Kamala Watch

[BackInTex]

This should be a good thread as we can all help each other find the VP and understand what she is doing. I can't figure it out, so please help.

It has been 76 days since the president named her as the "in charge" of the border crisis. So far she's made a phone call and taken a trip, not to our border where the crisis is, where US Federal "boots on the ground" folks are who report to her and the president, but to Guatemala, a country representing a small percentage of those illegally entering our country.

She did say "please don't come" while her administration continues to send the message otherwise by offering incentives.

She wiped her hand off after shaking the hand of a foreign dignitary.

She insults the country she visits by blaming her administration's escalation of the border crisis on their corruption (essentially calling the country she's visiting a shithole), but also climate change.

I'm sure she has other accomplishments, so help a guy out by listing them and let's keep track of our potential future president.

[tlynn78]

This should be a good thread as we can all help each other find the VP and understand what she is doing. I can't figure it out, so please help.

It has been 76 days since the president named her as the "in charge" of the border crisis. So far she's made a phone call and taken a trip, not to our border where the crisis is, where US Federal "boots on the ground" folks are who report to her and the president, but to Guatemala, a country representing a small percentage of those illegally entering our country.

She did say "please don't come" while her administration continues to send the message otherwise by offering incentives.

She wiped her hand off after shaking the hand of a foreign dignitary.

She insults the country she visits by blaming her administration's escalation of the border crisis on their corruption (essentially calling the country she's visiting a shithole), but also climate change.

I'm sure she has other accomplishments, so help a guy out by listing them and let's keep track of our potential future president.

She's a girl!!!!!!

[silverscreenselect]

I'm sure she has other accomplishments,

I'm so glad you're privy to all of Kamala Harris's private discussions and meetings. I know we didn't get a Ted Cruz riverboat photo op, but I prefer someone who works instead of grandstands. The largest percentage of immigrants coming from Mexico actually originated in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, so Harris is trying to address the root cause of the immigration problem. Her discussions with the Guatemalan president have gotten farther than those with the leaders of the other two countries, who are involved in a lot of the criminal activities going on. They also rate to be more useful, since Guatemala is the only one of those countries that shares a border with Mexico, and the immigrants from the other two countries have to go through Guatemanal to get to the US eventually.

Harris has secured commitments from companies like Microsoft, Mastercard, and Chobani to invest more heavily in those countries. She also used the trip to Guatemala to announce new initiatives to combat corruption and human trafficking in the region and to help train Guatemalan law enforcement personnel in those matters. So, yes, she is doing a lot to combat the problem at the source rather than pose for photo ops at a useless wall.

[wbtravis007]

Well Biden is out of it and she’s running everything and planning for the soon-to-be transition as predicted so I think it’s pretty obvious that her plate is plenty full.

[Estonut]

I'm sure she has other accomplishments,

I'm so glad you're privy to all of Kamala Harris's private discussions and meetings. I know we didn't get a Ted Cruz riverboat photo op, but I prefer someone who works instead of grandstands. The largest percentage of immigrants coming from Mexico actually originated in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, so Harris is trying to address the root cause of the immigration problem. Her discussions with the Guatemalan president have gotten farther than those with the leaders of the other two countries, who are involved in a lot of the criminal activities going on. They also rate to be more useful, since Guatemala is the only one of those countries that shares a border with Mexico, and the immigrants from the other two countries have to go through Guatemanal to get to the US eventually.

Harris has secured commitments from companies like Microsoft, Mastercard, and Chobani to invest more heavily in those countries. She also used the trip to Guatemala to announce new initiatives to combat corruption and human trafficking in the region and to help train Guatemalan law enforcement personnel in those matters. So, yes, she is doing a lot to combat the problem at the source rather than pose for photo ops at a useless wall.

Most people turn the tap off before calling the plumber.

[Beebs52]

I'm sure she has other accomplishments,

I'm so glad you're privy to all of Kamala Harris's private discussions and meetings. I know we didn't get a Ted Cruz riverboat photo op, but I prefer someone who works instead of grandstands. The largest percentage of immigrants coming from Mexico actually originated in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, so Harris is trying to address the root cause of the immigration problem. Her discussions with the Guatemalan president have gotten farther than those with the leaders of the other two countries, who are involved in a lot of the criminal activities going on. They also rate to be more useful, since Guatemala is the only one of those countries that shares a border with Mexico, and the immigrants from the other two countries have to go through Guatemanal to get to the US eventually.

