Every day, fleeing the violence perpetrated by cruel drug lords, thousands of people from Central and South America seek refuge in America, seriously threatening the stability of America's social fabric and economy.

The Biden administration's rather belated decision to build a high wall along the Texas-Mexico border is most welcome. However, no wall is permanently impervious to being breached.

Who is responsible for this humanitarian tragedy? The unpalatable truth is that millions of Americans who abuse cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, etc. are responsible for it. It is a simple case of demand and supply.

Employing over 175,000 gun-toting goons, billionaire drug lords bribe or intimidate government officials, the police, and the military, perpetrate violence against their own people, and smuggle drugs to America.

Thus far nothing the U.S. government has done has stymied the flow of illicit drugs into America. Imprisoning drug lords, destroying cocaine factories, increasing surveillance along the southern border, airports, and entry points, etc. have failed miserably.

There are karma consequences to all our actions. Just as America's gun culture has resulted in widespread gun violence and mass shootings inside America, America's drug culture has resulted in a humanitarian crisis outside America.

Spilling over the southern border, now it has become a crisis of illegal migration inside America.

Unless and until Americans stop abusing illegal drugs, the problem of thousands of hapless migrants at our southern border will continue. We must own up to and deal with the tragedy of widespread drug abuse in America.

K.P.S. KAMATH, Cape Girardeau