Thread by @soychicka

It's clear that @TheDemocrats can't give in to Trump - and it's FOR THE SAKE OF federal workers financial and mental status: if they do, he'll just use those federal workers' livelihoods as pawns again - EVERY TIME there's any kind of dispute, he'll pick on that as a soft spot.

What the @TheDemocrats SHOULD do:

offer up an equivalent amount of funding as what he demands for 'wall,' but targeted squarely at stopping human trafficking, and bringing EVERY perpetrator and participant in trafficking of humans to justice.

Funding that would provide for improved monitoring at the border - for FLIR equipment to scan every shipping container and vehicle for bodies, for equipment to detect CO2 concentrations and moisture and volatile compounds that indicate presence of living organisms.

Funding that would provide portable equipment to run rapid DNA comparisons for every adult bringing children across the border without valid passports and proof of parentage.

@nanopore - you have something in the works that could make this happen?

To work with Mexican authorities to put monitoring systems in place at a distance from the border so that those dumping migrants near the border will be spotted on their retreat, and put out of business.

To increase funding for federal investigations into human trafficking, to create tools and training programs for citizens and local law enforcement to identify and report suspected human trafficking - and its intersection with drug manufacture and trafficking.

And, of course, funding to ensure that all victims of human trafficking are treated like... humans, that they are given financial resources, training, education, and health care to facilitate their entry or return to mainstream American life, & to help them take down traffickers.

TBH, I think that $5.6B is enough to fund all of that, plus programs to take these issues on in home countries, like setting up a program for community organizations to provide 'internships in democracy' - allowing established community organizations and churches to sponsor visas

for a limited duration (5-15y), where they interview and sponsor complete families seeking refuge from violence in their home countries to fill a need in a given community, and 'interns' gain skills in community leadership/LE to help rebuild their home nation upon their return...

After we help solve the root causes of the problems in their home nation, for sure.

( part of that solution is in the works, I believe - though there will be a need for follow-up assistance as well. just go with me on that for a bit. )

But, that would let Americans be part of the decision-making process and ensure community accountability (in both directions) to take away some of the scariness.

( So yeah, there are details to be worked out, but it's def a workable concept, and it would be worth at least 1/20,000 of what he's demanding... as a grant or seed funding to look into the concept. )

So, yeah. Just an idea. But I think it's a pretty good one.

And since human trafficking is the biggest problem we have, and he wants migrants to apply for 'citizenship' before they come anywhere near the border...
Win-Win!

So watch him jump all over it b/c human trafficking.

OH YEAH.

And this would be sure to include programs at the northern border with Canada, where 8x more people on the terrorist watchlists come in than on the southern border 🤔