http://www.pewhispanic.org/2018/11/27/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-total-dips-to-lowest-level-in-a-decade/
Some interesting stats for the numerically literate amongst us.
There is no crisis. This is a massive dog whistle. A distraction. A divisive piece of symbolism.
What about the ones that never make it into the stats like these cases
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/human-smuggling-across-the-southern-border/
While there are too many human rights violations to address in a short term, tHe urgency is more about (to most working, educated Americans) what to do to deal with this recent idea that a caravan of lost souls can just maybe get lucky and get across then set up housekeeping in secret and enter illegally, then be forgotten as so many have in the past.
I grew up seven miles from Mexico, near McAllen, Texas and I know illegals when I see them. I have looked the other way for fifty years and mostly the ones who are here legally, supporting old parents and grandparents work hard to keep their families together. Even to the point of having four or more generations living in a tiny shanty that I would not want to spend a week off, fishing in.
These people are just looking for work and when they find work they work hard, harder than any teen USA debutantes I have ever met.
In most ways people think that I know, the barricades will funnel trustworthy folk from southern wild and dangerous lands into a safe place to find a better life.
Honestly, just surviving is better than some of these people can look forward to finding from where they began their journeys.
The problem is that we were never expecting this massive amount of (I do not want to think of this as an invasion, even though it kind of IS) humans all needing access at the same time.
We were not prepared for these numbers. Even one tenth of who want to be admitted exceeds what we were prepared to deal with.
Most of us want these old school Americans to become residents of The USA, but it has to happen within the rule of law.
I have a multi-generational family living one block away. I rarely see the elders (They are illegal), but the youngers, about in their thirties and even children who attend local public schools, are all working and at least doing their best.
I offer them some of my garden bounty when I can. I used to see them every morning awaiting the school bus.