Harris has secured commitments from companies like Microsoft, Mastercard, and Chobani to invest more heavily in those countries. She also used the trip to Guatemala to announce new initiatives to combat corruption and human trafficking in the region and to help train Guatemalan law enforcement personnel in those matters. So, yes, she is doing a lot to combat the problem at the source rather than pose for photo ops at a useless wall.

Most people turn the tap off before calling the plumber.

So, easier Surface tablet purchases, credit card debt, and YOGHURT!
Why yes, more mister. Or mistress. Your choice.

[silverscreenselect]

So, easier Surface tablet purchases, credit card debt, and YOGHURT!
Why yes, more mister. Or mistress. Your choice.

Microsoft will expand internet access to up to 3 million people in the region by July 2022, as part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative. Microsoft will also expand its work with partner New Sun Road to establish community centers to provide internet, digital skills, devices, educational experiences and mentorship to women and youth in rural and high-migration areas. Second, Microsoft will build on its global skills initiative to provide access to digital skills learning paths to connect people to skills and certifications. Third, Microsoft is investing in technology to increase the transparency and accountability of government spending, and exploring the use of data science to evaluate the efficacy of interventions to address community needs.

In collaboration with public and private sector partners, [Mastercard] aims to bring 5 million people in the Northern Triangle into the financial system and digitalize 1 million micro and small businesses, leveraging its innovation and technology to improve access to vital services and drive inclusive economic growth. This includes enabling individuals to pay and get paid digitally, securely, and efficiently, and reaching previously underserved communities with technology that works on mobile phones and in rural, low-connectivity areas. Mastercard can also provide marginalized individuals with access to services like healthcare and agricultural marketplaces, and help small businesses grow with affordable tools and services. With access to financial and digital tools, and the ability to use them, Mastercard can help close the digital divide and improve livelihoods for generations to come.

Chobani’s mission is to make delicious, nutritious, and natural food for all people because access to good food is a right – not a privilege. Chobani will now extend its impact to the Northern Triangle and bring its incubator program to Guatemala, where local food entrepreneurs will get expertise and support to help them set up and scale their operations. Chobani will use knowledge from its global incubator program to determine how to best create and execute a program in Guatemala that will support local startups and contribute to regional economic empowerment.

Not just cheaper Surface tablets and yoghurt.

[silverscreenselect]

Most people turn the tap off before calling the plumber.

Most people cut off the water supply coming into the house before calling the plumber.

[Estonut]

Most people turn the tap off before calling the plumber.

Most people cut off the water supply coming into the house before calling the plumber.

It depends on the nature of the problem. Either way, you stop the flow before attempting any repair. Thanks for helping make my point!

[silverscreenselect]

]Most people cut off the water supply coming into the house before calling the plumber.

It depends on the nature of the problem. Either way, you stop the flow before attempting any repair. Thanks for helping make my point!
[/quote]

Trying to fix a pipe with the water supply still running all the way to the tap is the way to get a flooded bathroom. Thanks for helping make my point.

[Bob78164]

Most people turn the tap off before calling the plumber.

Most people cut off the water supply coming into the house before calling the plumber.

It depends on the nature of the problem. Either way, you stop the flow before attempting any repair. Thanks for helping make my point!

It really does depend on the nature of the problem. Do you wait for the rain to stop before turning on the sump pump? --Bob

[Beebs52]

So, easier Surface tablet purchases, credit card debt, and YOGHURT!
Why yes, more mister. Or mistress. Your choice.

Microsoft will expand internet access to up to 3 million people in the region by July 2022, as part of the Microsoft Airband Initiative. Microsoft will also expand its work with partner New Sun Road to establish community centers to provide internet, digital skills, devices, educational experiences and mentorship to women and youth in rural and high-migration areas. Second, Microsoft will build on its global skills initiative to provide access to digital skills learning paths to connect people to skills and certifications. Third, Microsoft is investing in technology to increase the transparency and accountability of government spending, and exploring the use of data science to evaluate the efficacy of interventions to address community needs.

In collaboration with public and private sector partners, [Mastercard] aims to bring 5 million people in the Northern Triangle into the financial system and digitalize 1 million micro and small businesses, leveraging its innovation and technology to improve access to vital services and drive inclusive economic growth. This includes enabling individuals to pay and get paid digitally, securely, and efficiently, and reaching previously underserved communities with technology that works on mobile phones and in rural, low-connectivity areas. Mastercard can also provide marginalized individuals with access to services like healthcare and agricultural marketplaces, and help small businesses grow with affordable tools and services. With access to financial and digital tools, and the ability to use them, Mastercard can help close the digital divide and improve livelihoods for generations to come.

