News Americas, FORT LAUDERDALE, Fl, Thurs. April 14, 2022: There’s a new immigration crisis at the US’ Southern border and it’s no longer black but white.
There’s another blatant difference too that few are addressing, and that is the double standard of how the U.S. is dealing with the surge of White Ukrainians to the Mexican border versus the treatment meted out to black and brown immigrants.
Let me be clear – I am saddened and empathetic that thousands have been forced to flee their homes because of a mad man and his decision to invade their country for no real reason. They are fleeing war – I know!
But many African immigrants seeking asylum at the border are also fleeing civil war in their countries. Yet they are denied the same access being rolled out to Ukrainians at the border.
Thousands of Haitians are fleeing because of gang war in their country but are turned back by Mexican police and horse-riding US agents with lassos.
Thousands of brown immigrants from Central America are fleeing for their lives from gangs, but are told “stay at home” and “don’t come, the border is not open,” by US officials, including its immigration czar and veep, Kamala Harris.
Much like black and brown immigrants set up tent cities and camped out in Mexico waiting for an opportunity to apply for asylum, thousands of Ukrainians are arriving in Tijuana and camping out there.
Tent cities have now sprung up while most are now living in shelters, churches and anywhere they can find, just like brown and black immigrants have done in recent years.
Enrique Lucero, director of Tijuana’s immigration services, told Reuters that about 2,829 Ukrainians were waiting. Between 100 to 200 Ukrainians arrive in Tijuana alone daily, according to official statistics.
The difference is while black and brown immigrants have been turned back and told the border is closed per Title-42, U.S. border officials have been allowing hundreds of Ukrainians into the U.S. per day, through the San Ysidro crossing.
How come? They were instructed in early March by the Biden administration to consider exempting people with Ukrainian passports from Title-42 or the pandemic-era restrictions currently blocking other migrants from seeking asylum.
Last week alone, nearly 3,000 Ukrainians were processed by U.S. border officials, CBD news quoted DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as saying.
The typical right wingers who are always critical of the “border crisis” and black and brown immigrant caravans at the Southern border, are now very quiet.
No Fox News channel running 24-7 coverage of the “caravan” of immigrants heading for the US and camping out at the border. No Donald Trump comments about how the Border crisis is destroying America; how they are “pouring over the border” or are a “cesspool of humanity.”
Why? The new immigrants at the border are not black or brown, but White.
Remember Trump’s alleged racist comment on wanting more immigrants from places like Norway, and less from immigrants from “s-hole countries?”
Well, it has now become a reality at the Southern border, and many are secretly happy.
The blatant discrimination is obvious. I have nothing but deep empathy for Ukrainians fleeing war, but there cannot be a double standard. How can you waive the rules for some while keeping them firmly in place to shut out others with more melanin? That is what the states suing to keep Title-42 in place wish to uphold.
This is a clear-cut example of racism and White privilege. As my granny used to say when summing up racism: ‘You black, stay back, you white, you alright.’
This sadly holds true in 2022 at the U.S. border.
The writer is publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com – The Black Immigrant Daily News.
