Trump says immigrants and persons of color " taking precious resources away
from the poorest Americans who need them most.". No sir, Mr. Trump you are
doing that yourself.
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Roger Loran Bailey
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2019 10:11 AM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Trump launches attacks against immigrants on many
fronts
https://socialistaction.org/2019/07/29/trump-launches-attacks-against-immigrants-on-many-fronts/
Trump launches attacks against immigrants on many fronts
/ 11 hours ago
Aug. 2019 Immigration NY (Mary Altaffer:AP) Protest in New York City, June 29.
(Mary Altaffer / AP)
By LISA LUINENBURG
As the 2020 presidential election draws ever closer, the Trump administration
has continued to ramp up its attacks on undocumented immigrants and on refugees
seeking asylum in the United States. The president has launched attacks on
immigrants across multiple fronts, and when he is blocked by Congress or the
courts, he issues executive orders to accomplish his own agenda.
And what is that agenda? It is simply the aim of the ruling class. The U.S.
economy continues to depend heavily on the labor of undocumented immigrants, a
super-exploited class of workers who work the toughest jobs for the smallest
amount of pay. It benefits those in power to keep immigrants afraid, too afraid
to fight back, to demand better wages or working conditions.
In a 2018 speech, Trump said, ???Illegal immigration hurts American workers,
burdens American taxpayers, and undermines public safety, and places enormous
strains on local schools, hospitals, and communities in general, taking
precious resources away from the poorest Americans who need them most.??? But
the actual numbers paint a much different picture.
According to PBS News Hour, undocumented immigrants contribute about
$11.6 billion dollars in taxes a year, putting more into the government than
they receive back in public benefits. Immigrants often take the most difficult
jobs, working as field hands, home-care aides, child-care providers, and
cleaning staff.
But Trump continues to spout off vile racist rhetoric attacking immigrants,
often tweeting his views. At the same time, his policies targeting immigrants
and refugees have gotten worse as his presidency has continued. In June,
thousands of people across the country protested when the deplorable conditions
that migrant children are being held in along the U.S.-Mexico border were
exposed.
In a June 22 article in the New Yorker, journalists interviewed a team of
lawyers who toured border patrol facilities in Texas where migrant children who
had been separated from their families were being held.
According to the New Yorker, ???The conditions the lawyers found were
shocking: flu and lice outbreaks were going untreated, and children were
filthy, sleeping on cold floors, and taking care of one another because of the
lack of attention from guards. Some of them had been in the facility for
weeks.???
Children were denied food, water, health care, and sanitation. These are
children who are already vulnerable and traumatized, after passing through
countless ordeals on their journey to the United States with their families,
seeking a better life.
When the story broke, the public was shocked, prompting a series of protests
around the country. A recent protest organized by grassroots immigrant rights
organizations in Minneapolis was attended by perhaps
5000 people. Around the country, Lights for Liberty held vigils in hundreds of
cities. Many of the vigils, such as the one held in Chicago, were well
attended. However, many of these events were organized by Democratic Party
leaders. Because the immigrant rights movement lacks national leadership, local
organizing efforts often get sidelined when more moderate forces step in. This
tendency will only increase as the
2020 presidential elections approach.
As a result of the public outcry, and under immense pressure, the Senate passed
a bipartisan $4.6 billion emergency funding bill to provide humanitarian aide
to migrants seeking asylum on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The money would be allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services and
the Department of Homeland Security, as these federal agencies run out of
funding to address the growing crisis.
But this is just a drop in the bucket in terms of what is actually needed to
address the growing humanitarian crisis at the border. While much of the public
spotlight has drifted away from the caravans of refugees that continue to
arrive at the border, thousands of migrants are still waiting in terrible
conditions in camps along the Mexican side of the border, as they wait for
their turn to plead their case for asylum in front of an immigration judge.
The current situation is largely a result of Remain in Mexico, a new program
that Trump negotiated with the supposedly progressive Mexican president, Andres
Manuel Lopez Obrador (known as AMLO to Mexicans).
Under the new agreement (signed by the Mexican president on June 7), Mexico has
agreed to house migrants in their country while they await their asylum cases,
while at the same time deploying their National Guard across the country (with
particular emphasis along the southern Mexican border with Guatemala) in an
attempt to halt the flow of migrants coming into their country from Central
America.
Before the Remain in Mexico policy was officially signed into law, migrants
were supposed to be able to stay in the United States while waiting for their
asylum cases to be heard. But now they must languish in what amounts to
concentration camps on the Mexican side of the border, without access to proper
food, sanitation, or medical care, while they wait for weeks or even months for
their cases to be heard.
The backlog of immigration cases has now reached a crisis point in the U.S.
court system. According to a National Public Radio report on June 4, the
American Bar Association is saying that the immigration courts are now on the
???brink of collapse.??? The current backlog has now grown to almost 900,000
cases. With less than 450 immigration judges across the U.S., some have as many
as 9000 cases on their dockets and are scheduling hearings years in advance.
