The Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank focused on international issues, has brought together experts on immigration and trade to consider solutions to the U.S.-Mexico border challenges.
The coalition "will propose nonpartisan and pragmatic approaches to strengthen border security, address the practical aspects of immigration, and improve cross-border trade and commerce," the Atlantic Council (AC) stated in its May 10 announcement.
"The new coalition includes experts from the Atlantic Council, the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Homeland Security Experts Group, and others in the private and nonprofit sectors," the announcement reports. "Members of the coalition collectively have more than a century of expertise in border and immigration security; promotion of lawful trade, travel, and immigration; counterterrorism; foreign policy; and national security."
The coalition was formed to address the anticipated surge of migrants at the U.S. southern border following the May 11 end of Title 42, which granted the U.S. authority to expel unlawful migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The expected surge of prospective migrants makes this coordinated effort more urgent than ever,” Atlantic Council senior fellow and coalition organizer Thomas Warrick said in the announcement.
“The need now is greater than ever to find nonpartisan, workable solutions to our country’s border challenges,” said Warrick, who is also the director of the AC's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security's Future of DHS Project. “It’s important to look at these challenges in a nonpartisan, coordinated, and integrated way. There are good ideas in both parties—no one has a monopoly. Success will require putting these ideas together in the right way.”
According to the AC, the coalition's objective is to bridge political divides and offer practical solutions that prioritize national security, economic growth and the protection of human rights. The diverse expertise within the coalition will enable a comprehensive approach to addressing the multifaceted aspects of border and immigration challenges. By advocating for evidence-based policy recommendations, the coalition aims to foster bipartisan cooperation and find common ground to shape effective and sustainable solutions.
“It’s time to put partisanship aside and work together as Americans to reach sensible solutions to these complex challenges,” Seth Stoddard said in the news release. Stoddard is the Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellow and has also served in senior-level homeland security roles in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
“To be sure, America is a nation of immigrants and we are a compassionate country," Stoddard said. "But we are also a country of laws, and the American people have a right to expect secure borders and an efficient, well-functioning immigration system that meets our country’s needs and lives up to our best ideals.”
