and highly addictive. As has always been the case - the only way to "fight the war on drugs" is to address the actual causes of use and addiction. This issue has nothing to do with undocumented immigrants or illegal border crossings - even if there are some tangential issues or overlap. Talking about fentanyl smuggling in relation to "illegal aliens" is demagoguery.
 
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