Time for a reality check on the caravan

By: Matthew Pipkin, Columnist

One of the most overused tactics made by my good friends on the Democratic side is to “appeal to emotion.” This illogical fallacy has effectively rendered our political debates utterly pointless as any opposition to their positions on various issues will be met with calls on us to check our own morality or “privilege” rather than presenting an actual rebuttal. Facts have been replaced by emotions in our political rhetoric, forcing many of us on the right to hopelessly abandon the discussion entirely. With that said, I think it’s time we tear down the walls of emotion to dose some of you with a quick reality check on one of the most contentious issues of 2018: the migrant caravan.

First and foremost, according to the American National Election Study, the majority of Republicans still want immigration reform to include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. This idea that Republicans are calling for the deportation of everyone who crosses the border or overstays a visa is factually inaccurate. While I would concede that the rhetoric from elements within the GOP have not been helpful in promoting this message, the fact still stands that Republicans are open to accepting these migrants. To say otherwise is intellectually dishonest.

Now with that established, the point of disagreement lies in how these migrants should be processed and granted asylum in the United States. For many of those on the left, the admission into the United States should be expedited for these migrants, claiming that the majority of migrants are fleeing violence and poverty and therefore should be immediately put into the immigration system. There have been rhetorical claims that the caravan is predominantly women and children, and that the amount of individuals with a criminal record attempting to enter is minimal.

Republicans, tending to be more cautious and skeptical by nature, are more reluctant towards accepting all of the migrants so quickly. Republicans are fearful of individuals trying to exploit the unfortunate situation, such as sneaking into the United States with a questionable criminal record. Recently, a convicted murderer from Honduras was caught amongst two others trying to enter the United States with the caravan according to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that 600 individuals with criminal records are amongst the various caravan groups attempting to gain entry into the country. Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, Roy Villareal, explained that the demographics of this caravan group are made up of three-quarters adult men, with only “about 20 to 30 percent” being comprised of families and unaccompanied minors. Alongside the recent incident of migrants throwing bottles and rocks at border patrol officials, the narrative being pushed by the left appears misleading at best.

These points of debate made by Republicans have been met by harsh rhetoric on the Democratic side, with calls to outright question the moral character of those skeptical of the left’s busted narrative. We need to be better than this and stick to the facts if we want to return to healthy debate in this country. But please, let’s leave the illogical fallacies at the door next time.