A report published yesterday by Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies concludes that the breaking up of migrant encampments at the border (such as the Piedras Negras migrant camp reported on here) is likely to improve the migrants’ chances of eventually sneaking into the United States.

Following a riot in the Piedras Negras camp, the Mexican government began busing the migrants out, to various locations near the border. Once at their respective destinations, according to Bensman, the migrants will again be free to attempt illegal crossing into the U.S., only this time as part of a small, more concealable group.

“They’re all going to ultimately cross, just in a different location than here,” said one Border Patrol agent.

In addition, Mexico is exacerbating illegal crossings by providing work visas to Central American migrants, effectively giving them legal status while they pursue their ultimate goal: entering the United States.

Bensman concludes:  “For public relations, Mexico appears to be doing the Americans a big favor by stopping and detaining the thousands of Central Americans arriving in caravans. But the reality is that Mexico is simply breaking up the caravan into small amorphous groups of migrants who in all likelihood will, just a little bit later, make their ways separately to other parts of the U.S. border, where they’ll all eventually cross without a ‘caravan’ identity.”

For more, see the Center for Immigration Studies.

A recent poll found that 62 percent of Californians believe that the best days of the state lie in the past rather than ahead. It also found that 53 percent of Californians would like to move somewhere else. These findings are interesting because immigration advocates maintain that immigration always promotes cultural and economic enrichment. California has both the highest percentage and number of immigrants in the country.  So why are so many Californians so disenchanted?

Read more at edelman.com

Even without a wall, President Trump’s efforts to counter wholesale illegal crossing of the southern border of the United States seem to be working.

The NY Times reports that one third of the 6000 of the asylum seekers who had crowded into Tijuana in the fall have given up, at least temporarily, their attempt to cross into the U.S. and request asylum. Approximately 1000 have accepted an offer by the Mexican government to be returned home (mostly to Honduras). Another thousand have accepted work permits to remain in Mexico.

The recent extension of the Migrant Protection Protocols (otherwise known as the “stay-in-Mexico” policy), although threatened by legal attacks in the U.S., is one way the Trump administration has helped dissuade would-be asylees.  This program, begun as a pilot in San Diego and now being extended to other ports of entry, requires that asylum seekers remain in Mexico while their cases are heard, rather than being released into the United States, where many simply disappear.

While leftist pro-immigration groups such as the A.C.L.U. continue to wring their hands and file their lawsuits over the perceived injustice of Trump’s hard-line law enforcement policy, many Mexican officials agree with President Trump about the character of the migrant caravans.  According to the Times, they assert–along with Trump–that “many caravan members are not truly desperate for protection.”

Says  Cesar Palencia, Tijuana’s chief of migrant services, “Many people came on an adventure, trying their luck. When they realized that it was hard to cross and the conditions in Mexico were also difficult, among many factors, they decided to return home.”

While the tough stance taken by Trump in Tijuana seems to be working, many of the migrants have shifted their attention to other parts of the border.  The Mexican government in the past week was forced to relocate a large group of mostly Honduran migrants from an encampment at Piedras Negras, across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas, after a riot broke out there.

Rioting Migrants in Piedras Negras

In spite of causing some migrants to turn back or remain in place, Trump’s policies can be only partially effective without a wall.  Last Monday, more than 1800 illegals crossed into the United States, a one-day record.

One 26-year-old migrant in Tijuana was interviewed last week after a failed attempt to cross the border illegally.  Citing his desire to send money to the family he left behind in Honduras, he vowed, “If I can’t get in, I’ll just keep trying.”

For more, see the NY Times.

In an unprecedented move in American history, the governor of a U.S. state, under assault by citizens of a foreign country, is actually calling for closer cultural and political ties to that country.

California Governor Gavin Newsom seems to be carving out a foreign policy for his state separate from that of the U.S. In their February 17, 2019, issue, the San Diego Union-Tribune says the following:

Along with a commitment to reopen a trade office in Mexico City, the governor also plans to revitalize a state commission that would allow California officials to work on issues with their counterparts in Mexican government. And over the course of his first term, Newsom and state Democrats are expected to refocus attention on what they consider the real issues at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico relationship: tackling cross-border pollution, promoting cultural and educational exchanges, and defending the human rights of all immigrants.

