The Biden administrations open border policy is causing problems across our nation. The largest cities are incapable of balancing their budgets. The additional strain on resources is going to undocumented immigrants. Our state and counties resources are inadequate, and available funding has exceeded the budget limits. We need resources to address the cascading deficit we are racking up.
What is behind the surge of people trying to cross the border and what dangers do they face? A visual explainer
Record levels of migration are straining an immigration system left nearly broken by decades of congressional inaction.
Republicans have spent years amplifying scenes of turmoil and tragedy at the southern border, but Democratic leaders are also worried now, particularly big-city mayors and blue state governors who are demanding more federal resources to shelter and feed an influx of migrants.
With many voters now saying immigration is a top priority, what exactly is happening at the US border to make so many people concerned?
There has been a surge of encounters at the US border
Since the pandemic there has been a spike in global migration, coinciding with Joe Biden’s presidency. Across the globe, people are fleeing war, political insecurity, violence, poverty and natural disasters. Many of those in Latin America, in particular, travel to the US in search of safety.
People who crossed through a gap in the US-Mexico border barrier wait in line to be seen by US border patrol on 20 May 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty
In the last three years, the number of people attempting to cross the US’s southern border into the country has risen to unprecedented levels.
In the month of December 2023 alone, border patrol agents recorded 302,000 encounters (these include apprehensions and immediate expulsions), a new high. The monthly average from 2013 to 2019 was 39,000.
Arrivals are coming from more countries
The collapse of Venezuela, political instability in Haiti, violence in Ecuador, a crackdown in Nicaragua, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, repression in China and other conflicts have fueled a historic shift in migration patterns.
Mexico was the single most common origin country for US border encounters in 2023, but Mexican nationals made up less than 30% of the total share, compared with more than 60% a decade ago.
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Their journey is more perilous
Nearly 9,000 people attempting to reach the US from the south have been recorded missing or dead in the Americas in the past 10 years, according to the Missing Migrants Project.
Some never make it through the notorious Darién Gap at the southern end of Central America, where a US deal with Panama and Colombia to stop migrants in their tracks has caused an outcry.
The vast majority of recorded fatalities (5,145), however, occur at the US-Mexico border crossing, according to the project’s data.
Fatalities are also concentrated along the treacherous stretch of south-western Texas where the Rio Grande river becomes the borderline. Further inland, hundreds of deaths have been recorded in the sparse, humid scrubland around Falfurrias.
People struggle through the current of the Rio Grande while crossing from Mexico into the United States on 27 September 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images
Their cases languish in courts
The border rules are complicated: some people apprehended at the border will face expedited deportation, but others will enter formal deportation proceedings and qualify for temporary release into the US, with a date to appear before a judge.
Resolving those immigration cases and asylum claims can take years. The backlog of immigration cases has grown steadily – there were an astounding 3.3m cases pending as of December 2023, but just 682 immigration judges. That means the average caseload is more than 4,500 per judge.
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In the meantime …
People arriving often find themselves in unofficial camps all along the US border. Some are waiting to cross, others have been met by US border patrol, yet others have been turned away. Some border states such as Texas have put tens of thousands of people awaiting their asylum claims on buses and sent them to other states, including California and New York, without their knowledge or permission.
As for Congress, it continues to argue over clamping down on unlawful border crossings and alleviating the deepening humanitarian crisis – an increasingly irreconcilable divide between those who want to expand the immigration system and those who want to restrict it.
Families leave the Port Authority Bus Terminal for a city run processing center in New York on 13 May 2023. Photograph: Barry Williams for New York Daily News via Getty Images
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 1:32 PM
Laken Hope Riley
Friday, March 1, 2024 9:54 PM
Early and Regular Voting
Early Voting
2024 Presidential Primary Election
You can vote in person during early voting. Early voting will be held from Thursday, May 2, 2024 through Thursday, May 9, 2024. Early voting centers will be open from 7 am to 8 pm.
Who can vote early?
Any person that is registered to vote can vote during early voting. Any person that is eligible to register to vote can vote during early voting.
Registered voters have always been able to vote during early voting, but now individuals who are eligible but not yet registered can register and vote.
To register and vote during early voting, go to an early voting center in the county where you live and bring a document that proves where you live. This document can be your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address. You will be able to register to vote and vote.
