“Build it and they will come.” You know the quote. From “Field of Dreams,” 1989 movie based on “Shoeless Joe,” a novel imagining baseball players flooding back from Beyond. Flew through my head this week, with a not-so-funny twist: “Un-build it and they will come.”
President Trump promised, blueprinted, and operationalized much of a 576-mile high-tech, high-deterrence “protective wall” along our Southwest border. The effort was fought vehemently by Democrats in Congress, state houses, and in courts, yet Trump prevailed. This week, roughly 475 miles are complete. See, e.g., https://bronx.news12.com/president-trump-touts-immigration-policies-border-wall-in-texas-speech.
When direct appropriations to Homeland Security were blocked, derailed, and watered down, Trump prevailed in reprograming money from Defense to this security concern. In December 2020, he secured another 1.375 billion for construction in 2021. See, e.g., https://thehill.com/policy/finance/531088-congress-to-approve-1375-billion-for-border-wall-in-2021.
At the same time, Trump brought US immigration policy into line with existing laws, rationalized asylum and refuge policies, stopped Obama’s “catch and release” and “caging” plans, applied pressure to states harboring illegals in “sanctuary cities,” where crime and homelessness rose.
Finally, Trump negotiated with – and won concessions from – regional neighbors, reducing the inflow of illegal aliens through allied countries, including Mexico. So significant were Trump’s domestic and international legal victories, that Mexico and Guatemala became destination countries – for tens of thousands who would otherwise have resettled illegally in America. See, e.g., https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-mexico-idUSKCN20M2SC.
Those seeking refuge or asylum from outside Mexico could no longer slip through Mexico and claim an urgent need to escape persecution, since they were already in Mexico – not persecuted. They were required to remain in Mexico, as claims were adjudicated. Moreover, Mexico began deterring illegal alien caravans on their own southern border, with some 17,000 troops. See, e.g., https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trade-mexico/update-3-trump-is-confident-mexico-will-enforce-new-immigration-deal-idUKL2N23F08X?edition-redirect=uk.
The result of Trump’s border security efforts – promising to build, building, and legally reinforcing a border wall, while discouraging sanctuary cities and deporting criminal aliens, was stunning. Overall, he reduced illegal immigration by 60 to 80 percent. See, e.g. https://dailysurge.com/2020/11/trumps-success-improving-americas-immigration-situation-could-be-overturned-quickly/.
In the first month after Trump ended “catch and release,” illegal aliens released dropped by 70 percent. See, e.g., https://www.helpsavemaryland.org/2019/07/06/trump-mexico-deal-cuts-release-of-illegal-aliens-into-u-s-by-70-percent/. In April 2018, Trump decried thousands of illegal aliens – chanting leftist slogans – pushing north in organized “caravans.” See, e.g., https://thenewamerican.com/trump-slams-huge-caravan-of-illegals-heading-for-u-s-border/.
His policies put the kibosh on them. “Apprehension numbers… tell the story,” because “as the expulsion policies locked into place, arrests of families entering the U.S. fell from nearly 85,000 in May 2019 to less than 5,000 in February 2020.” In effect, Trump ended the crisis. See, e.g., https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-got-what-he-wanted-at-the-border-would-biden-undo-it/ar-BB1atmTn.
Interestingly, after the COVID-19’s threat, 78 percent of Americans backed Trump’s efforts in mid-2020 to close the border except for essential travel. That number – amazingly – is an NPR poll. See, e.g., https://www.npr.org/2020/08/05/898915843/americans-back-trump-on-immigration-but-only-to-stop-covid-19-poll-finds.
Now – Biden pledges to undo all this. He pledges to reverse Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy, restart “catch and release,” place a “moratorium” on (read: end) deportations, open the door to refugees, support sanctuary cities, and if possible, freeze or “un-build” Trump’s Southern border wall. See, e.g., https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/02/biden-border-wall-trump/; https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2020/november/biden-to-stop-building-border-wall-vows-total-shift-in-immigration-and-refugee-policy; https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-courts-local-governments-3d6ab9e79153e67d974cee1bf592862f;
Already, in November, 70,000 illegals were arrested – a 64 percent increase year-over-year. “Caravans” of Honduran illegals are forming faster than Chicago stickball teams in the days of “Shoeless Joe” – who may, after all, be the model for “Basement Joe.” Biden seems non-plussed, unconcerned, and observers say the message is “We have open borders.” See, https://www.westernjournal.com/biden-democrat-vows-immigration-sending-signal-borders-open/; see also, https://www.cnsnews.com/index.php/article/washington/melanie-arter/trump-caravans-forming-border-anticipation-biden-presidency.
