The solution to the crisis of refugees on our borders does not lie in Texas or Arizona or even Mexico. It lies in the countries of origin; Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Sudan, etc. It stems from the brutal dictatorships or lawless gangs that impose violence and hardship on the residents. It seems far from us, but it’s still our problem. We need solutions that address these problems in sovereign countries and I don’t mean invading them.
We can work with the UN to bring political pressure to bear on the repressive regimes. They can apply sanctions so the perpetrators can’t enjoy their wealth in the developed world. We can work with the IMF to bring financial burdens to bear. Some countries could lose their SWIFT membership; access to international banking. The last resort would be to try criminal leaders in the ICC at the Hague. They may never be imprisoned, but their ability to travel will be severely restricted. Asma Assad can’t shop in Paris anymore.
In some cases, we have weak or failed states where the authorities can’t stop gangs or militias from preying on the citizens. This is a different problem. Cooperation with the local government will be needed, but needs to include management of the effort, not giving money to the ineffective leaders. I imagine this as a police action under the auspices of the UN. They might create a safe zone within the borders with security and police presence so that internal refugees would have a place to go. This zone could expand over time as order is established. Our FBI might help with investigation and intelligence as it has with the drug cartels.
These solutions won’t work in all cases. The Assad regime is already an international pariah and is content to rely on friendly relations with Russia. Afghanistan is back in the grip of the Taliban which is prepared for all-out war. I’d like to think that there are other approaches that could emerge from a concerted effort to reduce the international flow of refugees at the source. I imagine the world community bringing pressure to bear on the countries where their citizens aren’t safe.