Judges are now required to reach quotas of cases in order to get good job
reviews, pushing many towards the brink of burnout. The process is grueling for
immigrants too, many of whom don???t even have access to lawyers to help them
through the legal process.
At the same time, Trump is now attempting to deny Central American migrants
even the basic right to seek asylum at all. The Globe Post reported on July 15
on Trump???s latest executive order, which would bar migrants from applying for
asylum in the U.S. if they have passed through other countries first on their
way there. Instead, they would now be required to apply for asylum in the first
country they enter.
This contradicts current U.S. law, which says that migrants have the right to
apply for asylum in the U.S. no matter how they arrived, unless they traveled
through a ???safe third country??? on the way.
While Canada is currently the only country designated as a ???safe third
country,??? Trump just strong-armed the Guatemalan government into signing a
deal that would give it this designation, although not explicitly. The deal
came after Trump threatened the country with tariffs and with blocking
remittances sent to Guatemala by immigrant family members living in the U.S.
The ACLU has already sued to block the new rule from going into effect, and it
is unclear if the Guatemalan government will actually implement the new
agreement with the U.S., or even what that agreement entails.
But the entire debate around migrants denies the fact that people are fleeing
poverty, political unrest, and violence in their home countries???conditions
that more often than not are a direct result of U.S. economic and military
interventions in Latin American, which have continued for decades.
While Trump is attempting to restrict the flow of migrants and refugees into
the U.S., he is also increasing attacks on the population of undocumented
immigrants already living in the U.S. and contributing to the U.S. economy.
Over several months, the Trump administration has been battling through the
court system in an attempt to get a citizenship question added to the U.S.
census, which is set to take place in 2020.
After an outcry that the question would cause many immigrants and their
families to avoid completing the census, the Supreme Court ruled in June to
block the question. After census forms had begun to be printed without the
citizenship question, Trump dropped his threats to continue the struggle
through legal channels.
According to CNN, instead, ???Trump issued an executive order directing the
Commerce Department to obtain citizenship data through means other than the
census. That includes documents from the Department of Homeland Security, which
houses citizenship and asylum services, and the Social Security
Administration.???
Real fear has continued to spread throughout the immigrant community after the
Trump administration announced a series of large-scale raids that were to take
place across 10 major U.S. cities in early July. As reported in The New York
Times, the raids were supposed to target undocumented immigrants who had
received final deportation orders.
However, ICE agents also anticipated sweeping up what they called
???collateral??? deportations, meaning family members of the person being
targeted who also happened to be on site during the raid.
After protests broke out across the country, ICE officials expressed discomfort
with the operation, and multiple cities and police departments announced that
they wouldn???t participate in the raids. Trump then called off the raids at
the last minute.
Meanwhile, Trump threatened to resume the raids in several weeks unless
Congress agreed to ???work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophold problems
at the Southern Border.??? Although the second round of threatened raids also
failed to materialize, the announcements had the intended effect of spreading
of spreading panic and fear throughout the immigrant community. At the same
time, the fact that Trump had announced the raids beforehand (which never
happened under Presidents Bush or
Obama) gave local organizers time to prepare the community. Around the country,
grassroots immigrant rights groups organized Know Your Rights trainings and
Rapid Response Networks.?? In the Twin Cities, hundreds of Somali workers at a
local Amazon distribution center also recently walked out to protest working
conditions.
While the grassroots organizing around the country continues on a local level,
the lack of a national leadership organization in the immigrant rights
community means that the Democratic Party will continue to exert increasing
influence over the movement as the 2020 presidential election approaches.
Immigration will no doubt continue to be a hot-button issue in the upcoming
elections, but the influence of the Democratic Party in the movement will
inevitably have a moderating and dampening effect, as they suck the vital
energy of grassroots organizers into the game of electoral politics.
How can we combat this? First, we must continue to organize on a grassroots
level in our local communities, where we can meet the best fighters involved in
the movement in our area. Second, we can support an independent socialist
candidate who isn???t beholden to the Democratic Party and its lackeys, who can
expose the lies of the ruling class and explain the system along class lines.
Consider supporting Jeff Mackler and Heather Bradford, Socialist Action???s
candidates for president and vice president of the United States in 2020. They
support an end to raids and deportations, unconditional legalization for all
immigrants, open borders, the closure of all detention camps, and an end to
U.S. military intervention in Latin America and around the world. ??Ningun Ser
Humano es Ilegal!
Share this:
???Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) ???Click to share on
Facebook (Opens in new window)
July 29, 2019 in Immigration, Trump / U.S. Government.
Related posts
Trump declares fake ???National Emergency??? to build his border wall
Immigration crackdown: Just Trump???s policy or a disease of capitalism?
Mexico won???t pay for the Wall!
Post navigation
??? An independent socialist runs for city council in Athens, Ohio
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month July 2019?? (10) June 2019?? (14) May 2019??
