Category: Guest Authors

Border Crisis To Accelerate or Come Under Control?

By Joe Guzzardi

Around financial markets, the conventional wisdom is to “let the trend be your friend.” What happens in the market on one day will also likely occur on the following. Investors, the theory goes, should ride the “trend” until it “bends,” then bail out.

The phrase sums up the southwest border crisis. The invasion continues seamlessly one day after another, and during 2023 has steadily ramped up to a record number of migrant crossings with a December seven-day average of more than 9,600, a Homeland Security official told CNN. The record-smashing figure represents the average across the nation’s entire southern border. In November, total encounters stood at 6,800, meaning that the southern border has seen a month-over-month influx of 3,000 more daily arrivals as migrants continue to pour through the border.

In FY23, Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 2.4 million encounters at the southwest border and more than 3.2 million encounters nationwide. During the current fiscal year, 169 individuals on the terrorist watchlist were apprehended attempting to enter the country illegally, and at least 1.7 million known gotaways have evaded apprehension since FY2021. Since President Biden took office, there have been 7.5 million encounters nationwide and 6.2 million encounters at the southwest border, in addition to 1.7 million known gotaways. 

Also in FY 2023, CBP arrested 35,433 aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants, including 598 known gang members, 178 of those being MS-13 members, and CBP, including its Air and Marine Operations, seized enough fentanyl coming across the Southwest border to kill, the House Homeland Security Committee estimates, about 6 billion people.

The data are included in the committee’s fiscal year-end report titled “Startling Stats,” but it’s findings did nothing to influence the administration to end the invasion. Not only did the illegal alien influx remain steady, it accelerated unabated. If the House’s year-end summary had no effect on the Biden administration’s mismanagement of the border disaster, nothing will. Proof that the border crisis will continue unchecked: in December, CBP processed and released 302,000 aliens. Since the start of FY 2024 which began on October 1, 20023, CBP has encountered more than 785,000 aliens at the southern border alone.

As alarming as the raw CBP statistics that related to the multimillions of border encounters are, they understate the invasion’s inevitable consequences. Factor in chain migration and the certainty that arriving aliens will either start new families or grow their existing ones, and population growth will continue upward. Citizens who live in high density cities should brace for more overcrowding driven by Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ criminal disregard of federal immigration laws. 

A Center for Immigration Studies analysis detailed that the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) showed that the total foreign-born or immigrant population, both legal and illegal, was 49.5 million in October 2023 — a 4.5 million increase since Biden’s inauguration and a new record high. At 15 percent, the foreign-born share of the U.S. population is the highest percentage recorded in U.S. history. Since Biden took office, the foreign-born population has grown on average by 137,000 a month, compared to 42,000 a month during Trump’s presidency, and 68,000 a month during President Obama’s two terms. These unsustainable population increases generate urban sprawl and drain already diminishing natural resources like water and farm acreage.

Creating an equitable immigration system under Biden that benefits citizens and migrants alike is a long shot, but still possible. Congress returns from its winter recess on January 8, and will resume discussions over numerous thorny issues. At the top of the House GOP’s to-do list is, before authorizing funding for Ukraine and Israel wars, to demand that the immigration provisions encompassed in HR-2, which it passed in May, must be included. Key among those provisions is mandatory E-Verify which would end the jobs magnet that lures thousands of foreign nationals to the U.S. with employment expectations and to curb the administration’s parole abuse. Parole is intended for extraordinary circumstances, usually granted to one individual, and not intended to be given out en masse. 

HR-2 represents the best chance that legislators have to restore operational control of the border. Otherwise, the invasion will continue until at least January 2025. Based on the latest CBP monthly statistics, without HR-2 another 3 million illegal aliens will cross during the 2025 calendar year.

Joe Guzzardi is a Project for Immigration Reform analyst who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. Contact him at jguzzardi@ifspp.org

Border Crisis To Accelerate or Come Under Control?

GOP Digs in On Border Enforcement

By Joe Guzzardi

Finally, after the first three GOP primary debates wherein the moderators scrupulously dodged asking questions about the southern border invasion, immigration surfaced in the fourth. As part of his response to a query about the open border, candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis included in his answer an insightful observation about why the Biden administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to cross, and disappear into the interior: “I know the elites in D.C. They don’t care.”

In a nutshell, DeSantis summed up the challenge that Americans face. President Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Cabinet are at best indifferent to and tolerant of open borders’ consequences or, at worst, content and pleased to remake the U.S. into a nation unrecognizable to its citizens.

