Discussions about immigration have always aroused strong passions because there is something in immigration for everyone to dislike. Dr. Julian Simon, Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland put it this way, immigration seems to pit two fundamental values against each other, lending a helping hand to immigrants and pushing back against immigrants to [...]
With a federal court demanding that separated minor children be reunited with their parents and with the Trump administration’s scandalous reuniting efforts collapsing into utter chaos, I am almost embarrassed to broach examples of this Administration’s everyday incompetence. However, when it comes to the President’s most coveted construction project, the long-promised great security wall, the [...]
This commentary was first delivered December 1, 2016, as a speech before the World Affairs Council in New Orleans. Thank you for allowing me to discuss our American--Mexican relationship and the impact the current paradigm has on our immigration policy toward Mexico. 70 years ago, when the core of the latest Mexican immigration policy was [...]
The motivation to write this piece springs from a visceral and nagging feeling that the current breakdown in civil political discourse is eating away at the very core of our democracy. The failure of politicians and the general public to seek compromise has converted us into a “rude and crude democracy” which threatens the prestige [...]
President Trump suffered a stinging blow after his longtime crony and former personal attorney pleaded guilty to 8 felony counts and his former campaign manager was convicted of 8 counts of financial crimes. This brings to five the number of former Trump campaign associates guilty of criminal behavior. Michael Flynn, Richard Gates and George Papadopoulos were [...]
This commentary was first delivered as a speech before the World Affairs Council in New Orleans on Saturday, December 7, 2019 Mayor Cantrell, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen. Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to share some thoughts about the impact of our current immigration policy toward Mexico. I believe a new [...]