Abuse of Haitian asylum seekers shocks world

 In a dramatic reversal of campaign promises towards asylum seekers, the Biden administration has faced another political bungle, just after alienating France, with harrowing images of Haitian immigrants being beaten back by members of the Border Patrol at the Texas and Mexican international bridge.

These events stand in stark contrast to the president’s stated objectives when it came to asylum seekers and immigrants on the campaign trail, and now in office, the tactics and rulings toward expulsions to Haiti seem more draconian than his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Comparisons to American slavery abound as members of the patrol on horseback used their reigns to ensnare the Haitians, and often using foul curses while doing so.

The consequences of sending  plane loads of them back to Haiti, a country that many had not known, or escaped from, after the 2010 hurricane, seeking employment in South America, (some working at the Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro) only to have Covid destroy their livelihoods is even more baffling, since Haiti lost its president in a recent assassination, the economy is in shambles, and many with nothing but the clothes on their backs, are now living on the streets of Port Au Prince.

Further damming the country, Haiti has suffered the aftermath of a recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake, leaving desperation and financial ruin all around.

For Black Americans the images are especially disturbing, and the outrage towards Biden has been relentless, with the NAACP issuing a statement to the White House saying, in part, “White (and white-presenting) men on horseback with lariats are seen chasing, yelling and cursing at vulnerable Black asylum seekers who have for weeks and months been fleeing toward what they thought was safety,”

Adding to the events was Chief Raul Ortiz of the Border Patrol claiming that “the mounted unit was deployed to assist with security and see if any migrants were in distress . . .” reported The New York Times.

Disingenuous to the side, others claimed that the use of horses in an open are not the best choice, “especially with a lot of people, is probably not the best place to be,” said Gil Kerlikowske, a former commissioner with Customs and Border Protection.

As he told the Times, “I think they’re really trying to send a strong deterrence message.”

That open area was also filled with women and children, some who were crossing back and forth, between the two countries, for food, and supplies; knee deep in murky water.

Skirting the issue was Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary for the Homeland Security Department, who defended deterrence matters, while saying on Wednesday that he would look into the matter.

While there is some sympathy for a vexing problem that has plagued many an American presidents these optics, say some, point to a crisis in the West Wing, on how to tackle the issue, with one side saying, accurately, that they were left a mess by the previous administration, and were not prepared to allow any asylum seekers in, and while others, Susan Rice, chiefly, saying deter.

Whoever is responsible for the directions, the subsequent humanitarian crisis is one that has many people recoiling, while the Republicans gleefully point fingers, and decry a “policy” that has caused the events, such as Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.

In a continuance of Trump’s policy Biden has continued the use of Title 42 to stem the tide of immigration, but now it seeks to staunch the blood from a political fight that can loom large in the upcoming midterm elections.

Reaction from key lawmakers has been swift, with Vice President Kamala Harris calling the treatment “horrible” and that “human beings should never be treated that way.”

On the Hill, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called the scenes “heartbreaking,” and that she was following the events with a close eye.

On Thursday, the senior American envoy for Haiti policy, Daniel Foote quit in disgust, and in a sharp letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “"not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees".

CNN reported that, “State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday that Foote "has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation."

"He failed to take advantage of ample opportunity to raise concerns about migration during his tenure and chose to resign instead," Price said in a statement. He also said he was "not going to parse the contents of his resignation letter," but disputed a number of the points in that letter.”

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that Foote never raised any objections and that all opinions were valued, and "I would note that Special Envoy Foote had ample opportunity to raise concerns about migration during his tenure. He never once did so. Now, that wasn't his purview," Psaki said during a White House briefing. "His purview was, of course, being the special envoy on the ground. His positions were and his views were put forward. They were valued. They were heard. Different policy decisions were made in some circumstances."

It’s easy to see that Foote has been left twisting in the wind, but his resignation added fuel to a fire that does not seem to be easily extinguished.

To stem the tide of the double debacle, the United States has allowed some of the asylum seekers to remain in the country, mostly women, and men, with children, and families. Processing has been done in Houston by a faith based group, with many joining family members already there.

Locations include New York, Boston and Miami; meanwhile the horse patrol has been suspended, but 4,000 asylum seekers still remain in Texas, with rough estimates that 2,000 were repatriated to Haiti and another 2,000 to stay in the US to await adjudication with the immigration courts, which could take years.

Mayorkas has now said that the area in Del Rio has been cleared by “heroic” efforts, and promised an investigation that will not be predetermined. He also gave some numbers that were at variance with earlier media reports.

According to The Washington Post, “Mayorkas said about 2,000 migrants have been expelled to Haiti on a total of 17 flights organized by DHS. Six more flights were scheduled Friday. About 8,000 migrants “decided to return to Mexico voluntarily,” he said.

The Post also gave some statements, on deep background, and that person said “Most of the 8,000 were part of those who arrived to the Del Rio camp, indicating more than half of the migrants who arrived there have returned to Mexico, according to a DHS official who was not authorized to speak to reporters.”