While the U.S. Constitution restricts foreign policy powers to the federal government, this is not deterring Governor Newsom, who appears to be sending a definite “anti-Trump” message to Mexico and may in fact be signalling the beginning of a long surrender.

Such a message will no doubt gladden the hearts of the reconquista movement, represented by such organizations as Mexica and MEChA. Those organizations and others like them hold that large parts of the United States, including most or all of California, belong either to the country of Mexico or, more broadly, the indigenous peoples of the North American continent.

This move to chart a separate foreign policy course for California was announced the day after President Trump’s election.  California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) and former state Senate leader Kevin de León  released on that day a joint statement declaring California the new “keeper of the nation’s future.”

God help us if this is true.

For more, see the San Diego Union-Tribune.

A few days ago, we told you about a huge migrant caravan being formed in South America that includes, in addition to the usual Latin American national groups, both Cuban and African nationals. Now, it appears that members of those groups are already en route to America.

A group of 600 Cubans and 120 Haitians and Africans are currently in Panama with the goal of asking for asylum in the United States.  “We want to reach the land of freedom,” one of the Cuban asylum seekers declared.

Migrants in Panama

Panama Security Minister Jonathan del Rosario seemed to view the migrants as something other than harmless “freedom seekers.”

“They are disrespectful. They come into our territory filming, shouting, insulting the authorities. Just because we have sympathy for the migrants doesn’t mean we can allow them to enter our country without obeying our laws.”

A Panama resident was even more forthright about the mostly Cuban migrants. “They came shouting ‘freedom’ and demanding free food and medicine. Let’s send them back to their island and see if they complain like they do here,” she said.

Meanwhile, a Cuban migrant was defiant. “We’re going to move on, push forward, overcome the problem. As long as we remain united, no one is going to stop us.  On to the Yuma,” he said, using Cuban slang for the United States.

See MSN.com for more.

The budget spending bill that President Trump is expected to sign has serious “landmines,” says Mark Krikorian who heads the Center for Immigration Studies. He maintains that these flaws will hinder fencing on the border and prevent deportation of many illegal aliens.

Under the act, new fencing can only be built on the Texas-Mexican border and only if local elected officials will allow the construction. The local governments on the Texas border are heavily Democratic, and are therefore unlikely to provide authorization.

The bill also restricts deportation of illegal aliens in the U.S. who claim to have a “sponsor” relationship with children who come across the border illegally. Along with shielding a large group of illegal aliens from removal, this measure will encourage those “sponsors” to pay smugglers to bring in more children.

These provisions seemingly would undermine what the president is trying to accomplish with his emergency proclamation.

Read more at cis.org

In an address to the nation this morning, President Trump declared the border situation a national emergency. While agreeing to sign a spending bill that will avert another partial government shutdown, he expressed his unhappiness with its contents.  Consequently, as a means to get the funds to finance a wall,  he is declaring an national emergency that will provide $8 billion to build the wall.

After summarizing some other projects that his administration has underway, the President got down to discussing the southern border crisis.  He said of opponents to his wall proposal who insist that walls are not necessary and do not work: “It’s all a big lie. It’s a big con game. Nancy knows it. Chuck knows it.”

He then announced that immediately after his address he would sign the national emergency proclamation, which will provide $8 billion for a wall. “Then we will be sued,” he predicted. “In the 9th circuit. And maybe we’ll lose. Then we’ll go to the Supreme Court and hopefully we’ll get a fair shake.” He then confidently predicted, “I think we’ll win.”

Finally, the President  summed up his motivation by declaring, simply, “We have an invasion.”

For more, see Fox News.

In this video alert, Laura reports that a new migrant caravan being created may be the largest yet.

Her guest, Guatemalan Intelligence Secretary Mario Duarte, reveals the plans of the caravan’s organizers, who hope to ultimately gather up to 30,000 migrants, collected not only from Central America, but also Columbia, Venezuela, Cuba, and countries in Africa.

See the full report on Fox News.