Immigrants in America
Immigrants in America
Trump is demonizing immigrants and provoking violence.
Issue #747 The Choice, Tuesday, October 15, 2024
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The 2024 Election Day is only three weeks away, and the Republican presidential candidate knows he’s going to lose and, therefore, face all of his current legal cases that could potentially put him in prison.
At the beginning of this year’s campaign, the Republicans wanted to run on the age of President Joe Biden (who is just a few years older), inflation (continuously going down), the Biden-Harris economy (the “best in the world” per economists), and immigration (after canceling the bipartisan immigration bill).
However, since his devastating appearance at the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has increased his racist and nativist statements and outright lies. Now, he is not so much talking about immigration in general as he is attacking immigrants specifically.
But he is targeting only certain immigrants, the brown and Black immigrants. He doesn’t see the irony of the fact that his mother was an immigrant from Scotland, that two of his three wives were/are immigrants, and that four of his five children have immigrant mothers. To his way of thinking, white European immigrants are just fine; it’s immigrants of color who are the problem.
He is now going beyond what he said at the beginning of his first presidential campaign about Mexicans being rapists and criminals. He is now saying that immigrants are not only criminals but that they are “vermin” and “poisoning the blood” of America. Those statements are straight out of the fascist rhetoric of Hitler.
He is additionally claiming that “immigrants” are intellectually inferior to real Americans (meaning white Americans) and are coming from prisons and insane asylums. (He doesn’t understand the difference between applying for asylum in the United States and insane asylums.)
His assertions are leading to increased violence from his MAGA base, which he has also called for: “…just one day of extreme violence…” He wants violence so that he can deploy the National Guard and the military against anyone or any organization not showing complete agreement with his ideas or complete loyalty to him.
Trump has also pledged to use the National Guard and the military to round up all immigrants he hates, including legal and documented immigrants, and either put them in prison camps or deport them to their original countries.
He has specifically referenced the “Alien Enemies Act” of 1798 as his legal foundation for attacking immigrants.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 was one of four laws collectively known as the Alien and Sedition Acts, enacted by the Federalist-controlled Congress amid fears of a potential war with France. The Act empowered the president to detain, deport, or restrict non-citizens from countries perceived as hostile during war or national emergency. The Alien Enemies Act has remained in effect, being invoked during subsequent conflicts, such as World War II, when it was used to justify the internment of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The truth is that except for the indigenous tribal nations, every person in America is descended from immigrants, whether their ancestors came here by fate or by force.
The United States is a country of immigrants with many diverse cultures. In the 1600s, European settlers—primarily from England—arrived seeking religious freedom, economic opportunities, and a new start.
By the mid-19th century, America emerged as the land of opportunity, drawing millions from Ireland, Germany, Poland, and Scandinavia, escaping famine, political unrest, and economic hardship. The promise of land, jobs, and a better future fueled westward expansion and industrial growth. This influx also sowed seeds of xenophobia and nativism, leading to the first significant legislative action against immigrants: the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. Italians, Jews, Slavs, and other Southern and Eastern Europeans brought their skills, customs, and resilience. However, The Immigration Act of 1924 established quotas, discriminating against many of these new arrivals and leading to a more restrictive immigration policy.
The wake of World War II brought about significant change. Many sought refuge from war-torn Europe, leading to the establishment of more refugee-friendly policies. Finally, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished quotas based on nationality and opened the doors wider to immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Immigration remains a crucial issue in the 21st century. The post-9/11 era saw heightened security and debate around immigration policies.
One of the first Executive Orders by Trump in 2017 was his “Muslim Ban,” which restricted the entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries. He also called Haiti and majority-Black African nations “sh*thole countries” and later blamed Americans of Chinese descent for the Covid 19 pandemic.
He told Republicans in Minnesota that the state was much better when it was populated by only northern European immigrants instead of the current large number of African immigrants, primarily from Somalia.
In actuality, immigrants contribute trillions to the American economy every year. However, undocumented immigrants pay taxes and cannot receive welfare, Social Security, or any other benefits as other tax-paying workers. Even if it were possible to “round up” immigrants as Trump promises, doing so would paralyze the economy.
The deliberate lies and constant fear-mongering speeches by Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, are dangerous now and would lead to an authoritarian government that would eliminate the Constitution, isolate America from its allies, and purposely take away most rights from women and minorities.
Although voting has already started in many states, the end of the election is in twenty-one days.
It is incumbent upon us to ensure that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz win the election and that we retain our Senate majority and regain the majority in the House.
Vote. Vote Blue.