Meanwhile Biden said, “It was horrible,” and, “To see people treated like they did? Horses running them over and people being strapped? It's outrageous and I promise you, those people will pay.”

“There will be consequences,” he said. “It’s simply not who we are.”

This  incident has revealed some deep fissures in a White House that most felt was diligent and competent, veterans of previous administrations, who were compelled by nature to refute much of what the last four years had borne.

To many the thought process of some in the Biden White House is confusing, and, as an example, there is this: “Mayorkas said the administration had determined Haiti to be capable of taking back the returnees, just weeks after finding the country too unsafe as DHS extended protected status to eligible Haitians present in the United States before July 29, shielding them from deportation.”

This is a developing story with updates to be provided.

Angering France threatens to upend Biden foreign policy

 

One of the United States oldest allies, and an early supporter of independence from England was France, who feted Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson alike, and whose military alignment with the war was the Marquis De Lafayette, who as a military strategist was instrumental to the American colonies becoming the United States of America.

Adding to the help that the US has given them in two World Wars and supporting the French Resistance movement, to the fall of the Vichy government, to the victory of Charles De Gaulle, and there is the perfect mix for a strong alliance.

In a move that has baffled internationalists, and France itself, the Biden administration began a series of long range talks with both Britain and Australia to sideline an agreement of $70  billion dollars for the latter to buy French submarines, in the ongoing desire to protect sovereignty in the Indo China seas. Was agreed upon in 2016.

The timing could not have been more precipitous as President Emmanuel Macron had just “announced that French special forces had killed a leading ISIS figure who was behind the 2017 killing of four Americans in West Africa,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

France is angry, rightfully so, and has recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra\, an unusual move and one that has sent President Biden a strong and clear message that the agreement, named AUKUS, was a done deal.

They say that it was not told, or even consulted, suggesting a unilateral move that Biden not only campaigned against, in his run for the presidency, but also has some sources, stating, in effect,  “we knew they would be angry if we told them.”

National Security Council spokesperson, Emily Horne, in a statement said, “We understand their position and will continue to be engaged in the coming days to resolve our differences, as we have done at other points over the course of our long alliance. France is our oldest ally and one of our strongest partners, and we share a long history of shared democratic values and a commitment to working together to address global challenges.”

In an earlier report, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that “senior administration officials had been in touch with their French counterparts,” reported The Hill, but the term, in and of itself, is open to interpretation.

Also of note was the general absence in the plans was Secretary of State, Tony Blinken who lived in France as a student and who subsequently became a notable Francophone.

Coming on the heel of the “messy” Afghanistan withdrawal, and the lack of consultation to Europe, many in the European Union are seeing them dismissed from yet another American administration, still cringing after Donald Rumsfeld's dismissal of them: “Oh, that’s old Europe,” during the Iraq War.

For France, and many European leaders, the change represents betrayal at the highest levels and is indeed a “stab in the back” says French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian, and others to say that Biden’s move was redolent of the Trump era; and, while that may be unfair, or even hyperbolic, the move is a strategically wrong.

The reason given for the change was the better American nuclear powered submarines that could stay in the water longer, and without detection, amid other technical concerns; yet, many have wondered why these were not addressed with the French rather than this secretive change.

Some have said, such as former Australian ambassador, Kevin Rudd, in an interview with National Public Radio, this was calculated to boost the current Prime Minister in the polls, in an upcoming election; a move, perhaps unwise, as it is top heavy for Scott Morrison, if true.

For Britain, who has always prided itself on having “a special relationship” with America, (but one that is almost never spoken of in Washington, according to political author Anne Applebaum) the stakes are raised even higher, as they seek a much higher profile than they were given by Trump.

That further infuriates France who think of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as a clown, much in the mold of Trump, making some wonder if this is a position being used by them.

Certainly it’s a recognition that China does represent a threat to America and Europe, but France has 2 million citizens in the area, and 70,000 troops, a not insignificant presence that warrants consultation.

President Obama has noted previously, and accurately, that the US has to pivot towards China, but does that exclude old allies, like France, say many diplomats.

In August Rudd commented, and almost presaged the Biden foreign policy moves, when he noted in an interview for an Australian publication, that “The Australian public and body politic needs to understand we are in the midst of a profound paradigm shift in global and regional geopolitics. It’s about the rise and rise of China and an America that continues to question itself about its future strategic role in the region and the world.”

Biden addressed the United Nations General assembly on Tuesday, and the speech according to White House officials, said, “The speech will center on the proposition that we are closing the chapter on 20 years of war and opening a chapter of intensive diplomacy by rallying allies and partners and institutions to deal with the major challenges of our time,” the official told reporters Monday on a call previewing the speech, The Hill also noted.

While supporters and critics alike have commended him on the call for coming together on climate change, others are questioning the French incident as belying the statements on maintaining  and harnessing relationships with allies.