Chobani’s mission is to make delicious, nutritious, and natural food for all people because access to good food is a right – not a privilege. Chobani will now extend its impact to the Northern Triangle and bring its incubator program to Guatemala, where local food entrepreneurs will get expertise and support to help them set up and scale their operations. Chobani will use knowledge from its global incubator program to determine how to best create and execute a program in Guatemala that will support local startups and contribute to regional economic empowerment.

Not just cheaper Surface tablets and yoghurt.

And fabulous tax writeoffs. Altruism is great. Worked well in Haiti back in the day.

[Beebs52]

Lest you think I'm heartless I'm not. It's always good to shore up lives and improve opportunites for success.

One must also not fall for fake goodness. It's difficult to change culture, cartels, gummints to fall into place to make you feel better about yourself.

In the meantime there is a certain sovereignty issue involved.

[BackInTex]

Most people cut off the water supply coming into the house before calling the plumber.

It depends on the nature of the problem. Either way, you stop the flow before attempting any repair. Thanks for helping make my point!

It really does depend on the nature of the problem. Do you wait for the rain to stop before turning on the sump pump? --Bob

Not a perfect analogy because the water can't be incentivized to flood Harris's house, but Harris's actions are like the home owner who has water gushing in from her pipes. Instead of turning off the water at the street and then protecting her home from further damage she calls the plumber for a meeting, meets the plumber at the water works department 10 miles away and discusses with the plumber and the water works folks the big valve coming from the large water tank to the 15 inch pipe that leads to to several neighborhoods. Somewhere miles from that valve is another valve leading to her neighborhood and on to the the valve at the edge of her property. All still open and flooding her house while she and the water works folks (who are laughing at her by the way) talk about the 15 inch pipe.

[wbtravis007]

People who spread the lie, whether they’re actually gullible enough to believe it or have some other motivation, that the Biden administration wants or is willing to permit “open borders” are the biggest culprits, whether they realize it or not.

[BackInTex]

People who spread the lie, whether they’re actually gullible enough to believe it or have some other motivation, that Trump or the Trump administration wanted or was willing to over throw the government (or were colluding with Russia) (or were the initiators of keeping children in cages) are the biggest culprits, whether they realize it or not.

Fixed it for you.

[Appa23]

It really does depend on the nature of the problem. Do you wait for the rain to stop before turning on the sump pump? --Bob

New TiKTok trend -- "Tell us that you are not handy around the house without telling us that you aren't handy."

[wbtravis007]

People who spread the lie, whether they’re actually gullible enough to believe it or have some other motivation, that Trump or the Trump administration wanted or was willing to over throw the government (or were colluding with Russia) (or were the initiators of keeping children in cages) are the biggest culprits, whether they realize it or not.

Fixed it for you.

I think you might have missed my point. But I could be wrong. Maybe I'm the one who missed your point. Maybe there's a connection between somebody saying any of those things and people showing up at the border, and it's over my head.

[BackInTex]

Still no Kamala visit to the border.

In her defense, she hasn't been to Europe, either. Though she was not elected to represent the people of Europe, and she was not appointed to be in charge of anything there. But hey, she hasn't been there.

[tlynn78]

Still no Kamala visit to the border.

In her defense, she hasn't been to Europe, either. Though she was not elected to represent the people of Europe, and she was not appointed to be in charge of anything there. But hey, she hasn't been there.

Don't hold your breath. She's 'busy'

[silverscreenselect]

Still no Kamala visit to the border.

In her defense, she hasn't been to Europe, either. Though she was not elected to represent the people of Europe, and she was not appointed to be in charge of anything there. But hey, she hasn't been there.