(12) April 2019?? (12) March 2019?? (13) February 2019 (10) January 2019?? (16)
December 2018?? (12) November 2018?? (15) October 2018?? (10) September 2018??
(8) August 2018?? (12) July 2018?? (13) June 2018?? (11) May 2018?? (19) April
2018?? (15) March 2018?? (17) February 2018?? (14) January 2018?? (13) December
2017 (13) November 2017?? (13) October 2017??
(16) September 2017?? (15) August 2017?? (16) July 2017?? (17) June 2017??
(16) May 2017?? (17) April 2017?? (14) March 2017?? (13) February 2017??
(19) January 2017?? (13) December 2016?? (12) November 2016?? (19) October
2016 (12) September 2016?? (10) August 2016?? (10) July 2016?? (14) June 2016??
(14) May 2016?? (9) April 2016?? (12) March 2016?? (14) February 2016?? (8)
January 2016?? (11) December 2015?? (11) November 2015?? (9) October 2015?? (8)
September 2015?? (10) August 2015?? (7) July 2015?? (13) June 2015?? (9) May
2015?? (10) April 2015?? (12) March 2015?? (9) February 2015?? (11) January
2015?? (10) December 2014?? (12) November 2014?? (11) October 2014?? (9)
September 2014 (6) August 2014?? (10) July 2014?? (11) June 2014?? (10) May
2014 (11) April 2014?? (10) March 2014?? (9) February 2014?? (11) January
2014?? (11) December 2013?? (10) November 2013?? (11) October 2013 (17)
September 2013?? (13) August 2013?? (10) July 2013?? (11) June 2013?? (15) May
2013?? (14) April 2013?? (14) March 2013?? (12) February 2013?? (10) January
2013?? (17) December 2012?? (7) November 2012??
(8) October 2012?? (19) September 2012?? (2) August 2012?? (27) July 2012??
(18) June 2012?? (3) May 2012?? (19) April 2012?? (14) March 2012?? (17)
February 2012?? (19) January 2012?? (17) December 2011?? (3) November 2011??
(33) October 2011?? (14) September 2011 (13) August 2011?? (34) July 2011??
(24) June 2011?? (19) May 2011 (19) April 2011?? (15) March 2011?? (15)
February 2011?? (15) January 2011?? (15) December 2010?? (17) November 2010??
(1) October 2010 (6) September 2010?? (3) August 2010?? (8) July 2010?? (7)
June 2010 (2) May 2010?? (10) April 2010?? (3) March 2010?? (8) February 2010
(3) January 2010?? (9) December 2009?? (6) November 2009??
(5) October 2009?? (16) September 2009?? (3) August 2009?? (2) July 2009
(5) June 2009?? (2) May 2009?? (7) April 2009?? (6) March 2009?? (16) February
2009?? (9) January 2009?? (10) December 2008?? (11) November 2008??
(8) October 2008?? (16) September 2008?? (14) August 2008 (18) July 2008??
(12) June 2008?? (3) May 2008?? (2) April 2008?? (3) March 2008?? (14) February
2008?? (11) January 2008?? (11) December 2007?? (8) November 2007??
(1) July 2007?? (1) June 2007?? (1) April 2007?? (1) March 2007?? (1) February
2007?? (3) December 2006?? (11) November 2006?? (11) October 2006??
(13) September 2006?? (15) August 2006?? (11) July 2006?? (18) June 2006??
(7) May 2006?? (14) April 2006?? (6) March 2006?? (14) February 2006?? (5)
January 2006?? (2) December 2005?? (9) November 2005?? (8) October 2005??
(13) September 2005?? (12) August 2005?? (9) July 2005?? (16) June 2005??
(16) May 2005?? (16) April 2005?? (12) March 2005?? (14) February 2005??
(19) January 2005?? (15) December 2004?? (14) November 2002?? (17) October
2002?? (19) September 2002?? (22) August 2002?? (21) July 2002?? (15) May
2002?? (21) April 2002?? (21) February 2002?? (15) January 2002 (15) December
2001?? (17) October 2001?? (24) September 2001?? (18) July 2001??
(19) June 2001?? (18) October 2000?? (17) September 2000 (21) August 2000??
(19) July 2000?? (16) June 2000?? (26) May 2000 (21) April 2000?? (22) March
2000?? (28) February 2000?? (18) January 2000?? (20) December 1999??
(20) November 1999?? (26) October 1999 (25) September 1999?? (18) August 1999??
(40) July 1999?? (38) June 1999?? (24) May 1999?? (27) April 1999??
(25) March 1999?? (26) February 1999?? (29) January 1999?? (24) July 1998??
(12)
Search
???View socialistactionusa???s profile on Facebook ???View SocialistActUS???s
profile on Twitter ???View SocialistActionCT???s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools Elections
Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International Labor Latin
America Marxist Theory & History Middle East Palestine Police & FBI Prisons
South Asia Trump / U.S. Government Uncategorized Vote Socialist Action Women's
Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
Follow
--
---
Voltaire
??? Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
???
??? Voltaire,