When can I vote early?
For the 2024 Presidential Primary Election, early voting will be available from Thursday, May 2, 2024 through Thursday, May 9, 2024 (including Saturday and Sunday) from 7 am to 8 pm.
Where can I vote early?
For both the 2024 Presidential Primary and General Elections, you can vote in an early voting center in the county where you live. The list of early voting centers will be posted when available.
How will I vote during early voting?
Voting during early voting is the same as voting on election day. When you get to the early voting center, you will check in to vote and vote your ballot.
There will be instructions available at the early voting centers to familiarize you with the ballot. You may ask an election judge to explain how to vote, but you must cast your vote alone, unless you are unable to do so because you have a disability or are unable to read or write the English language.
I'm registered to vote, but I need to make a change. Can I make that change during early voting?
It depends.
If you moved, you can update your address. You will be able to change your address and vote.
If you want to change your party affiliation, you can't do that at an early voting center. You must wait until after the election to change your party affiliation.
If you changed your name, you must vote under your former name, but you can fill out a form with your new name. Your name will be updated after the election.
Other early voting information
At the end of each day of early voting, all voting equipment and other election supplies will be secured at the early voting center. The local boards of elections are required to file a security plan for each early voting center, and the plans will include information on how the equipment and supplies will be secured at the center. Voted provisional ballots will be returned to the local board of elections each night of early voting. After voting hours on the last day of early voting, all equipment and supplies will be returned to the local board of elections and securely stored until election day.
Election Law Article, § 10-301.1(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, specifies the number of early voting centers for each county. The number of early voting centers in a county is based on the county's number of registered voters.
Counties with fewer than 50,000 registered voters must have 1 early voting center.
Counties with at least 50,000 but fewer than 100,000 registered voters must have 2 early voting centers.
Counties with at least 100,000 registered voters but fewer than 200,000 registered voters must have 3 early voting centers.
Counties with at least 200,000 registered voters but fewer than 300,000 registered voters must have 5 early voting centers
Counties with at least 300,000 registered voters but fewer than 400,000 registered voters must have 7 early voting centers.
Counties with at least 400,000 registered voters but fewer than 500,000 registered voters must have 9 early voting centers
Counties with at least 500,000 registered voters but fewer than 600,000 registered voters must have 11 early voting centers.
Counties with more than 600,000 registered voters must have 13 early voting centers.
In addition to the required number of early voting centers, each county may establish one additional early voting center if the local board, the governing body of the county, and the State Board agree to establish an additional early voting center.
State regulations require that the State Board of Elections determine the number of registered voters and provide each county with the number of early voting centers that are required for an upcoming election. For the 2024 elections, the number of registered voters will be reviewed on November 14, 2023, or 6 months before the primary election, will be used to determine the number of early voting centers for the 2024 elections.
Early Voting Legislation
In 2007, the Maryland General Assembly approved a constitutional amendment that, upon approval by the voters of Maryland, would give the General Assembly the authority to enact legislation authorizing voting before election day. See Chapter 513 (Senate Bill 1) of the 2007 Legislative Session. The proposed constitutional amendment was on the ballot in the 2008 General Election. See Question 1 for the language of the ballot question. The voters of Maryland approved this constitutional amendment, and the Constitution of Maryland was amended to reflect this change.
In 2009, legislation was enacted that established the requirements for early voting and required early voting starting with the 2010 elections. See Chapter 445 (House Bill 1179) of the 2009 Legislative Session.
In 2013, legislation was enacted that expanded the number of early voting centers and the number of days. See chapter 157 and chapter 158 (Senate Bill 279 and House Bill 224) of the 2013 legislative session.
In 2016, legislation was enacted that expanded the number of early voting centers. See Chapter 7 (House Bill 204) and Chapter 288 (House Bill 1008) of the 2016 Legislative Session.
In 2019, legislation was enacted that expanded the number of early voting centers. See Chapter 539 (House Bill 237) of the 2019 Legislative Session.
A great day for the unborn children they get there voices heard across America roa vs wade overturned never thought we would take 65 million babies away from life thank you for returning the unborn rights . This will return to the states and some states will take it one way other will take it towards life . God Wins .
