Violence and Development: Trends. Costs and Policy Options in the Caribbean" should be a wakeup call for every American interested in the security of our Nation. As the report points out. a variety of factors. including some for which we in the U.S. are partly responsible. such as a seemingly insatiable and heavy illicit legal drug consumption and extremely problematic deportation policies has contributed to our neighboring Caribbean region having the highest crime rate in the world. While today the region remains a wonderful place for Americans to visit. and most hospitable tourist destination in the world. in the long term. if this trend continues. it will wreak serious social. economic. and security troubles for many of the tranquil Caribbean nations. Allowing this situation to deteriorate for years to come will ultimately create a security threat. not just for the Caribbean states. but. indeed. for our own country. as well as an unstable Caribbean region. and would create a vast vulnerability in Americas border security. Many of the problems identified by this report have long been recognized by Caribbean leadership. These emerging democracies and developing nations are doing everything within their means to collaborate on the safety of their respective nations and. by extension. our hemisphere. Now. with the confirmation provided by this report in hand. ignorance Is no excuse. The U.S. must partner with its Western Hemisphere neighbors and allow it to find workable solutions that will help the people of the Caribbean and ensure longterm security and stability of our region. As the daughter of Caribbean immigrants. and a district that boasts the largest concentration of Caribbean Americans in the Nation. and as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution calling for the U.S. to take up the solutions contained in the very important U.N./World Bank report. If we act now. we will help our allies to reduce crime greatly at levels before the situation becomes far less manageable and a threat to the Western Hemisphere that is. indeed. within our global community.
Keywords matched
immigrants deportation border security