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Teya Snowder

Mrs. Mckay

LA Lang/Comp AP

23 September 2021

Opposition Against Biden’s Controversial Immigration Policy

The United States of America, sometimes referred to as The Melting Pot, is a country in

which many different people and cultures live as one nation in unity. Many immigrants choose to

leave their country in trade for the freedoms found here. The age-old question is, to what extent

do we regulate immigration, and how do we allow it without posing a threat to national security?

Unlike President Donald Trump’s strict force on immigration, current President Joe Biden has

implemented new policies that curb the number of arrests of illegal immigrants crossing the

border. Immigration has always been a debated issue alongside various civil rights movements

because it encourages equality and protection for all despite race or national origin.

While investigating this issue, a Fox News article titled “Biden administration guidance

limiting ICE arrests sees pushback from 16 states” elaborated on the controversy and concerns

regarding Biden’s policy. Their ultimate claim is that the policy is putting Americans in danger

because they are losing control over the borders. They start by discussing the specifics of the

policy including, border patrol cannot send back illegal immigrants except those, “ who pose a

threat to national security, those who have crossed the border since Nov. 1, and those who

committed ‘aggravated felonies’”. The main pushback against this issue is that illegal

immigrants threaten our communities with Covid-19, drugs and criminal activity.
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This article presents its information using data and citing attorneys and other sources.

Although the article is biased against Biden’s policy, they attempt to gain credibility by quoting

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich who explains the current effects of the policy on the

lives of U.S citizens. In addition, they reference numbers regarding the increase of immigrants

found near the southern border.

Another source found to contradict Biden’s policy is a cartoon created by Lisa Benson in

August of 2021, depicting a group of immigrants, assumed to be illegal immigrants, walking

through a desert in the middle of the day past a smiling scarecrow dressed in an American border

patrol uniform. One of the men walking by says pointing to the scarecrow, “Don’t worry…

That’s just Joe Biden’s Border Policy.” The cartoon mocks the policy in more ways than one,

noting that the scarecrow appears to be welcoming the immigrants over the border and that they

are walking by in the middle of the day with no opposition. The Cartoon seems to be challenging

the ego of the United States which is presented as an intimidating powerful country that’s

impossible to penetrate. This tactic compels the audience to either rethink their view on the

United States of America or take action against Biden’s policy.

The two forms of propaganda accomplish the same goal of turning the audience against

the policy but they do it using different strategies. The article informs us about the policy

followed by presenting data and quoting respectable sources while the cartoon’s strategy is to

exaggerate the reality of the situation in pursuit of making the audience question whether the

policy has any logic at all. Both manners of publicity have pros and cons. The article gives more

overall information and more chances to convince the reader but the cartoon has the advantage of

catching the eye and being more fun to read. The downside of the article is that it’s really long

and likely won’t be read as much as the cartoon, at the same time one of the downsides of the
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cartoon is that it’s almost always considered biased and it requires the reader to have prior

knowledge on the situation for it to have any effect on them. In these two specific cases, the

common tactic found is that they never mention the other side of the argument or possible

reasons for Biden’s policy in the first place.

The technique used in the article is effective because it informs the reader enough to

make them think they know both sides of the story, and then persuades them unknowingly with

information supporting the termination of Biden’s policy. At the same time, the technique of

providing information could take away from the claim because in this particular article the data

provided could be defined as irrelevant. For example, the author chooses to add, “213,000

migrants were encountered at the southern border in July, an extreme increase from the same

time last year when only 40,929 were encountered” although this information seems like it

supports the claim, the strongest justification against Biden’s policy is that immigrants bring in

drugs, Covid-19 and convicted criminals. The data provided does nothing to prove that the surge

in illegal immigrants contains drugs or felons and aren't hard-working families seeking a better

life.

The choice of quoting Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in the article can be both

beneficial or hurtful considering that if the reader already has a biased opinion against Brnovich

before reading this article then it could make them develop a biased opinion against the passage

as well. In most cases though, adding a reliable quote from an experienced person working in

law adds to your argument.

The cartoon’s manner seeks to attack the issue by turning the policy into a joke and

making it seem irrational for a powerful country like our own to accept. On the other hand, one

of the downfalls of the cartoon is that it provides little information and probably confuses or has
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no effect on those unaware of the policy to begin with. However, there is a chance that because

the cartoon is so exaggerated, it could make the audience curious as to what is actually

happening and lead them to search for more information.

The artist’s choice of illustrating the scarecrow gives a very clear representation of how

they view the policy. It’s characterized as an affordable, insufficient solution meant to solve or

‘scare away’ the illegal immigrants. On top of that, by drawing the scene in the middle of the

day, it shows the viewer that illegal immigrants no longer have to sneak past the border in the

middle of the night like before.

Considering the choices made by the creators of both pieces of work, they contain

strengths and flaws yet support the claim that Biden’s border policy needs to be discontinued.

Whether it’s an article or a cartoon, choices as big as choosing your thesis or as small as the color

scheme for your cartoon, each can add to the overall effect you have on the reader.
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Works Cited

Benson, Lisa. Cartoon. Cartoonist Group, 10 Aug. 2021,

www.cartoonistgroup.com/cartoon/Lisa+Benson%27s+Editorial+Cartoons/2021-08-10/1

90458. Accessed 21 Sept. 2021.

Morris, Kyle. "Biden administration guidance limiting ICE arrests sees pushback from 16 states."

Fox News, 1 Sept. 2021. Fox News,

www.foxnews.com/politics/16-states-push-back-biden-administration-guidance-ice-arrest

s. Accessed 19 Sept. 2021.