Don't hold your breath. She's 'busy'

Vice President Kamala Harris’s Meeting With Immigrant Women Who Work in the Care Economy

Today [6/15/21], on the ninth anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Vice President Kamala Harris met with immigrant women who work in the care economy, including two DACA recipients. U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (NJ) and Dick Durbin (IL), as well as Ai-Jen Poo and Jessica Morales Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, also participated.
The Vice President heard directly from two DACA recipients, Scarleth Herrera Lopez and Gloria Elizabeth Blanco; two Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, Melissa Larette and Rukmani Bhattari Adhikari; and two green card holders, Yaquelin Lopez Chavez and Gilda Blanco. The women told the Vice President about the challenges they face on the frontlines during the pandemic, and how they and their loved ones have experienced the U.S. immigration system. During the conversation, the Vice President reiterated the urgent need for Congress to create a clear pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, and individuals with Temporary Protected Status, and she called on the U.S. Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Action the Biden-Harris Administration Has Taken to Address the Border Challenge

--The administration successfully reduced the number of unaccompanied children in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities from 5,676 in late March to 570 on June 14.
--The administration reduced the average amount of time children are in CBP facilities to 26 hours, compared with 131 hours on April 1st.
--The administration has reduced the number of unaccompanied children in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to under 16,000 from over 22,000 in late April.
--HHS has surged case management resources to dramatically increase the rates by which children are united with their sponsors.
DHS and HHS rescinded an agreement from the former administration that subjected undocumented parents to immigration enforcement when they came forward to claim their child.
--HHS expanded access to fingerprinting sites to conduct background checks on sponsors that has resulted in reduced backlogs and long-distance travel for sponsors.
--With support from the United States Digital Service, HHS implemented the UC Bed Census that assists facilities and licensed providers with reporting bed capacity data, thereby improving bed count accuracy and data collection.
--Through support and coordination with the Government of Mexico, the Department of State (State), and international organization partners, DHS has successfully processed over 11,900 eligible people who had been returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) to reenter the United States to pursue their active U.S. immigration cases in a safe and orderly manner.
--DHS has developed a partnership model, working with community-based organizations, cities, and counties to ensure that family units and single adults released from DHS custody are COVID tested and isolated in compliance with CDC recommendations.
--DHS announced the availability of 6,000 temporary, non-agricultural worker – or H-2B – visas for nationals of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala for FY 2021.
State and DHS reopened the Central American Minors (CAM) program to reunite children who are nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras with their parents in the U.S. through refugee resettlement or humanitarian parole. On June 15th, State and DHS announced the second phase of CAM, which will expand access to the program to legal guardians (in addition to parents) and to U.S.-based parents or legal guardians who have a pending asylum application or pending U visa petition filed before May 15, 2021.
--State and DHS resumed interviewing individuals via the Protection Transfer Arrangement (PTA) to expand protection for vulnerable nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
--The President issued a new FY 2021 Presidential Determination on refugees that created 4,000 additional slots for refugees from Latin America and the Caribbean, which includes the Northern Triangle.
--State is supporting the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) through U.S. partner organizations to promote humane practices in labor migration agreements in the region. In late May, 61 participants from 11 RCM member countries, the private sector, and civil society organizations exchanged best practices on fair recruitment and protection of migrant workers.
--On June 10, the U.S. Government announced an additional $57 million in funds, including $46 million the President authorized from the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund, to support urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable refugees and migrants in Central America and third countries in the region, including the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on forced displacement. This builds on the $310 million in humanitarian support for the region announced in April.
--The Department of State opened the first Migration Resource Center (MRC) in Guatemala to provide individuals with protection screenings and referrals to asylum, refugee resettlement, and parole options. The MRC will also have referrals for labor and reintegration programs for individuals who do not have protection needs.
--The Department of Justice, with support from the Department of State, will create a regional task force to identify, disrupt, and prevent migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations.
--DHS implemented “Operation Sentinel” – a U.S. government effort to crack down on international criminal organizations engaged in migrant smuggling by targeting their ability to travel, trade, and access financial assets in the United States.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced a new Human Smuggling and Trafficking Task Force that will identify, disrupt, and prevent migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations.
--On her trip to Mexico, the Vice President announced that U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies will partner to exchange information and take appropriate actions to address the shared priority of disabling human trafficking and human smuggling organizations.
--Mexico is increasing border checkpoints and deployed more than 12,000 security personnel to southern Mexico.
--Mexico received 31,800 asylum requests from January to April, compared to 18,500 during the same period in 2019.
--State has nearly quadrupled the number of radio ads in Central America to discourage irregular migration compared to January. State continues to run a comprehensive digital marketing campaign in the region, emphasizing the value of staying with family and building a better life at home.
--Demonstrated a strong U.S. commitment to good governance by redirecting funding for certain Salvadoran government institutions in response to democratic backsliding.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced that the Department of Justice, with support from the Department of State, will create an anticorruption task force that will include U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement experts to investigate and prosecute corruption cases with a nexus in the United States, Guatemala, and the region.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced that USAID and DFC will provide up to $48M in U.S. government resources to advance economic opportunity in Guatemala through support for entrepreneurs and innovators, expanding access to affordable housing, agricultural businesses, and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises.
--USAID launched a three-year regional initiative to support local partners in the Northern Triangle to increase community resilience in the face of poverty, violence, poor governance, corruption, and climate change.
--To increase security in the region, USAID trained police officers on domestic violence procedures, trained investigators and analysts on the prosecution of human smuggling cases, and State Department-supported partners identified 19 human smugglers with outstanding warrants in the United States.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced that USAID will provide up to $40 million over three years to launch the Young Women’s Empowerment Initiative that will focus on creating opportunities for young, primarily indigenous women.
--On her trip to Mexico, the Vice President witnessed the signing of an MOU between the United States and Mexico. This MOU establishes a partnership to address the lack of economic opportunities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras by fostering agricultural development and youth empowerment programs in these countries to address the root causes of migration.

