Is the Caravan Invasion an Act of War?

Well, let's see. It's a mob of 7,000 people who intend to cross our border illegally. They have stated that they will force their way into the U.S. if necessary. They have already committed violent crimes at the Guatemala/Mexico border by tearing down government property and attacking federal police. They did the same within Mexico when the police set up blockades between two Mexican states.

They have violated international law which states that asylum seekers must apply for asylum in the first safe country they reach after leaving their own. Not only did they not seek asylum in Mexico; thousands of them refused the Mexican president's offer of asylum, medical care, schooling, and food. Some did accept this generous offer. Most did not, stating that they would enter the U.S. whether or not our laws allowed it.

Our Department of Homeland Security has determined that there are potential terrorists hiding within the caravan. They come from various terrorist hotspots located in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. There are known gang members among the caravaners, as well as many who have already been deported from the U.S. for various crimes. TV reporters have interviewed some of them, who admit they have been expelled from the U.S., and intend to re-enter by force, if necessary.

A legal note: Democrats often say that it is not "illegal" to enter the U.S. without permission, because it is only a misdemeanor. Their logic is faulty since a misdemeanor is a crime, which often carries jail time. But a second entry, after being deported is a felony. The fact that the Obama administration told border officials to ignore the crimes, with his "catch and release" policies doesn't change the law.

So I'd say that this traveling mob definitely constitutes an invading force. The open borders folks would say this isn't an act of war since the invaders are not a military force. I would answer that the 911 bombers were not a military force, either, but no one would dispute that their actions were an act of war.

There are many different types of war. This invasion is an act of economic warfare against the U.S. primarily by Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Economic warfare has been used successfully since nations existed - sometimes on its own, sometimes in conjunction with physical warfare. For instance, while the Germans were bombing England in WWII, they sent millions of counterfeit British Pounds into the country by submarines. By flooding the markets with these, they almost collapsed the British economy.

The Leftist Honduran leader who organized and paid for the original march knew that it would cause economic harm to the U.S. It succeeded beyond his dreams, growing from less than 1,000 to 7,000. The economic harm includes the fact that the U.S. will be forced to use funds intended for U.S. taxpayers to feed, clothe, house, and give medical care to these Central Americans who have no right to be here.

One point about the makeup of the caravan. The press keeps focusing on the women and children. They are a tiny percentage of the caravanners. I remarked to my wife that after viewing lots of video footage it appeared to me that 80% of them were young military-age men. Later I heard that the official estimate was 85%. The rest are older men, women and kids. Yet they always put the women and children at the front of the column, as they did when they forced their way into Mexico. They knew that the Mexican Federales would not touch them, even when they were attacked. 

Ex-President Obama has been ridiculing the Trump administration, accusing them of being "afraid" of a few thousand impoverished Central Americans. When he was a senator he gave a speech that was even stronger against illegal immigration than President Trump's position. But he wants to use this as a tool to gain votes in the mid-terms. He knows (but doesn't mention) that over 20% of illegals that cross our border have criminal records. They're among the caravaners.

I'm sure that most of the people planning to invade the U.S. are nice folks who just want a better life. But there is a dark element among them that we don't want in the U.S. The Mexican authorities have been attacked by these people, and have had rocks and bricks thrown at them, injuring federal officers. The people in the caravan are attacking one another, as well. About 30% of the girls and 20% of the boys have been raped or sexually assaulted. Some children have been abducted.  

There aren't enough border guards to prevent the caravan from forcing its way into the U.S. as it did to Mexico. And the military If they succeed we will have no way to screen them from criminals, drug dealers, human traffickers, or those with contagious diseases.

Most plan to claim asylum. Asylum has three basic requirements. First, an asylum applicant must establish that he or she fears persecution in their home country. Second, the applicant must prove that he or she would be persecuted on account of one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or a particular social group. Third, an applicant must establish that the government is either involved in the persecution, or unable to control the conduct of private actors.

The vast majority of the caravanners have stated that their purpose in coming to the U.S. is to get a job, for a better life, or to make more money. All of these are understandable and even laudable. But the caravan leaders have a political agenda, and they have lied to these people. They have told them all they have to do is claim that they will be persecuted in their home country, and the U.S. will accept them. The vast majority of asylum claims are rejected because they are untrue. But they are counting on the dysfunctional U.S. immigration laws to allow them to:

1) Apply for asylum as soon as they set foot on U.S. soil.
2) Be assigned a date to appear in court.
3) Ignore the court date and hide among the millions of illegal immigrants already here.

The U.S. accepts more genuine refugees than any other nation on earth. We are compassionate. We give more (both as a nation and as individuals and churches) to relief organizations than any other nation. But we can't take care of everyone. Our population is just 4.28% of the world population. If we allowed everyone who wants to have a better life to come here, America would collapse and no one would have a better life.