On Feb. 15, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to what he has described as a “crisis” on the southern border. This emergency is dubious on its face: Illegal immigration is at its lowest levels since 2000; many border crossings are by Central American refugees fleeing violence; and most illegal immigration actually results from overstaying visas, not border crossings. However, the president is planning to use this emergency to take funds from military construction and counter-drug trafficking operations and use them for his border wall.
Fortunately, both Congress and the judicial branch have taken up measures to prevent this emergency from going into effect. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a resolution which would end the emergency, and 16 states have filed a lawsuit to stop the declaration. The resolution is now being considered by the Senate, where it would need 51 votes to pass, including some from Republicans. To that end, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina should vote in favor of the resolution, to assert control over this wild executive overreach.
Although the lawsuit seems more likely to succeed, since a number of the president’s executive orders have previously been successfully blocked in court, the House resolution would send a powerful message by potentially forcing the president to issue his first veto. This veto likely wouldn’t be overridden; however, to reach the president’s desk at all, the resolution first needs to pass the Senate.
The bill currently has support from 50 senators: All 45 Democrats, two Independents and three Republicans have indicated support for the measure. Notably, one of the Republicans was Sen. Thom Tillis from North Carolina, who is up for reelection in 2020. However, Burr has not yet come out in favor of the legislation.
This position, although consistent with Burr’s past stances on immigration, should trouble North Carolinians and students at NC State. The president is aiming to draw funds from military construction and anti-drug trafficking operations in order to build the wall. North Carolina, in addition to hosting a number of prominent military bases, has an opioid death rate higher than the national average, so losing money which combats the drug trade especially hurts our state.
The declaration, the wall and the counterfactual narrative underlying them all support the idea that immigrants are dangerous to America’s economy and society. These notions run contrary to NC State’s ideals of diversity and our status as home to thousands of international students and immigrants.
Our representatives and senators have a duty to represent our state’s interests, and this emergency declaration does not uphold our interests. Tillis should be recognized for standing up to his party and Trump for once, and Burr must follow suit by putting his state over partisan considerations. 2022 isn’t that far away, and Burr’s complacency today should worry him if he decides to seek reelection in the future. North Carolina and NC State deserve better.