The incident has also challenged the generally unflappable Jen Psaki, White House press secretary to finesse the situation, and on Monday, she remarked, “You always have to work on your relationships and that includes with global leaders, but [Biden] believes that our relationships are sustaining over the course of many decades, that every step he’s taken from the moment he took office was with intention of rebuilding alliances and rebuilding those partnerships that were frayed over the last four years,” 

US Jobs in August take a nosedive

 

After a huge surge in nonfarm jobs for July economists, lawmakers and government officials were looking forward to even higher numbers for August, yet on Friday the US Labor Dept. released news that dashed all hopes with the dismal figure of 235,000 jobs, that most have attributed to the Delta Variant and its huge push into the economic behavior of Americans, just as they were going back to a relative version of normal, and especially going to restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues.

Leading the pack was Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton who told The New York Times, “Delta is a game changer, '' and “it’s not that people are laying off workers in reaction to Delta but people are pulling back on travel and tourism and going out to eat and that has consequences.”

While there is still some activity in these areas, many people are reconsidering plans, and especially those that have children under 12 in their homes, for fear of exposure; and, with the last blush of summer fading, and a return to in person learning, pulling back, as Swonk says, is a sea change in consumer behavior, the driver of the US economy.

While most acknowledge that there is still some resilience in the American economy, no one is taking the future for granted, especially with large parts of the country unvaccinated.

“Still, this marked an eighth consecutive month of net job growth, and brought total employment closer to pre-pandemic levels,” reported Yahoo Finance, and as President Biden later noted.

Reflected in the numbers are high contact employees, especially in low wage industries that require face to face interactions, such as restaurants and bars. This creates a chilling effect on these businesses, as many have attempted to climb from the hole that the Alpha variant created. And, the Times reported that the reservation system Open Table, after a resurgence in the summer, “are now 10 percent below where they were before the pandemic.”

Shopping, a sport for many, took a decline with retail by 29,000, and the number of people working at home also took an increase, but with the report being created in mid month, online shopping figures are not available.

Hits taken by Hurricanes Henri and Ida, are also not reflected.

The good news is that most economists believe that despite all, “in the current quarter from the annualized rate of 6.5 percent in the spring, the economy is expected to remain in expansion mode for the rest of the year.”

The Delta variant is the sword of Damocles hovering over US economics and with the dearth of vaccinations, especially in the South, fragility is the watchword as Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust, said in his interview, “We get another reminder of how significant the pandemic is in determining progress in our economy.”

Predictably, the Biden administration already burdened by the pullout from Afghanistan and the hurricanes, also took a punch in the gut over the news, as they try to pass legislation to increase jobs and expand infrastructure to include social capital, both in abeyance with this report.

The White House released a transcript of the president’s reaction to the news and it was clear that he was trying to put the best face on it, when he noted, “But despite the impact of the Delta variant — and I’ll talk a little more about that in a minute — what we’re seeing is an economic recovery that is durable and strong.”

 

Taking a long view, he noted, “The Biden plan is working.  We’re getting results.  America is on the move again.  And today’s revision of previous month job gains, with the revision of the July numbers — this report means that we have been adding an average of 750,000 jobs per month, on average, during the past three months.

  

While I know some wanted to see a larger number today, and so did I, what we’ve seen this year is a continued growth, month after month, in job creation.  It’s not just that I’ve added more jobs than any first-year President — in the first year of any President — it’s that we’ve added jobs in every single one of my first seven job reports.  And wages are going up.”

In a year over year analysis, wages did increase to 4.3 percent. 

Labor also gives a dual note when they say:

 “Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 17 cents to $30.73 in August, . . . and “average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 14 cents to $25.99.”

Taking wages on the whole proves problematic, since ”The data for recent months suggest that the rising demand for labor associated with the recovery from the pandemic may have put upward pressure on wages. However, because average hourly earnings vary widely across industries, the large employment fluctuations since February 2020 complicate the analysis of recent trends in average hourly earnings.”

One significance of the report is that Labor Force Participation stayed the same at 61.7 percent in August, a bellwether, say some of next month when schools across the country will be in person, and parents and caregivers are expected to return to offices, if not the service industry.

Another boon is that the long term unemployment population, those that have been jobless for 27 weeks or longer dropped from 3.4 million to about 3.2 million, noted The Hill.

While unemployment for whites fell from 4.8 percent to 4.5 percent, even while LFP stayed the same, Black workers faced an increase in unemployment from 8.2 percent to 8.8, with 0.8 in their participation, which some attribute to an earlier bump in service jobs, but might drop in the September report.

Hispanics faced a drop from 6.6 to 6.4, but Asians dropped from 5.3 percent to 4.6 percent, which reports say might be attributable to a decline in LFP, by 0.4 points.

Gains were seen in professional and business services at 74,000, but this is a catchall category that can mean anything from office temps to copier services, and everything in between.

Transportation and warehousing also made gains, thanks to all of that online ordering at 53,000, manufacturing, despite supply chain bottlenecks, came in at 73,000, and those attendant couriers, messengers and warehouse personnel came in at a strong 20,000.

Finally,  it should be noted that while 5.3 million jobs were recovered since the onset of the pandemic, and using February 2020, as a baseline; but, in contrast there were 5.3 million fewer jobs in August, than in February of 2020.