Crossing Borders Part 3: Michiana leaders divided on the border crisis

(WNDU) - Tonight, as much of the nation’s attention is focused on our northern border with Canada, we’re concluding our special series about our southern border with Mexico called “Crossing Borders: Migrants in the Midwest.”

As asylum-seeking migrants continue to be bused into Chicago, the city is being forced to make some tough choices about allocating resources as it pushes for billions in federal funding.

There is nearly a universal agreement that U.S. border policy is flawed. But there is very little agreement on who is to blame for the border problems.

Republicans in Washington blame the Biden administration for the border crisis. Meantime, South Bend’s Democratic Mayor James Mueller is calling on Congress to fix what he calls our broken immigration system.

Thousands of asylum-seeking migrants are living in tents pitched on the streets of Chicago, a sanctuary city.

Although there has been a recent decrease in the number of migrants arriving in the Windy City, buses are still coming. And Chicago’s resources are stretched thin.

Indiana’s junior U.S. Sen. Mike Braun just returned from the U.S.-Mexico border, where the number of monthly migrant encounters by the U.S. Border Patrol had fallen to 16,182 in April of 2020.

But encounters with migrants at the border have soared since. Just weeks ago in September, that number had reached an astounding 269,735 migrant encounters.

Braun’s immediate concern?

“Drugs. Fentanyl primarily,” he said. “And when you look at 100,000 lives being lost annually, start doing that daily calculation. That’s because we have a leaky border.”

Drugs are a key issue for Braun, but he is also concerned about what he sees as people coming from everywhere.

“50 different nationalities, many of them from South America and Central America, now 169 nationalities — many flying into Mexico, paying top cartel fees to get into the country,” he said.

Braun says it is time to return to the policies of the Trump administration.

“Go back to what was working,” he said.

Braun is adamant that illegal border crossings should not be condoned.

Braun is seeking to become the next governor of Indiana, and his hardline regarding migrants stands in sharp contrast to the congregation at St. Adalbert Catholic Church on South Bend’s west side. This congregation would warmly welcome asylum-seeking migrants if they continue east to Michiana.

Father Ryan Pietrocarlo is the pastor at St. Adalbert. Many members of his Latin congregation came here in the 80s and 90s and landed jobs in Elkhart County’s RV plants.

“There’s something for them here, for certain,” Father Ryan said. “I think we can offer them something too, so we’ll see if we get some of that migration here. But I think this is a place that can definitely be a home and has been a home for Latinos for decades.”

Father Ryan says the Catholic belief in social justice and human dignity will his congregation to be welcoming to any weary, tent-dwelling migrants on Chicago’s southwest side.

“And that’s a big part of our parish, just welcome people,” he said. “It’s just a home, and particularly a spiritual home for many people. We’re always willing to welcome people who come to our doors.”

St. Adalbert can be a home with real resources — from citizenship classes to financial guidance, to a hot meal. Father Ryan maintains all are offered without hesitation.

“And we definitely would be willing to help any family who comes by our doors to find the resources that they need,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Mueller sent us the following statement regarding the crisis at the border;

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