logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
44m 50s

Checks and Balance: Border disorder?

The Economist
About this episode

With the lifting of Title 42, America is once again forced to consider its border policy, just as Democrat-run cities struggle to find shelter for busloads of migrants sent north from the US-Mexico border. What responsibilities do states and cities far from the border have? And with Congress frozen, what can President Biden actually do?


Doris Meissner of the Migration Policy Institute talks through the dilemmas facing the Biden administration and Rosemarie Ward reports from the town of Newburgh, where migrants are being sent from New York City shelters.


John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.


For access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe: economist.com/USpod


We would love to hear from you. Please fill out our listener survey at economist.com/uspodsurvey. You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/podcastoffer.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
The Weekend Intelligence: The trial of Yevgenia Berkovich
In May 2024, Yevgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petrichuk, the director and writer of an experimental play, became the first Russian artists since Soviet times to be put on trial for the content of their work. It was a show trial. Like all show trials its outcome was preordained. Bu ... Show More
43m 54s
Oct 10
Dune raider: Saudi is a video-game superpower
Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, is a huge video-game fan. Now his hobby is becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry for the kingdom, which is acquiring some of the world’s biggest gaming firms. How Finnish icebreakers became a focus for polar power politics. And ... Show More
19m 57s
Oct 9
Finally, a deal: the fragile peace in Gaza
Donald Trump has brokered an agreement between Israel’s government and Hamas. It’s a momentous breakthrough. Our correspondent analyses what comes next. We launch “The Economist Insider”, our new TV show for subscribers, where senior editors debate the news. And, do red-light mas ... Show More
23m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Checks and Balance: Bordering on chaos
So far this year officials at the southern border have encountered over two million people trying to enter America. The actual number crossing is likely to be much higher. Two thousand miles north, New York’s mayor has declared a state of emergency. 20,000 migrants have arrived i ... Show More
43m 30s
Mar 2021
Biden's Dilemmas, Part 2: Children at the Border
The number of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border is growing — and, with it, anxiety in the Biden administration.Newer concerns have mixed with longstanding ones to create a situation at the border that could become untenable.Today, in the second part of our ... Show More
23m 4s
Feb 2024
The Case for Open Borders
Amid ongoing congressional negotiations for a new immigration bill, a bipartisan effort is underway to deter migration through measures such as immediate detention and deportation, as well as more stringent restrictions on asylum-seekers. This week on Deconstructed, John Washingt ... Show More
48m 44s
Jan 2024
Checks and Balance: Biden or bust
Joe Biden’s chances against Donald Trump in November do not look good. He is unpopular and his age puts many Americans off. How did it come to this? And what can the Democrats do about it? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by Congressman ... Show More
47m 15s
Apr 2022
Sunday Edition: Anticipation and Anxiety at the US-Mexico Border
Officials at the US-Mexico border are warning of a surge of migrants seeking asylum in the coming months, in part due to the planned removal of a Trump-era pandemic border policy. We explore Title 42, its impact on migrants and why it’s forcing some Democrats into tricky territor ... Show More
13m 32s
Aug 2021
Biden’s Border Dilemma
Early on in the Biden administration, it rolled out a two-pronged migration plan: A reversal of the most punitive elements of Donald Trump’s policy and rooting out the causes of migration from Central America, namely corruption.There is, however, a conflict at the heart of this a ... Show More
22m 58s
Sep 2021
Another Crisis at the Border
Increasing numbers of Haitian migrants have been traveling to the border town of Del Rio, Texas, recently, in the hope of entering the United States.Border Patrol took action — in some cases, sending the migrants back to Haiti; in others, taking them into custody or releasing the ... Show More
25m 21s
Nov 2023
Checks and Balance: Year all about it
If the election were held tomorrow, Donald Trump would probably be the favourite to win.  How should we be thinking about the race with a year to go? And how can the world outside of America prepare itself for the possibility of a second Trump term? John Prideaux hosts with Charl ... Show More
50m 27s