I feel that the actions of the President Joe Biden administration on our border with Mexico have placed on this nation a moral obligation to assist the undocumented immigrants that they have so casually allowed to enter our nation. I do not say this lightly at a time when our own fiscal house is a mess with the debt limit reached and the possibility of our nation defaulting on our national debt if the political parties cannot reach an agreement on bringing our budget nearer to being in balance.

The situation on our southern border has been growing steadily worse during the first two years of the Biden administration with no indication that anything will change. During Fiscal Year 2022 a total of 2.76 million undocumented immigrants crossed our border. In addition, it is estimated that there were 600,000 “gottaways,” or undocumented aliens that includes convicted criminals, gang members, terrorists and drug smugglers who wish to avoid apprehension by law enforcement. So far in the first 100 days of fiscal year 2023, it is estimated 718,000 undocumented immigrants have crossed the southern border.

Whatever the factors leading to the current crises on the border there is little doubt that the optics presented by the Biden administration’s actions have not been conducive to building confidence amongst the American public regarding what the administrations goals are. In March of 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris was named “Border Czar” with the task of overseeing the migration challenges on the southern border and also to work with the “northern Triangle” nations to eliminate the root causes of migration.

At that time Biden said of Harris’s appointment that “when she speaks, she speaks for me.” Harris also said at the time, “Needless to say, the work will not be easy, but it is important work.” However, her important work consisted of one short trip to El Paso, Texas. in June of 2021.

The President did little better, avoiding discussion of border issues and making his first trip to the southern border after 50 years in politics by visiting an El Paso, Texas cleared of migrants living on city streets.

The drug cartels are playing a major role in activities at the border and making huge sums of money by facilitating the movement of undocumented immigrants to the border for payments of many thousands of dollars and ensuring payment with threats on the lives of family members left behind. The cartels are also using the situation at the border to increase the movement of illegal drugs into the United States making greater profits than ever before.

Since the beginning of the border crises undocumented immigrants have been moving throughout the United States to cities like New York, Denver, and Chicago who are willing to take them in or where many have family members. Recently State Senator George Borrello when interviewed on Fox and Friends said that a small number have reached Chautauqua County which now faces the same challenges as New York City in finding the resources necessary to aid them.

Borrello reminded viewers that these undocumented immigrants are not eligible for state aid nor able to work. He placed blame on our state government stating that New York while proclaiming itself a “Sanctuary State” has “failed to allocate resources to address this increasing migration.” He warned that Chautauqua County does not have the resources to support an increase in immigration. Efforts have been made to encourage non-profits to fill the gap but in a county which already has a high level of poverty these organizations are already stretched thin serving our own citizens.

Nonetheless, I feel that because the Biden administration and some state governments have gone out of their way to encourage this overwhelming surge of undocumented immigration, I believe that we have a moral obligation to assist them in some way until their status is determined.

One way of doing this would be by eliminating work restrictions where they exist but with the provision that this would be canceled for undocumented immigrants who fail to report for their hearing in immigration court.

Another way to aid the undocumented could be by using a portion of the unspent funds allocated to states, cities, towns and villages under the American Rescue Plan Act.

If we are still a nation built on Judeo-Christian principles a moral obligation transcends even legal ones. That would be a heavy burden to place on the state and the federal governments even though they created this mess. However, it is a far greater burden to place on individual citizens who played no part in creating this tragedy. They should remember that when they vote in November 2024.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com