Opinion Piece: The Migrant Caravan did Affect the Midterm Elections
By Tomas Garcia
According to a New York Times article by Kirk Semple titled what is the migrant caravan and why does Trump care, a caravan of migrants mostly from Honduras are making their way through Central America to eventually reach the United States-Mexico border. They are risking being trafficked, raped and violence as they make the dangerous journey. They are seeking asylum in the U.S. for better economic opportunities, fleeing gang violence and a better life. Some estimates are calculating that the number quickly increased from 200 to 4,000 migrants as the journey to the states continues.
Out of all the topics Donald Trump can talk about such as the success of the economy, appointing two Supreme Court justices, etc. he decides to talk about the caravan. You may be asking why does Trump care about the migrant caravan? Or why is he using this humanitarian crisis as a platform for the midterms?
Donald Trump does not want to help the migrants that are apart of the caravan. If he did he would know that the solution is not just building a wall. Yes, we do need immigration reform in this country but this goes beyond just immigration.
Foreign policy plays just an important role as immigration but is heavily neglected because of the isolationist role that the United States is in now. You have a president who is kissing up to Russia but is telling EL Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras if they don't “control” the caravan he is going to pull foreign aid. Why are we not discussing the possibilities of setting up asylum centers in Central America? Why are we sending 5,900 troops to the border when up to this point has cost $72 million dollars to fight off an “invasion” when the money can be used in helping the asylum-seekers.
The US also plays a major role in the instability of Central America by supporting brutal, military dictators and far-right candidates. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “In the 20th century when countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala were in their formative modern periods … the United States opted in every case … to support military dictators and far-right candidates who kept Central America locked in the hopeless despair that still drives tens of thousands of them to El Norte.” We need to acknowledge that the cause of the migrant crisis is part of the United States past actions in their attempts to increase their influence and power within the region.
The President’s rhetoric on the migrant caravan is becoming tiring and that is why I believe it backfired and helped the Democrats. When you actually look at the results of the midterms, the Democrats won 40 seats in the house; the Democrats have the biggest margin of victory in a midterm election for either party since Watergate. That should be a wake-up call for the President. If the president does not start taking note that the rhetoric on immigration is not as effective as during the 2016 election, then 2020 is going to start becoming a challenge for him.