The human and fiscal costs that the invasion has wrought are devastating. The list is long, ugly, and tragic. Included are drug trafficking that’s brought about an all-time high death total among mostly young Americans—106, 669 in 2021, up 14% from 2020; each day, 150 people die from synthetic drug overdoses. Human smuggling is rampant, and multiple federal agencies share the blame. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) identified Health and Human Services, the State and Justice Departments as complicit through their silence and indifference in the booming $13 billion human smuggling business. Thirteen years old is the average age at which a child is sold for sex. Blackburn introduced The Stopping the Abuse, Victimization and Exploitation of Girls (SAVE Girls) Act which she hopes will garner bipartisan support. Mayors of Democratic stronghold cities New York, Chicago, Boston, and the District of Columbia are on their knees begging for more federal funding to cope with the migrant surge that’s destroying their communities. Big cities aren’t the only victims. The alien surge converted tiny Lukeville, Aziz. into a “toilet.” A group of 900+ aliens, mostly from mostly from Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, and Mauritania recently overwhelmed Lukeville. Since the border patrol doesn’t have the capacity to accommodate the migrants, they roam, and  while waiting to be processed and released, they’re defecating and urinating in the open spaces. 

As a result of the lawlessness at the overwhelmed border, U.S. officials temporarily closed the Lukeville crossing, and released a statement which said that port of entry was temporarily closed “in response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals.” Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema and Gov. Katie Hobbs made a joint statement criticizing the decision to temporarily close the border and called upon the federal government to act. Kelly and Sinema have consistently voted with Biden for less border and internal immigration enforcement. Lukeville is the latest evidence that illegal aliens use border crossing sites as a dumpster. Center for Immigration Studies’ Senior National Security Fellow Todd Bensman reported from Brownsville that the Texas National Guardsmen who patrol the area call it “the mattress because the layers of discarded clothing and personal belongings here [are] so thick and rubbery.” Their trash will kill everything beneath it and destroy the area for wildlife.

Falling onto the so-called mattress could be fatal. Syringes, diapers, animal droppings, food, personal sanitation products full of chemicals, non-biodegradable trash, and human waste are left behind. Personal documents and identifications discarded, lest they tell a different story than the aliens will present to officials. 

Ironically, in September, the Government Accountability Office issued a report that the 458 miles of border barrier erected between 2017 and 2021 damaged flora, fauna, water flow, and Indians’ sacred sites. The official GAO position is consistent with the Biden administration’s: the wall is bad; open borders, however, go full speed ahead. The invasion continues, proving DeSantis correct in his evaluation that establishment Washington doesn’t care.

A faint glimmer of hope has arisen. The Republicans, under House Speaker Mike Johnson, and with the assistance of right-minded GOP Senators have been able to get a squishy enforcement commitment from Biden. In exchange for another Ukraine funding transfusion, he would be willing to expel migrants without asylum screenings, expand the credible fear guideline to a more provable level, and restart immigration detention and deportations. The major pitfalls are that Biden is untrustworthy, and that many House Republicans have drawn the line on Ukraine—no more money. Without Ukraine in the package, no deal seems likely.

The House should remain firm on its insistence on immigration enforcement. Before authorizing more money for Ukraine and Israel, the House must demand that the immigration provisions included in HR-2, which it passed in May, be included. Key among those provisions is mandatory E-Verify which would end the jobs magnet that lure thousands of foreign nationals to the U.S. with employment expectations and curbing the administration’s parole abuse. Parole is intended for extraordinary circumstances, usually granted to one individual, and not intended to be given out en masse. 

The road ahead to a fair and just immigration system is long, rocky, and uncertain. To begin the journey, with its destination protecting the sovereign American nation, the House must remain firm.

Joe Guzzardi is a Project for Immigration Reform analyst who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. Contact him at jguzzardi@ifspp.org

GOP Digs in On Border Enforcement GOP Digs in On Border Enforcement

Remembering Hyman Solomon ’s 77 Years in Baseball

By Joe Guzzardi

In 1901, Hyman Solomon, aka Jimmie Reese, was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. After Hyman’s father died, the Solomon family moved to Los Angeles where the youngster worked as a newspaper boy, took his new name and fell in love with baseball. By the time Reese died at age 92, he had spent 77 years in baseball and is the oldest-ever person to have regularly worn a professional team’s uniform.

