Bordering on Chaos?

The border is back in the news, bigly. “The Biden administration has authorized the construction of a new section of border wall in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley. It’s a reversal of President Joe Biden’s campaign promise that “not another foot” of border wall would be constructed under his purview that comes as the president faces increasing pressure from Republicans — and members of his own party — to reduce rising border crossings.” Vox: How Biden ended up building part of Trump’s border wall.

+ NPR: U.S. will resume deportation flights to Venezuela even as thousands flee that country.

+ WaPo (Gift Article): “The border plan President Biden put in place nearly five months ago is at risk of collapse amid a new wave of illegal crossings, intensifying strains on U.S. cities and leaving authorities struggling to care for record numbers of families arriving with children.”

+ There are the nearterm political challenges which, given the nonsense we’re seeing out of DC, we have little chance of addressing in a meaningful way. But then there’s the longterm reality that no wall can solve. The AP sums it up in one paragraph: “Worldwide, climate change has already left millions homeless. Rising seas are eating away at coastlines; storms are battering megacities and drought is exacerbating conflict. But while catastrophes intensify, the world has yet to recognize climate migrants and find formal ways of protecting them.”