Admittedly, none of this is quite as sexy as a video of Ted Cruz in his combat fatigues going on his riverboat cruise, but we elected Biden and Harris to get results, not to pose for photos in front of a border wall. In case you hadn't noticed, the Vice President of the United States has a world-class communications network at her disposal to communicate with any number of people and organizations and can get a lot more done from her office than she can while walking along a stretch of southwestern desert.

[tlynn78]

Still no Kamala visit to the border.

In her defense, she hasn't been to Europe, either. Though she was not elected to represent the people of Europe, and she was not appointed to be in charge of anything there. But hey, she hasn't been there.

Don't hold your breath. She's 'busy'

Vice President Kamala Harris’s Meeting With Immigrant Women Who Work in the Care Economy

Today [6/15/21], on the ninth anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Vice President Kamala Harris met with immigrant women who work in the care economy, including two DACA recipients. U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (NJ) and Dick Durbin (IL), as well as Ai-Jen Poo and Jessica Morales Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, also participated.
The Vice President heard directly from two DACA recipients, Scarleth Herrera Lopez and Gloria Elizabeth Blanco; two Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, Melissa Larette and Rukmani Bhattari Adhikari; and two green card holders, Yaquelin Lopez Chavez and Gilda Blanco. The women told the Vice President about the challenges they face on the frontlines during the pandemic, and how they and their loved ones have experienced the U.S. immigration system. During the conversation, the Vice President reiterated the urgent need for Congress to create a clear pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farmworkers, and individuals with Temporary Protected Status, and she called on the U.S. Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Action the Biden-Harris Administration Has Taken to Address the Border Challenge