During nearly eight decades on the diamond, Reese threw batting practice fastballs to Lou Gehrig, roomed with Babe Ruth when the two were New York Yankees teammates, hit fungos to Nolan Ryan and gave fielding tips to Jim Edmonds. Referring to his time spent with Ruth on Yankees road trips, Reese memorably said that he didn’t room with the Babe in the traditional sense; he roomed with his suitcases.

Reese’s baseball life began as a boy when he finagled his way into the Pacific Coast League’s Los Angeles Angels practices, becoming at age 12 the team’s batboy, a job he gleefully carried out for six years. Chicago Cubs first baseman and Hall of Famer Frank Chance managed the Angels and worked with Reese to develop his skills. Reese was recognized as his high school’s most valuable player.

From high school, Reese moved up to semi-pro where his slick fielding impressed the Oakland Oaks who signed him in 1924 and launched him to the big leagues. In 1928, the Yankees purchased Reese’s contract from the Oaks. The year prior to Reese’s promotion to the star-studded Yankees, Reese hit .337 with one homer, 65 runs batted in, 24 stolen bases, and led all PCL second basemen with a .979 fielding average with 622 putouts in 190 games. Reese’s peers recognized him as one of the smoothest fielding second basemen in the game with near-acrobatic skills at the keystone corner.

In 1932, the Yanks sent Reese to the America Association’s Triple-A St. Paul Saints. The St. Louis Cardinals quickly picked him up to fill in for the injured Frankie Frisch. In 90 games with the Cards, Reese batted .265, hit two homers and drove in 26 runs. And so ended Reese’s three-year major league career; 232 games played with a respectable .278 batting average, eight homers and 70 RBIs.

Litle did Reese realize in 1933 when the Cards sold him to the PCL Angels that his baseball career still had six decades remaining. Reese enjoyed outstanding seasons with the Angels and San Diego Padres. He compiled a PCL career batting average of .289 in 1,673 games and holds the league record for most putouts by a second baseman, 4,771, and most assists, 5,119. In 1937, Reese was chosen as the starting second baseman on the All-Time Pacific Coast League team, and in 2002 was elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Between 1938 and 1994, Reese worked for minor and major league teams as a coach, manager and scout. With a one-year baseball hiatus in 1944 when he served in the U.S. Army during World War II, Reese was continuously in baseball’s employ. In 1972, at age 71, Reese asked the Angels for a job and was hired as conditioning coach – a position he held until his death in 1994. Angels’ owner Gene Autry had given Reese a lifetime contract.

After the 25-year old righty Nolan Ryan was traded to the Angels from the New York Mets, he befriended Reese. Years later, Ryan said, “He’s the finest human being I’ve ever met.” Ryan’s second son is named Reese in Jimmie’s honor.

At the time of Reese’s death, he was still on the Angels payroll. A year after Reese passed, the Angels encased his locker in tinted Plexiglas. Inside were his beloved fungo bat and his uniform. His number 50 was retired, joining Ryan, Gene Autry and Rod Carew whose numbers no future Angels player would ever wear. The Angels retired number 26 in Autry’s honor. Baseball rosters had 25 men; Autry became the Angels “26th man.”

Today’s big baseball news is Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, ten-year contract – “a record” as the headlines blare. But Ohtani’s mark won’t last long. Owners are printing money and, since they can jack up ticket prices at will and indefinitely, have no qualms about laying out cash. Reese’s 77-year baseball longevity record, however, will endure for ages and is a testimony to his love for the national pastime.

Joe Guzzardi is a Society for American Baseball Research and Internet Baseball Writers Association member. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com.

Remembering Hyman Solomon ’s 77 Years in Baseball Remembering Hyman Solomon ’s 77 Years in Baseball

Marines Play Mosquito Bowl on Christmas Eve 1944

By Joe Guzzardi

The endless college football bowl season is upon us. Beginning on Dec. 16 with the Mrytle Beach Bowl, and mercifully ending on Jan. 8 with the CFP National Championship game, 43 games will be played. But no football game ever played, or ever to be played, will exceed the drama surrounding the Mosquito Bowl, played on insect-infested Guadalcanal in 1944. The 4^th and 29^th U.S. Marine Corp regiments faced off before their next stop, Okinawa.

The Mosquito Bowl evolved from a bold claim that Brown University and eventual New York Giants superstar John McLaughry made to his father. McLaughry claimed that the 4^th Regiment could go toe-to-toe with the NFL champion Chicago Bears. McLaughry backed off a bit but still maintained that the 4^th and the 29^th combined could beat any team, anywhere.

