Bluegrass meets bluestem: Representative Yarmuth talks about border trip

At "Politics in Kentucky," a blog at the Louisville Courier-Journal, reporter Jim Carroll covers Rep. John Yarmuth's thought about the trip to the U.S.-Mexican border that Congressman Walz led in Yarmuth: Border Patrol says it is "doing much better" against illegal immigration.

Yarmuth brings up many of the same points Walz discussed with the press, but adds an interesting reflection about the impact of American trade policy on the situation of those coming North:

While the group was looking at the border, the lawmakers could see into parts of Juarez. It is clear that the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement still have not had the economic benefits their backers hoped for, Yarmuth said.

"We saw abject poverty you wouldn't let your pet live in," he said. "It's pretty clear why people would want to get out of there."

"The Border Patrol people were great," Yarmuth added. "I was very impressed with their sophistication and intelligence - and also their compassion. They understand we are dealing with a lot of human tragedy."

While they were with Border Patrol officers, the lawmakers spoke to one woman who said she had come from Guatemala. She was 20 years old, she said, from a large family and a mother unable to work.

The woman said her family sold everything it owned to raise $3,500 to give to a smuggler so she could get into the United States, make money and send it home.

"The coyotes (smugglers) stood her up," Yarmuth said they were told. "She tried to get over by herself and got caught."

Will discussions of reforming immigration only be based on a cost-benefit analysis of the economic and security issues raised by people coming to our country? Or will we also broaden the discussion to talk about the drivers of poverty--including trade policy--in those countries whose citizens seek work in America? Yarmuth's observation suggests a broader discussion might yield some interesting answers.

Comments

[Archer Dem]

Part of Tim's response was given top billing on the response thread on DailyKos.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/28/223736/401/332/445132

[Ollie Ox]

I think you wanted to post this on the next thread, about Walz's reaction to Bush's final SOTU.