President Joe Biden’s border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, claims that the White House’s border plan is effective. However, the goal of the plan is not to reduce migration into U.S. communities, homes, and jobs, as Mayorkas stated in an interview with NPR. Instead, the plan aims to redirect economic migrants away from dangerous, cartel-run routes and towards government-run lawful pathways.
One key aspect of the plan involves paying Mexico to stabilize the flow of migrants and creating progressive-managed quasi-legal pathways. These pathways include parole pipelines, refugee programs, catch-and-release programs, and various visa programs. While this strategy has led to a decrease in the visible inflow of migrants, it has also stirred controversy for its potential impact on wages, housing, and voting preferences.
Mayorkas’s approach aligns with a broader economic strategy known as “Extraction Migration,” which involves extracting human resources from other countries to fuel consumer demand in the U.S. This policy has raised concerns about its effects on wages, productivity, innovation, trade, and social cohesion.
Despite facing impeachment by the House of Representatives, Mayorkas continues to defend his approach, which prioritizes high levels of migration and low wages to benefit businesses and progressive interests. This policy has drawn criticism for its economic and social consequences, as well as its impact on American workers and families.