To lift the Marines’ spirits, the brass okayed a football game between the 4th and the 29^th for Christmas Eve 1944. The regiments had long debated which would prevail if they ever met on the football field. By kickoff time, there was a regulation-size field with goalposts, programs with roster information, a marching band and more than a thousand spectators. The excitement was so high that the Marine Corps radio network broadcast the game, and wagering was at a feverish level.

With its six early round professional draft picks, the star-studded 29^th took the field against the 4^th which had players who had professional careers with the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Cardinals. Among the players were George Murphy, Notre Dame captain, a South Bend, Indiana clerk’s son; Tony Butkovich, a Purdue All-American, and one of seven sons of a central Illinois Croatian coal miner; McLaughry, a blocking back, and Brown’s heavyweight boxing champion; Robert Bauman, a Wisconsin Badgers tackle and punter. As a kid, after his father died, Bauman worked in onion fields near Chicago. David Schreiner was a Badgers All-American end whose German immigrant grandfather had established a prosperous family business.

The gridiron was dirt and gravel without a blade of grass. Two-handed tag, the official rule, was ignored. The Marines played in t-shirts and torn-off khakis. Although they came away battered and bruised, no one complained. The game, which ended in a 0-0- tie, distracted from training for the Okinawa invasion which they correctly described as being “bound for hell.”

Of the 65 Mosquito Bowl players, 56 played in colleges, including Notre Dame, California, Purdue and Wisconsin, and five were team captains. Fifteen died during the fierce Okinawa fighting, the Pacific War’s bloodiest battle. After 82 days of brutal combat, more than 240,000 people had been killed, a 3,000 daily average. The American loss rate was 35 percent of the force, totaling 49,151 casualties. Of those, 12,520 were killed or missing, and 36,631 were wounded in action.

Wisconsin teammates Bauman and Schreiner were among those killed in action. Heavy Japanese fire blindsided Bauman’s platoon, and a bullet to his head shattered his skull. Bauman, age 24, became the 12^th Mosquito Bowl player killed. On the day before Okinawa was declared secure, Schreiner was shot in the upper chest. Schreiner had weathered 81 of the 82 days that the battle lasted before dying in the hospital on the 82^nd day. Schreiner was the 15^th and final Mosquito Bowl fatality.

Ironically, Schreiner could have stayed behind. He rejected a medical school deferment and instead enlisted. Schreiner wrote in a letter to his parents: “I’m not sitting here snug as a bug, playing football while others are giving their lives for their country…If everyone tried to stay out of it, what a fine country we’d have!”

After learning of their sons’ deaths, the mothers of Schneider and Bauman corresponded. Bertha Bauman to Anne Schreiner: “Our two darling boys were real pals and went through everything together and seems they could not be separated and for that reason, God took them both.” Anne replied: “Are your days and nights getting any better, Mrs. Bauman? I find mine are getting harder and harder.”

In 1947, Anne wrote to Bertha again after Bauman and Schreiner’s fiancées had married. Although Anne was happy that Odette, a WAVE and her faithful friend throughout, now would have the chance “to build another future for the one that was taken away,” she was saddened because “she [Odette] had been David’s, and oh, oh, doesn’t it hurt?”

During the same year, the University of Wisconsin renamed two dormitories for Bob Bauman and Dave Schreiner. At the dedication, with family and friends present, tears flowed. Two years later, the U.S. military closed its Okinawa cemeteries, and Schreiner’s remains were returned home and buried in the family plot. Anne lived until age 105, and to her the Badgers were always “her boys.” Before she moved into a nursing home at age 99, she kept David’s room exactly as it was the day he left for the Marines.

The lucky, living 50 Mosquito Bowl competitors returned home, but most were never the same. After receiving a telegram her son John sent from San Francisco that read “short time, then home soon, love,” his mother picked him up at Grand Central Station. Gone was the Brown University swagger, replaced by, in his mother’s words, a reclusive, jittery man who was an “empty shell that held empty eyes.”

The three and a half hours long Mosquito Bowl that the 65 Marines reveled in may have been the last and longest sustained joyous moments the brave young soldiers ever experienced in their war-shortened lives.

Joe Guzzardi is a Society for American Baseball Research and Internet Baseball Writers Association member. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com.

Marines Play Mosquito Bowl on Christmas Eve 1944 Marines Play Mosquito Bowl on Christmas Eve 1944