This week, the President has been busy, and not just with politics as usual. Reacting swiftly to a recent shooting, he has focused his attention on immigration measures once again. Talk about having one’s priorities set straight. He wasted no time directing his administration to pause all visas for Afghan nationals. It seems as though he believes halting the immigration process for those with severe vetting issues is a form of security. Better late than never, some might say. The key development here involves a call for increased scrutiny, with the President aiming to ensure each person entering the country is thoroughly vetted—a seemingly reasonable approach, though perhaps a bit overdue.
Security concerns have spurred all kinds of reactions, especially relating to Afghan migrants. The President’s directives follow an alarming realization: people are easily crossing borders without adequate checks. Let’s remember the chaotic scenes during the Afghan evacuation—people packed like sardines onto aircrafts, with barely a clue who they were. Now, the administration is playing catch-up by re-examining everyone. It’s almost like they suddenly remembered they’re in charge of national security or something. Immigrants from Afghanistan have sparked particular apprehension as the lack of identification during chaotic evacuation seems to have prompted second thoughts on the vetting process. If only vetting were more than a spur-of-the-moment activity, right?
While the administration focuses on vetting transfers from Afghanistan, fingers are pointing over the South there at the border situation. More than a handful of observations have been made about the President’s lax immigration policies, stretching far beyond Afghan resettlement. Nearly 10 million people have reportedly crossed the southern border under his watch, and the country is left wondering, “Who are these people?” The urgent pause in Afghan immigration is only part of a broader picture where public safety oftentimes finds itself trailing behind political interests. The call for reform here isn’t just an eye-roll-worthy oversight; it’s perhaps one of the many Biden administration blunders.
Beyond immigration, the issue of the President’s use of an autopen to sign executive orders is another point of contention. The public facepalmed at the idea that mere staffers might be volunteering their hand in presidential signatures without any trace of accountability or authorization. It begs the question—does the President even keep track of these actions, or is he too busy at the golf course? It’s amusing, in a bewildering sort of way, to see the administration scramble to assure everyone that all is well when it comes to signing vital documents. But let’s face it, some things require more than a signature, they require a memory.
With immigration and autopens causing just a bit of chaos, the pressing matter at hand is ensuring national safety stays front and center. As vetting improvements and policy deliberations begin to see the light of day, maybe there’s hope to mend the handling of national security. For now, officials are preoccupied with the President’s grand gestures—halting migration here and examining papers there—while the rest of us await the inevitable. Whatever play is coming next, it probably involves a plot twist that might just keep America on its toes, all while the country catches its breath amidst policy kerfuffles and administrative antics.
