TIJUANA, Mexico — A peaceful march by Central American migrants
waiting at the southwestern United States border veered out of control on
Sunday afternoon, as hundreds of people tried to evade a Mexican police
blockade and run toward a giant border crossing that leads into San Diego.
In
response, the United States Customs and Border Protection agency shut down the
border crossing in both directions and fired tear gas to push back migrants
from the border fence. The border was reopened later Sunday evening. The
episode comes at a time of growing tension on both sides of the border and
promised to become the newest flash point in the story of a caravan that was
the target of President Trump’s anti-immigrant rallying cry during the midterm
elections. LINK
I don't have a lot to say
about this that I haven't said before. It's important to understand that there
are few if any sovereign nations that will routinely let masses of people enter
without permission. The US isn't one of them, strictly speaking. If you zerg rush a border there are
basically three choices that the authorities have. (1) The authorities can back
down and let you in. (2) The authorities can use non-lethal force to prevent
your entry. (3) The authorities can use lethal force to prevent your entry. If
the authorities make the first choice they will invite more people to do the
same thing.
A border is force made visible. It tells everyone else that this section of the planet is ours. You can't enter or stay without our permission. Consent is everything here. It's the difference between me inviting someone into my home and someone entering my home without my permission. It's the same action in each instance but I will have utterly different reactions. Consent matters.
As has already been pointed out this recent incident was not the first or only time that Border agents used tear gas to disperse would be entrants.
Arguing that this is an atrocity as many people did? Well I don't know how to respond to that. I do recall that when the previous President used drone strikes in various countries that it was like pulling teeth to get his supporters to criticize his actions. Most refused at the time. Most still won't today. Immigration continues to be one of the flashpoint issues that has the potential to tear this nation apart.
The California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, is upset that tear gas was used; he is looking for some way for California to stop the United States Federal Government from using tear gas or presumably any sort of force. I said it before that it would be darkly humorous when people who screamed about Federal Supremacy when their guy was in the Big Seat suddenly discover their inner John Calhoun, states rights and nullification when someone else has the power. Just human nature I guess.
A border is force made visible. It tells everyone else that this section of the planet is ours. You can't enter or stay without our permission. Consent is everything here. It's the difference between me inviting someone into my home and someone entering my home without my permission. It's the same action in each instance but I will have utterly different reactions. Consent matters.
As has already been pointed out this recent incident was not the first or only time that Border agents used tear gas to disperse would be entrants.
As the Trump administration continues to face widespread
backlash over its use of tear gas against Central American asylum seekers at
the southern border on Sunday, data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
agency has shone a light on just how common the use of tear gas and pepper
spray at the border really is.
In a
statement sent to Newsweek on Tuesday, the CBP
said its personnel have been using tear gas, or 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS),
since 2010, deploying the substance a total of 126 times since fiscal year
2012.
Under
President Donald Trump, CBP's use of the substance has hit a seven-year record
high, with the agency deploying the substance a total of 29 times in fiscal
year 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, according to the agency's data.
However, the data also showed that the substance was
deployed nearly the same number of times in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 under
former President Barack Obama, with CBP using the substance 26 times in fiscal
year 2012 and 27 times in fiscal year 2013.
CBP also noted in its statement that in addition to using tear gas, the agency also "regularly uses" Pava Capsaicin, or pepper spray. In terms of pepper spray use, deployments appeared to soar under the Obama administration, with CBP personnel using the substance 95 times in fiscal year 2012, a number that climbed to 151 in 2013, before dropping to 109 in fiscal year 2014.
CBP also noted in its statement that in addition to using tear gas, the agency also "regularly uses" Pava Capsaicin, or pepper spray. In terms of pepper spray use, deployments appeared to soar under the Obama administration, with CBP personnel using the substance 95 times in fiscal year 2012, a number that climbed to 151 in 2013, before dropping to 109 in fiscal year 2014.
Arguing that this is an atrocity as many people did? Well I don't know how to respond to that. I do recall that when the previous President used drone strikes in various countries that it was like pulling teeth to get his supporters to criticize his actions. Most refused at the time. Most still won't today. Immigration continues to be one of the flashpoint issues that has the potential to tear this nation apart.
The California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, is upset that tear gas was used; he is looking for some way for California to stop the United States Federal Government from using tear gas or presumably any sort of force. I said it before that it would be darkly humorous when people who screamed about Federal Supremacy when their guy was in the Big Seat suddenly discover their inner John Calhoun, states rights and nullification when someone else has the power. Just human nature I guess.
