The photo of drowned father and daughter broke hearts around the world, reminding people of tragedies still happening on daily basis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The tragedy stirred up a new wave of outcry against the chaotic U.S. immigration policies, but the tug of war between Republicans and Democrats on immigration is only going to get worse as the battle for White House in 2020 draws near, experts say.
LIVES AT STAKE
Still clinging to each other, Salvadoran migrant Oscar Martinez and his 2-year-old daughter Angie Valeria were found floating face down on the banks of the Rio Grande River.
Their drowning came under spotlight after a photo of their bodies went viral on social media around the world. Yet hundreds more immigrants have died quietly along the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Tuesday, U.S. Border Patrol recovered a man's body from another stretch of the Rio Grande in Texas. Several more have drowned this year. Border patrol reported about more than 280 migrant deaths on the border in 2018. Activists say the real death toll is much higher as the remains of many migrants were never found in the rugged terrains of the U.S.-Mexico border of some 3,000 kilometers.
Millions of people in the so-called northern triangle of central America -- Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras -- have pegged their hope to escape famine, poverty and violence on going north, Wang Peng, an expert with China Academy of Social Sciences said.
Yet the road to the United States is no easy cruise. They have to brave through desert heat, treacherous water and violent criminals. The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on illegal immigrants have added to their difficulties, but it is not enough to deter the people who are determined to change their fate, Wang said.
A record number of central American immigrants are swarming to the United States despite the crackdown.
TUG OF "WALL"
U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders blamed the death of Martinez and his daughter on Trump's immigration policies. He wrote on Twitter, "Trump's policy of making it harder and harder to seek asylum -- and separating families who do -- is cruel, inhumane and leads to tragedies like this."
Trump in turn blamed the Democrats, whom he said were blocking his government's attempts at closing "loopholes" in U.S. law that encourage migrants to apply for asylum.
Trump had promised to replace the rusty fences on the U.S.-Mexico border with massive walls of 15 meters tall. The border wall needs some 5.7 billion U.S. dollars to start with and will eventually cost more than 20 billion. The Republicans and Democrats have fought battles in Congress over the funds, resulting in record-breaking government shutdowns that halted U.S. public institutions and sent numerous government employees home.
Keeping the promise on building the wall is vital to Trump's reelection. Meanwhile, the Democrats are dead set against it to court Latino voters, says Zhang Wenzong, an expert with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
As the 2020 general election nears, immigration can be a key factor that may tip the balance for presidential hopefuls. A recent Gallup poll showed 23 percent of Americans see immigration as the nation's biggest problem, the highest level in decades.
In the end, it's a game of power. Instead of trying to reconcile and resolve the issue, both the Democrats and Republicans are making biased accusations and fanning irrational emotions just to grab votes, Zhang said.
The immigration issue is part of the war looming large in U.S. politics as the Democrats and Republicans fight for the 2020 election. Such struggles over U.S. domestic politics carry far-reaching significance to the world, he added.