--The administration successfully reduced the number of unaccompanied children in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities from 5,676 in late March to 570 on June 14.
--The administration reduced the average amount of time children are in CBP facilities to 26 hours, compared with 131 hours on April 1st.
--The administration has reduced the number of unaccompanied children in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to under 16,000 from over 22,000 in late April.
--HHS has surged case management resources to dramatically increase the rates by which children are united with their sponsors.
DHS and HHS rescinded an agreement from the former administration that subjected undocumented parents to immigration enforcement when they came forward to claim their child.
--HHS expanded access to fingerprinting sites to conduct background checks on sponsors that has resulted in reduced backlogs and long-distance travel for sponsors.
--With support from the United States Digital Service, HHS implemented the UC Bed Census that assists facilities and licensed providers with reporting bed capacity data, thereby improving bed count accuracy and data collection.
--Through support and coordination with the Government of Mexico, the Department of State (State), and international organization partners, DHS has successfully processed over 11,900 eligible people who had been returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) to reenter the United States to pursue their active U.S. immigration cases in a safe and orderly manner.
--DHS has developed a partnership model, working with community-based organizations, cities, and counties to ensure that family units and single adults released from DHS custody are COVID tested and isolated in compliance with CDC recommendations.
--DHS announced the availability of 6,000 temporary, non-agricultural worker – or H-2B – visas for nationals of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala for FY 2021.
State and DHS reopened the Central American Minors (CAM) program to reunite children who are nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras with their parents in the U.S. through refugee resettlement or humanitarian parole. On June 15th, State and DHS announced the second phase of CAM, which will expand access to the program to legal guardians (in addition to parents) and to U.S.-based parents or legal guardians who have a pending asylum application or pending U visa petition filed before May 15, 2021.
--State and DHS resumed interviewing individuals via the Protection Transfer Arrangement (PTA) to expand protection for vulnerable nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
--The President issued a new FY 2021 Presidential Determination on refugees that created 4,000 additional slots for refugees from Latin America and the Caribbean, which includes the Northern Triangle.
--State is supporting the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) through U.S. partner organizations to promote humane practices in labor migration agreements in the region. In late May, 61 participants from 11 RCM member countries, the private sector, and civil society organizations exchanged best practices on fair recruitment and protection of migrant workers.
--On June 10, the U.S. Government announced an additional $57 million in funds, including $46 million the President authorized from the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund, to support urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable refugees and migrants in Central America and third countries in the region, including the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on forced displacement. This builds on the $310 million in humanitarian support for the region announced in April.
--The Department of State opened the first Migration Resource Center (MRC) in Guatemala to provide individuals with protection screenings and referrals to asylum, refugee resettlement, and parole options. The MRC will also have referrals for labor and reintegration programs for individuals who do not have protection needs.
--The Department of Justice, with support from the Department of State, will create a regional task force to identify, disrupt, and prevent migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations.
--DHS implemented “Operation Sentinel” – a U.S. government effort to crack down on international criminal organizations engaged in migrant smuggling by targeting their ability to travel, trade, and access financial assets in the United States.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced a new Human Smuggling and Trafficking Task Force that will identify, disrupt, and prevent migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations.
--On her trip to Mexico, the Vice President announced that U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies will partner to exchange information and take appropriate actions to address the shared priority of disabling human trafficking and human smuggling organizations.
--Mexico is increasing border checkpoints and deployed more than 12,000 security personnel to southern Mexico.
--Mexico received 31,800 asylum requests from January to April, compared to 18,500 during the same period in 2019.
--State has nearly quadrupled the number of radio ads in Central America to discourage irregular migration compared to January. State continues to run a comprehensive digital marketing campaign in the region, emphasizing the value of staying with family and building a better life at home.
--Demonstrated a strong U.S. commitment to good governance by redirecting funding for certain Salvadoran government institutions in response to democratic backsliding.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced that the Department of Justice, with support from the Department of State, will create an anticorruption task force that will include U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement experts to investigate and prosecute corruption cases with a nexus in the United States, Guatemala, and the region.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced that USAID and DFC will provide up to $48M in U.S. government resources to advance economic opportunity in Guatemala through support for entrepreneurs and innovators, expanding access to affordable housing, agricultural businesses, and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises.
--USAID launched a three-year regional initiative to support local partners in the Northern Triangle to increase community resilience in the face of poverty, violence, poor governance, corruption, and climate change.
--To increase security in the region, USAID trained police officers on domestic violence procedures, trained investigators and analysts on the prosecution of human smuggling cases, and State Department-supported partners identified 19 human smugglers with outstanding warrants in the United States.
--On her trip to Guatemala, the Vice President announced that USAID will provide up to $40 million over three years to launch the Young Women’s Empowerment Initiative that will focus on creating opportunities for young, primarily indigenous women.
--On her trip to Mexico, the Vice President witnessed the signing of an MOU between the United States and Mexico. This MOU establishes a partnership to address the lack of economic opportunities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras by fostering agricultural development and youth empowerment programs in these countries to address the root causes of migration.

Admittedly, none of this is quite as sexy as a video of Ted Cruz in his combat fatigues going on his riverboat cruise, but we elected Biden and Harris to get results, not to pose for photos in front of a border wall. In case you hadn't noticed, the Vice President of the United States has a world-class communications network at her disposal to communicate with any number of people and organizations and can get a lot more done from her office than she can while walking along a stretch of southwestern desert.

I'm sure that's of great comfort to the people living and working there.

[silverscreenselect]

I'm sure that's of great comfort to the people living and working there.

Funny you should ask:

The real crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border

There’s a crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, but it isn’t the crisis that the media has been covering and that the Republican governors of Arizona and Texas recently blamed on President Biden. The crisis I’m talking about is the one that is eroding the livelihoods of U.S. citizens on the borderlands.

