We just celebrated the 50th Earth Day. It came and went with minimal fanfare as the planet's inhabitants are concerned with more immediate matters. Still, let's take the time to reflect on why there is an Earth Day in the first place.
America is facing a crisis that will test our resiliency. It's important to ignore much of the noise coming from D.C., as partisans try to figure out how they will pin blame on their opponents. It is crucial that we do pay attention to what is in legislation passing through Congress to ensure this emergency isn't used as another excuse for politicians to reward their donors.
Last week, President Trump told Laura Ingraham that employers in the United States "need" more foreign workers to fill skilled jobs because there are not enough Americans available. Ingraham pushed back on this front, and the evidence is on her side.
Howard County, Maryland is growing fast, and immigration is part of the reasons why. This is leading to the overcrowding of public schools in the county, leading to a redistricting plan unpopular with many residents there.
On Wednesday night, MSNBC hosted a debate for the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary candidates. Only one very poorly framed question related to immigration was asked the entire evening. It wasn't for lack of time, since there were no immigration questions asked in the three-hour marathon debate the previous month. It's almost as if the candidates, and the networks hosting the debates, don't want to talk about it.
The State Department last week released its ceiling of 18,000 for refugee admissions for FY2020. While refugee resettlement organizations criticized this number, down from 30,000 from the previous year, the Trump Administration showed that it is prioritizing the interests of the American people by setting a manageable limit on refugee admissions, and recognizing that it must first deal with the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Add Ecuador to a growing list of South American countries beginning to close or significantly restrict mass migration spilling over their borders, a tragic consequence of the chaos and corruption that has plunged over 90% of Venezuela's population into poverty. It is estimated that by the end of this year, over 5 million Venezuelens will have fled their homeland.