Trudging along the highway from Honduras to Mexico, a caravan of refugees from Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, fleeing failed states, poverty and gang violence, inched closer to the U.S. border, some 900 miles from their present destination. President Donald Trump reacted harshly to Honduras, Gutatemala, El Salvador and Guatemala’s government for failing to stop the ever-growing caravan heading northward, a grim reminder of abysmal economic conditions south of the U.S. border. “Sadly it looks like Mexico’s police and military are unable to stop the caravan heading to the Southern border of the United States,” warning that “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners” are mixed in, something not verified by any journalist covering the caravan’s movement. Calling the caravan a “national emergency,” Trump played up the issue only two weeks before the Midterm elections.
Threatening to cut foreign aid to Central American countries unable to stop the immigrant caravan, Trump knows that he can’t do anything with foreign aid unless agreed to by Congress. Yet the president raised the issue a few weeks before the Midterms, highlighting key differences between Republicans and Democrats on illegal immigration. “I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a national emergency,” said Trump, yet getting no commitments what to do with the immigrant flow headed to the U.S. border. “Blame the Democrats,” tweeted Trump. “Remember the Midterms,” trying to make immigration a pressing issue before the Nov. 8 Midterm elections. No matter how much Trump wants to lash out on illegal immigrants, cutting foreign aid would only makes things worse in countries where government revenues can’t keep up with unemployment and poverty.
Cutting financial aid wouldn’t punish Central American governments, it would only hurt the future Ex;ploiting the immigration issues could backfire on Trump, if, for no other reason, it shows a kind of ignorant approach toward a complex topic. “Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them,” said Trump. Cutting off foreign aid would only serve to radicalize the population, turning unsuspecting immigrants into enemies of the U.S. With some 20 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., there’s minimal chance that any that any developing country has the resources to stop immigrant flows. Cutting foreign aid would only make a bad situation worse.
Pentagon officials have received no additional requests by the White House for more border protection from the National Guard or any other service branch. Announcing that Honduras would be another stop for the USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship providing free medical care to underserved populations south of the border. “The deployment reflects the United States’ enduring promise of friendship, partnership and solidarity with the American,” said Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning. Whatever Trump’s threats on the campaign trail to cut foreign aid, it’s up to Congress to appropriate the funds. “My colleagues and I will not stand idly by as this administration ignores congressional intent,” said Rep. Elliot Engel (D-N.Y.), ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala receive $500 million in foreign aid yearly.
Cutting foreign aid to Central America would have devastating consequences on poverty-stricken Central American nations. Paul O’Brien, vice president for policy and advocacy of Oxfam America, confirmed that cutting foreign aid would throw gasoline on an already bad situation. Trump’s threats to cut foreign aid are largely campaign rhetoric, despite support within GOP to cut funds. With over 225,000 Latino immigrants trying to reach the U.S. in 2017, there’s nothing new about the 7,000-member caravan heading to the U.S. border. Truth be told, Trump has used illegal aliens to work on various construction projects, including in hospitality and janitorial services running his businesses. Illegal alien workers make businesses more competitive in practically every industry or sector in the U.S. economy. Cutting foreign aid brings cheers on the campaign trail but would make immigration worse.
Heading into the Miderm elections, Trump thinks he’s got an issue to motivate GOP voters to go to the polls. There’s snowball’s chance in Arizona that any of the named countries would lose any foreign aid. None of the countries mentioned have the resources needed to stop immigrant flows, fleeing from unemployment, poverty and gang violence plaguing failed states in South and Central America and Mexico. “If you take that money away or you make in unpredictable, you’re actually going to foster the very condition that are driving people toward immigration,” said O’Brien, thinking Trump uses migrants for political purposes. There’s no bipartisan immigration legislation that can reverse the failed economies and socioeconomic problems in Latin American countries. Only the U.S. working together on joint economic partnerships can improve living conditions and today’s refugee crisis.
