USA, immigration the main issue of the elections

2024-02-12 16:46:48, Kosova & Bota CNA

New York City's bustling streets and skyscrapers lure expats from around the globe to make their way to the largest city in the United States. However, as VOA correspondent Aron Ranen reports, conflicting messages from officials and stalled legislation in Congress have turned the issue of immigration into a controversial election topic.

As Congress considers immigration reform, the 175,000 immigrants who have registered from New York City since spring 2022 are getting conflicting signals from local authorities coming from the Democratic Party.

Despite measures taken by the city to discourage arrivals by shortening shelter stays and banning busloads of migrants from the city, the mayor's office recently announced several initiatives to support them, such as handing out $1,000 bank cards for buying food and providing 4,000 jobs for newly arrived migrants.

"It's good news, they give us a lot of help. They give us food, clothes for the winter. They give us the opportunity for our children to study, get an education. This helps us to start the procedures for the residence permit, to be able to work. In New York they help us a lot," says Angel Torres, an immigrant who recently arrived in New York from Venezuela.

"There are very good people here, people who help us, we even get help that is not offered in our country," says Evelyn, a recent immigrant from Ecuador.

As migrants continue to share positive experiences with their compatriots, encouraging more to travel to New York City, the mayor is seeking a solution from Congress, asserting that the issue has exceeded what local authorities can handle.

"This is a national problem that involves Chicago, Boston, Houston, Washington. The federal government needs to address this and the challenges we are facing. We are facing the consequences of a failed national policy, and when I talk to my colleagues in other cities, they say the same thing," said Eric Adams, mayor of New York.

Despite efforts from both parties and the inclusion of many conditions by the Republican Party, there is a suspicion that some Republican leaders in Congress are deliberately obstructing the passage of the immigration bill.

"Republicans have been ordered by former President Trump not to resolve the border challenges, but to continue playing political games because they want to use the border as an election issue in November even though it will backfire," says Democrat Hakeem Jeffries. House Minority Leader.

Republicans disagree, blaming President Biden and saying he has had nearly four years to offer solutions.

"Joe Biden has completely failed in one of his most basic and important duties as president. He has failed to protect our borders and our people. Because of his failures, governors from across the country must do the work of the federal government," said Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee.

Professor Erin Corcoran from the University of Notre Dame claims that the immigration bill is being delayed for political purposes in Congress.

"I definitely think it's going to be a big issue for the election and that's why I think there are some signs that there's a deliberate lack of compromise because if the bill passes and goes into effect, some of these issues go away," says Professor Erin B. Corcoran from the University of Notre Dame.

As Democrats and Republicans struggle to use the immigration issue to their political advantage, the fate of millions of immigrants remains uncertain, at least until the next presidential election in November./ VOA