The U.S. Left Them Behind. They Crossed a Jungle to Get Here Anyway.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/world/americas/darien-gap-afghan-migration.html

https://archive.ph/Aezej

More than 3,600 Afghans have traveled the same agonizing route as Taiba since the beginning of 2022, according to tallies in Panama, one of the most perilous sections of the journey. Many of them had partnered with the West for years — lawyers, human rights advocates, members of the Afghan government or security forces. They packed up their children, parents or entire families, sold their apartments and borrowed enormous sums to pay for the passage, convinced there was nothing left for them back home.

Their journeys represent the collision of two of President Biden’s biggest policy crises: the hasty American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the record number of migrants crossing the U.S. border.

Now, the fallout from a faraway war that many Americans thought was over is landing at the president’s doorstep: Afghan men, women and children climbing over border walls under the cover of night, desperate to join a nation that, they feel, left them behind.

(snip)

Fewer than 25,000 Afghans have received special visas or refugee status in the United States since the airlifts in 2021, government data shows. And the options are scarcer for people who didn’t work with the United States but might still be in danger. Roughly 52,000 Afghans have applied for a program called humanitarian parole. As of mid-April, just 760 people had been approved.

A long, devastating read.

[Sympthsical]

1. We don't really do immigration or the border

Until a Republican is in office. So, we'll have to put a pin in this.

Watching the child deaths along the border stories sink like an absolute stone was a look.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Yepppppp.

Watching the child deaths along the border stories sink like an absolute stone was a look.

It was certainly something.

[jimfields33]

3. We've welcomed more immigrants then all the countries combined.

[Sympthsical]

4. Not what I was addressing

I'm referring to how focus on and importance given to immigration and border events/policies wax and wane entirely based on who's in power. If it's a Republican, we care a great deal. If not, quite a bit less so.

There were some stories recently about the deaths of children at the border. Were Trump in office, that would've been a major story much discussed. But he's not, so . . . meh. Popped up and disappeared in a flash.

Republicans being in power is a terrible thing, but it does have a slight silver lining - people start giving a shit about issues again.

[jimfields33]

5. I did miss the point but your post was exceptional

Thank you for giving me the overview it was great and true.

[Solly Mack]

6. K&R