Every year around this time, a crowd forms in front of the steel arches at the University of Georgia (UGA). People waiting to have their photos taken. Tradition dictates that young graduates don their gowns and pose on the steps leading to the campus entrance. The graduation ceremony is expected to be held in the next few days. However, thanks to the sunny weather, many people choose to avoid the crowds on match days and immortalize their academic achievements sooner.
Despite some attempts to rally in support of Gaza, the mood in Athens was once again upbeat. But no one has forgotten the tragedy that struck the university at the end of February: the murder of a nursing student on campus. This crime shocked the peaceful town and the news quickly became national in this election year due to the fact that the defendant, José Antonio Ibarra, is a Venezuelan immigrant who entered the United States illegally in late 2022. . Before the tragedy, he had been arrested twice in New York and Athens for moped incidents and shoplifting.
In Republican eyes, Ibarra became a symbol of the crisis between the United States and Mexico and a sign of Joe Biden's “criminal negligence.” A bill named after Athens victim Laken Hope Riley has since been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, which still needs to pass in the Senate, would state that any illegal immigrant who commits a crime, regardless of the crime, would be imprisoned until deported.
Mexico border situation out of Biden's control
For Republican candidate and former US President Donald Trump, the tragedy was seen as an opportunity that could not be missed, especially since Georgia is a key battleground state in November's election. His unexpected defeat in the conservative southern state had a major impact on 2020. Four years later, the former president is hoping to reconquer the traditionally Republican state in the wake of Riley's tragic death. “There's no doubt that Republicans will spend a lot of money this November,” said Brian Robinson, who has advised Republican candidates in Georgia for more than 25 years. There's a good chance it will happen,” he said.
Immigration, along with age, is one of Joe Biden's biggest weaknesses in this election, and the situation at the Mexican border appears to be spiraling out of his control. Starting in 2021, the number of monthly migrants has regularly exceeded 200,000, a figure not seen since 2000. Unable to manage this influx, authorities are forced to allow many asylum seekers into the United States while their cases are processed. It will take several years. This is not new, but the phenomenon has intensified since a Democratic president took office.
Scott Chitwood is the sheriff of Dalton, a small town in northwest Georgia. Dalton has been home to many Hispanic immigrants since the 1990s, drawn to the flooring and carpet manufacturing industry. Although he is a Democrat, he criticized Biden's immigration policies and lamented, “The president didn't want Trump's wall. Since then, the wall has been opened.” “I have no problem with immigration. Contrary to what the media says, there are no more criminals among immigrants than there are Americans. But they have to enter the country legally.”
Immigration: Americans' top concern
Numerous studies have confirmed that immigration is one of the biggest issues for Americans. When asked by Gallup in March, 28% of people listed this issue first on their list of concerns, far ahead of the general state of the economy (12%) and inflation (11%). A Monmouth University survey found that for about eight in 10 Americans, illegal immigration is a “serious or very serious problem.” This sentiment has increased significantly since the last survey was conducted in 2019, when President Donald Trump was still in the White House. Among Democrats, 41% think it's a “very serious problem,” compared to 26% in 2019.
For a majority of Americans, Biden is the main culprit in this situation, with Trump's 2016 proposed border wall solution now supported by 53% of those surveyed. Aware of the risks, Mr. Biden has become increasingly vocal in recent months, rejecting several proposals from his opponents, including the possibility of closing the border under certain conditions and returning migrants to Mexico. We have even gone so far as to incorporate it into . The plan was blocked by Republicans at the behest of President Trump, who refused to give Biden an exit strategy.
Migrant arrivals will decline after 2024
“I fully understand that the administration is taking this action because of the presidential election in November,” Robinson said. “In 2020, Joe Biden said that building walls is immoral and that America is a nation of immigrants. This message was received not only in Latin America, but also in China, India, etc. Since then, I We've seen people arriving from all over the place, so it'll settle in for him in November.”
By speaking out, Biden hopes to reverse the tide on the Rio Grande, even if his immigration policies are complex. It depends on the vague logic of the cartels, the attitude of authorities along migration routes, and the political situation in the migrants' countries of origin. Nevertheless, the number of immigrants knocking on U.S. doors has fallen since the start of the year, with fewer than 130,000 arrivals per month. However, this decline is not enough to shake up the political situation.
Trump's wall announced 7 years ago
In line with his campaign promise, President Trump signed an executive order in January 2017 directing construction of a border wall to complement and strengthen the existing border wall.
As of January 5, 2021, the total length of the wall was 452 miles (727 km), less than half of the 1,600 km promised by Republicans. The construction cost would ultimately reach $15 billion, but Mexico has not paid a penny, contrary to the Republican president's original promise in 2017.
Despite his reservations about the wall, Biden announced in October that he would continue building other parts of the wall after failing to convince Congress to allocate money for other projects.