Just ask Blanca Gallardo, 45, or her colleague Ivan Caballero, 39, two of the three workers left at La Familia, a mega-discount store in the border city of Nogales, Ariz. The store once employed 24 people. La Familia occupies a prime piece of real estate on Morley Avenue, Nogales’s Main Street. Like other retail businesses on and around this thoroughfare, La Familia depends almost entirely on shoppers who live on the other side of the border fence a short walk away — Mexicans who have not been allowed to enter the United States since March last year, when land ports of entry were closed to visa-carrying nonessential travelers in an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The result has been devastating. Parking meters have been turned off for months. In an email, Mayor Arturo Garino told me that the city has logged a $250,000 shortfall in sales tax revenue so far this year, but that a more important question is how much it would have collected had the border been open. Sheriff David Hathaway, a lifelong Nogales resident and the top law enforcement official in Santa Cruz County, one of four border counties in Arizona, said that 90 percent of local businesses have shut their doors and may never reopen. “There is no migrant crisis,” Hathaway told me. “What we have is a big economic crisis.”

That’s not just a Nogales problem, though. One downtown merchant in the border city of El Paso told Border Report in November that his store had lost as much as 90 percent of its customers since last March. In McAllen, a Texas city near the southern tip of the Rio Grande Valley, where a shelter has received 200 to 300 migrants each day, Mayor Jim Darling said at a recent City Council meeting, “We need to open the border and help our businesses who have been severely affected by this.”

At La Familia, Gallardo and Caballero have Mexicans to thank for their jobs, the money they make, and their ability to feed, house and clothe themselves and their families. A lot of us may not realize it or may not want to admit it, but many Americans rely heavily on Mexico and its citizens.

[tlynn78]

I'm sure that's of great comfort to the people living and working there.

Funny you should ask:

The real crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border

There’s a crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, but it isn’t the crisis that the media has been covering and that the Republican governors of Arizona and Texas recently blamed on President Biden. The crisis I’m talking about is the one that is eroding the livelihoods of U.S. citizens on the borderlands.

Just ask Blanca Gallardo, 45, or her colleague Ivan Caballero, 39, two of the three workers left at La Familia, a mega-discount store in the border city of Nogales, Ariz. The store once employed 24 people. La Familia occupies a prime piece of real estate on Morley Avenue, Nogales’s Main Street. Like other retail businesses on and around this thoroughfare, La Familia depends almost entirely on shoppers who live on the other side of the border fence a short walk away — Mexicans who have not been allowed to enter the United States since March last year, when land ports of entry were closed to visa-carrying nonessential travelers in an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The result has been devastating. Parking meters have been turned off for months. In an email, Mayor Arturo Garino told me that the city has logged a $250,000 shortfall in sales tax revenue so far this year, but that a more important question is how much it would have collected had the border been open. Sheriff David Hathaway, a lifelong Nogales resident and the top law enforcement official in Santa Cruz County, one of four border counties in Arizona, said that 90 percent of local businesses have shut their doors and may never reopen. “There is no migrant crisis,” Hathaway told me. “What we have is a big economic crisis.”

That’s not just a Nogales problem, though. One downtown merchant in the border city of El Paso told Border Report in November that his store had lost as much as 90 percent of its customers since last March. In McAllen, a Texas city near the southern tip of the Rio Grande Valley, where a shelter has received 200 to 300 migrants each day, Mayor Jim Darling said at a recent City Council meeting, “We need to open the border and help our businesses who have been severely affected by this.”

At La Familia, Gallardo and Caballero have Mexicans to thank for their jobs, the money they make, and their ability to feed, house and clothe themselves and their families. A lot of us may not realize it or may not want to admit it, but many Americans rely heavily on Mexico and its citizens.

"If they can't come, how can we exploit them?" Completely unsurprising argument coming from you.

[BackInTex]

I'm not going to re-quote all the "accomplishments" SSS atrributed to Biden / Harris. Most, if not all, are like showing your mom you made your bed, took out the trash, and pull some weeds, as your report card with all "F"s in in the mailbox. Sure, you've been doing stuff but not what needed to be done now.

As SSS has previously stated, the demographics of the folks coming across the border is significantly different that what it was just a year ago. Talking to DACA candidates who arrived here a decade or or ago is not addressing today's problem at the border. It is ignoring it.

Presenting the fact that 24 people have lost a job serving people who live in another country while there are millions of job openings to serve people who live in this country is laughable. It shows SSS is completely disconnected with reality or what is important to the country (other than folks who will work to pay his future social security benefits).