So, where are we? Looks like “back to the future.” Sorry, wrong movie. This rerun seems custom made for a new quote, reflecting Biden’s hate for Trump’s wall. “Un-build it and they will come.” Sounds about right. “Basement Joe” will be a star. Just when we had things figured out, they go south – or come north – again. That is Hollywood – and new Democrats – for you.
The white House is void of leadership, the oval office has turned into an old man’s home, hey, let’s fly somewhere and get dome ice cream. Thank You Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas threatens to arrest the democrats who deserted their post, neglected their sworn duty, think we should return to the days of Judge Roy Beam who loved Texas, honored the law and it’s responsibilities, not like big mouth democrats who are only interested in self indulgement of communism/socialism. Those who fled Texas never would never be the type to stand and fight like the hero’s of the Alamo. The hypocrite democrats want open borders in Texas, yet closed borders for Cubans, they won’t vote for communism, like the illegals, coming in from our southern border right. Time for change 2022 clear the house and senate of all democrats and get our Country back.
Who would have thunk it? Last time I checked countries without walls ain’t countries. How do you figure the European people keep their countries seperated? With fences/walls.
The liberals always bring up the Berlin Wall for a example, except that was built by Russia to keep people in, not out.
I’d like to revisit this, BUT NOT NOW, THERE IS A WORLD WIDE PANDEMIC IN CASE THE LIBERALS DIDN’T NOTICE.
Also, no offense, but in less than 48 hours Biden has eliminated over 10,000 jobs from “legal”? Americans, that just for the wall and the pipeline, all in the middle of a pandemic. Who knows how many other jobs he has “cancelled” already too?
Everyday now, I wake up and wonder if Biden is alive or has Harris already taken over?
At least when and if I get to his age, I’ll probably be in a nursing home, not running the country into the ground.
Just sayin’, DON’T DO ANYTHING UNTIL CORN HOLE 19 IS UNDER CONTROL.
Unfortunately, we went after the wrong issue about Obama’s Constitutional eligibilty to run for POTUS and assume that office if elected. Whether he was born on American soil or not, he was NOT a “natural born citizen” as required in the Constitution because he did not have TWO American citizen parents. His father was NEVER an American citizen either when he was born or after. The difference between a “natural born citizen” and just a citizen is the fact of having TWO American citizen parents. The ONLY humans who were specifically exempted from this requirement in the Constitution were the Founding Fathers since there was no American citizenship available for their parents to be a part of. The Constitution specifically uses the phrase “natural born citizen” for the Presidency. They just use the word ‘citizen’ for all other offices. They did not want the possibility of a divided allegiance from our President. In their minds at the time, they were thinking about future Presidents having British parents who would re-unite the US with England and dissolve the US as a country. It’s still relevant today that a President who could have a divided allegiance to another country through his parent could, or would, sell us out to another nation.
Why would anyone be surprised? This is one of the only things he consistently said he was going to do on the few occasions he came out of his basement to say anything.
Business as usual for the demorats! Their way of getting more demorats here!
The wall construction needs to continue. If these people coming from Nicaragua and other places plus traveling in groups have COVID-19 who will check them, the US? Why should tax payers fund that?
The Border Patrol has already said they don’t have the capability to check anything more than a trickle of incoming immigrants for any diseases let alone the hoardes that are already on their way. They’ve been ordered to stand down and not impede anyones’ entrance into the country for any reason. This is one of the ONLY policies Biden articulated during the campaign. The other one was shutting down ALL domestic energy production in any way he could.
National Security is a concept of a sovereign nation. Democrats want one world order. If you support their power – come on in.
If you will pay them for access to the American marketplace, you are their friend.
State legislatures need to address borders in their states. Conservatives need to stop buying from companies that support open borders.
Yes, this will be inconvenient. As Americans in 1776 found out, the fight for freedom often is.
AMAC should address identifying companies to avoid. The dollar is a sword that cuts deeply.
You could also include a song from Pink Floyd, Tear down the Wall.
I would urge conservative protesters to turn away from D.C. and protest at the borders. Protest hard enough to shut down the borders and stop all imigration.
The hatred for President Donald J Trump is so blinding, that the LEFT and New Administration can’t see the danger this puts all of us in! Wait until our ICE and Border Patrol are overrun and someone is killed, will they do anything than?
Your assumption is incorrect. The left knows full well what the outcome of an open border will mean for us and the country as a whole. THEY DON’T CARE. They want to flood the country with as many poorly educated and easily pliable illegal immigrants as possible to force wages down, put a strain on ALL social services (health care, housing, public schools, police and fire departments, etc.) to justify massive new government spending programs to enhance their own power and that of the government and to add tens of millions of new Democrat voters to the rolls across the country. Everything is about maintaining and expanding their power.
