The nation needs an immigration deal

As has been clear throughout the yearslong influx of migrants and asylum-seekers, the nation’s need to stabilize and impose some sensible order on the southern border becomes ever more critical. On Tuesday, two of New York’s most powerful Democrats, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, proposed further multibillion-dollar expenditures for sheltering and assisting those who continue to pour in from distant places.

Everyone paying attention already knows that this is a federal problem, and any long-term fix requires a consensus between the White House and Congress that never seems to be reached. That's why it's disappointing that House GOP Speaker Mike Johnson emerged from a White House meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday saying his conference would not agree on a $110.5 billion funding package for this and other pressing security issues.

Faster court processing on asylum applications, expanded border patrols and equipment to intercept those making illegal crossings, and sensible relocations and job assistance for those granted legal entry are essential. It’s past the point where the status quo can be debated while solutions are awaited.

Action, even if it’s less than perfect, is required.

The Biden administration, despite repeated warnings, has failed unilaterally to get things under visible control to the satisfaction of the American public, polls show. It is also apparent that some of the more militantly partisan members of the House GOP caucus would prefer to put off even partial solutions until Donald Trump, as they hope and believe, returns to office as president next year. It's time to ask the House faction critical of their own speaker: Could your refusing to a deal that would help the situation be a strategy to help elect Trump?

As another in the regular series of dramatic fiscal cliffs looms, the border chaos is unfortunately linked in negotiations at the GOP’s behest to aid to Ukraine and Israel. Such linkage is not a great way to do business, but under current political circumstances, it’s all that’s offered. Early this week, a potential deal brokered by a bipartisan Senate team seemed to get no traction.

On the ground, federal officials and Texas are at odds in a bureaucratic border war. The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to the state demanding its officials “cease and desist” blocking the U.S. Border Patrol's access to part of the border. There is an unhelpful exchange of blame for several migrants having drowned in the Rio Grande.

That crossfire, as well as election concerns, must wait. The people are watching — and waiting — with little patience left, to see whether the executive and legislative branches can find a way around their party rivalry to seriously address a domestic crisis.