Can America buy its way out of the immigration problem at the Southern border?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: WHETHER YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT POLITICALLY, WE CAN ALL AGREE SCENES LIKE THESE ARE HEARTBREAKING.  

HERE’S A QUESTION: COULD WE END THE BORDER CRISIS BEFORE IT GETS TO THE BORDER? 

MEANING, IF THE US SPENT MORE MONEY TO MAKE LIFE SAFER AND CREATE MORE JOBS IN CENTRAL AMERICA, WOULD FEWER PEOPLE SEEK ASYLUM HERE? 

IS THIS A GOOD IMMIGRATION STRATEGY, NO CHANCE IT WILL WORK OR DO YOU STAND SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE? 

THAT’S FOR YOU TO DECIDE, BUT HERE’S WHERE EVERYONE AGREES. IT’S A MESS DOWN THERE. LET ME EXPLAIN. 

IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, U-S BORDER PATROL REPORTED 570-THOUSAND MIGRANTS AT OUR SOUTHERN DOOR, AND THIS ISN’T ANYTHING NEW.  THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN 2014, 2017, AND 2019. NOW HERE’S WHERE SOME DISAGREE. 

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS PROPOSING A FOUR-YEAR, FOUR-BILLION DOLLAR FIX. 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS IS IN CHARGE OF THE PLAN. IN AN INTERVIEW ON CNN’S STATE OF THE UNION, HARRIS SAID THE U-S AIMS TO ADDRESS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, ISSUES IN THE COUNTRIES THEMSELVES! 

Vice President Kamala Harris: ”Most people don’t want to leave home…having a roof over their head” … ”We have to give home…help is on the way.”

JIMMIE: MANY ON THE RIGHT AREN’T BUYING IT. HERE’S A TWEET BY REPUBLICAN HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY, REACTING TO A REPORT THAT SOME OF THE MONEY MIGHT BE DIRECT CASH TRANSFERS TO COUNTRIES. MCCARTHY SAID IT INSULTS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO ARE OUT OF WORK IN OUR COUNTRY. 

AND REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE STEVE SCALISE CALLED IT MADNESS.

TO BE FAIR, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON IMMIGRATION.  

SINCE 2003, THE US SPENT $333 BILLION DOLLARS ON BORDER PATROL AND SECURITY.  

IN THAT TIME, THE NUMBER OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS DOUBLED AND ICE AGENTS TRIPLED. AND THE U-S BUILT 700 MILES OF FENCING ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER. 

AND STILL, MORE THAN 2 POINT 3 MILLION MIGRANTS SHOWED UP AT THE BORDER BETWEEN 2017 AND 2020. 

MOST OF THEM WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND MOST FROM THREE CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES KNOWN AS THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE: GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, AND EL SALVADOR. 

ALL THREE COUNTRIES STRUGGLE WITH SEVERE POVERTY, WIDESPREAD VIOLENT CRIME, AND MASS CORRUPTION. 

OSCAR ROMERO, 23-YEAR-OLD HONDURAN FARMER: “We don’t come here because we felt like it one day. We come because we have needs. We left the family.”

JIMMIE: THIS IS WHY THEY SAY THEY RISK LIFE AND LIMB TO COME TO AMERICA.  

PRESIDENTS GEORGE W. BUSH,  BARACK OBAMA, AND NOW PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN  HAVE ALL LOOKED AT SOLUTIONS TO FIX THE COUNTRIES THEMSELVES. 

EARLIER THIS YEAR,  GEORGE W. BUSH  SAT DOWN WITH NORAH ODONELL ON C-B-S SUNDAY MORNING TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION REFORM AND WHERE HE FELL SHORT AS PRESIDENT.  

GEORGE W. BUSH, 43rd President of the United States: “America can be a welcoming society and a lawful society” … “it’s been 15 Years”… “I know it.” NORAH O’DONNELL: “is it the biggest Disappointment of your presidency?” BUSH: “yes:

JIMMIE: AND WHILE BUSH WASN’T ABLE TO MAKE HEADWAY.  

IN 2014, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND CONGRESS INCREASED THE YEARLY AID TO CENTRAL AMERICA FROM 305 MILLION TO 3.6 BILLION OVER 7 YEARS.  BUT THEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CUT THE AID SHORT BY 33-PERCENT.  

THE MONEY FOCUSED ON THREE AREAS:  GOOD GOVERNANCE, IN OTHER WORDS, DECREASING GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION, PROMOTING ECONOMIC GROWTH, SOCIAL WELFARE, AND SECURITY, FIGHTING CRIME, GANGS, AND SUPPORTING JUSTICE REFORMS. 

DID IT WORK? WELL, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, WE REALLY DON’T KNOW. 

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT INCREASED BY 9 PERCENT IN THOSE COUNTRIES AND MURDER RATES AND CORRUPTION FELL.

CRITICS SAY THAT SOUNDS GREAT BUT IT ISN’T CLEAR HOW MANY JOBS WERE ACTUALLY CREATED.

AND THE DOWNSIDE, EXTORTION, KIDNAPPING, AND THE NUMBER OF WOMEN GETTING MURDERED INCREASED.

SO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION: CAN BIDEN’S  “BUY OUR WAY OUT’  PLAN WORK? 

RICARDO ZUNIGA, RECENTLY NAMED THE SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE THINKS SO. 

IN AN EXTENSIVE REPORT FOR THE NON-PARTISAN WILSON CENTER, ZUNIGA SAYS BIDEN’S PLAN CAN ONLY WORK IF THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE TARGETED  AND TARGETED THE RIGHT WAY.  

FIRST, THE U-S MUST USE PRESSURE TO FORCE GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND END CORRUPTION. 

NEXT, END ENDEMIC CRIME AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN THROUGH SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND POLICING. 

AND CONGRESS NEEDS TO STOP FIGHTING AND CREATE A BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT THAT LASTS NO MATTER WHO IS PRESIDENT. 

WILL IT WORK? WE WON’T KNOW FOR YEARS BUT BIDEN’S BETTING IF WE MAKE THINGS BETTER THERE, FEWER MIGRANTS WILL COME HERE. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BORDER CRISIS AND MAKE SURE TO RATE MY REPORT USING OUR BIAS METER.