An Exercise in Republican Control

The Biden administration reopened a Texas “tent facility” to hold migrant children. The election of a Democrat to the White House, accompanied by talk of various reforms and amnesties, has predictably resulted in an increase in the number of migrant children arriving at the border. You probably also noticed that instead of putting words such as “horrifying” or “cages” in their headlines, liberal journalists christened these reopened facilities “temporary shelters.” Which sounds comfortable.

There are two messages in this language of “temporary shelters.” First, to the Left, we’re doing it humanely, and it’s just temporary. The second is aimed at the Right: We’re enforcing the law. We swear. We’re enforcing it so hard.