When an ICE or Border Patrol officer is killed or severely injured, the media won’t even report it or say the officer acting improperly. Thus justifying the injury or death. People have to stop thinking the left has the same value system as we do for rule of law and societal norms. They don’t! They never have. Until the people truly understand that, we are talking in circles and going nowhere.
Actually, they are absolutely aware of the consequences of their policies. They don’t care. The safety and concerns of American citizens are completely unimportant to them and subordinate to their agenda. Any level of collateral fallout is acceptable as long as the policy furthers their goal of absolute and perpetual power.
I could rant and rave about it all. The simple truth is we need to protect our country and the wall is a good solution.
I feel we are in for a very bumpy ride!
Or a biden ride.
It is important to note that illegals were kidnapping children to enter the United States. Some parents sold! their children to illegals.
Do the research.
An illegal who stole a car and killed my friend’s son.
Give me you tired , your poor?
Give me those who have applied for citizenship and entered the country legally.
I CLOSED my MS page – so I will get nothing when I go on line –
I switched to DuckDuckGo – I get what I want instead
I want nothing to do with these BS politicians anymore
I got rid of iHeart radio –
When I drive somewhere I will be listening to Dr Martin Lloyd Jones CDs
or MP3 Xtian items onto my truck radio –
Why God has allowed this to happen ??????? what a shame
Bad enuf for us old folks – what will this come to for our kids and GrKids. ?????
Levins U Tube deal on fraud recently was off You Tube fast. Figures.
This country needs to BOYCOT Falsebook/Twitter/anyone else that hates Trump.
What Trump feel like today – got to be horrible indeed.
Stupid dementia BIDEN already did 15 Exec orders today.
You can bet it was all someone else that got all these orders for Biden to do.
He ain’t smart enuf to do whatever they were. – Dementia Joe – Devils boy for sure.
PATHETIC INDEED – Bye Rush/Hannity/Levin etc. No point in listening to them anymore.
They still get rich and will keep at it – but to no profit for my ears – all talk – no action.
I DO NOT need PTSD listening to it. Aggravation, depression here it comes for USA
Absolutely. It does no good to rant & rave, and keep watching/listening to THEIR drivel. More of us need to “unplug” from the hogwash.
You won’t have the choice to turn them off soon enough when they re-instate “the (un)Fairness Doctrine”. They aren’t going to be satisfied with just kicking conservatives off social media sites. They’re going after ALL methods of communication to and between conservatives. They will declare it to be a matter of national security to prevent ‘insurrection’.
This is so un-American – not protecting our borders! We don’t want “unbuild it and they will come” or “unbuild it – and they will vote democrat”
Who cares how “they” vote. We have not, and it appears will not, fix the election incongruencies and machines, errors, and it doesn’t matter who votes or how they vote; Socialists will come out on top every time, now that they know they can get away with it (boldly, I might add), until we won’t bother with elections.
Gas will be $4.00 per gallon by August. We will decide this year that its better to buy a $100 K Tesla than a $25K cheap Toyota. Soon our cars will be smaller than Mini-Coopers and bikes will be our
second vehicle. We have no one to blame but ourselves. You get the govt you deserve.
Every place humans live….they ruin.
So God created man in his image???
Scary!!!!!!!
I think democrats and RINOs believe if they impeach Mr. Trump he will no longer be able to run for office. I say BULLSH_T! The government works for us! Not the other way around! We the people will decide who will be our candidates! Deep state democrats and RINOs think we can have our pick as long as they decide the candidate pool. Wrong! Too many of us are sick and tired of the establishment!
A minor point, Bobby, like so many people, misspoke the quote as, “Build it and they will come.” The actual statement is, build it and he will come. The message was referring to a specific ball player who had played in the major leagues. For the record, I agree with his concept that when biden tears down the wall, all the riff-raff south of us will make a bee-line for what used to be the good old U.S.A.
They’re on their way right now.
Dave, you are right on – a sullied former White Sox player, who presumably threw 1919 World Series – but maybe did not, old Shoeless Joe, who was also an exceptional ballplayer. You are absolutely right on the quote, and I was using short hand … since I sense, alas, more than one will come … that said, spot on! Thank you!
I’m with Glenn. They should have been solidly behind Trump and not week kneed republicans and they allowed this to happen over the last 100 years with the progressives. Never challenging. I cannot afford this money pit anymore. We need leaders with guts not politicians (How can I get rich while I “serve” the people.