Who gains admission into the United States?
Live, unfiltered, and without apologies, here's the scoop:
BACKSTAGE PASS: AMERICA'S SHIFTING IMMIGRATION LANDSCAPE
Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the immigration scene in the United States is being flipped upside-down. More and more groups, like refugees, asylum-seekers, and immigrants, are feeling the heat as they're being targeted for deportation. Simultaneously, the administration's tightening the borders, as demonstrated by the travel ban for a dozen countries. NPR's Sandhya Dirks is on the case, reporting back on how Trump's immigration policies are painfully reshaping who's welcome in the land of the free.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Lok Darjee, a 29-year-old refugee from Bhutan, came to the U.S. in 2011. He settled in small-town Idaho and embraced the American dream, even becoming a Mormon – just like his fellow citizens. He made his way to an Ivy League school. But now, with Trump in office, Lok can't shake the feeling that he no longer fits the picture of the ideal immigrant. "It feels like I'm doing something wrong," he says, "like I'm not American enough."
WHAT'S COOL, AND WHO'S IN
So, who does fit in now? We tossed a question to the White House to find out who's good to go – visitors, students, permanent residents – you name it. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson replied, "President Trump's number one priority is the safety and prosperity of the American people. He's always been about legal immigration from folks who adore America and want to come here the right way."
Just remember, at this moment, the government has put a hold on all refugee admissions, even for those who obeyed the rules and completed stacks of background checks. But, there's a group Trump has given the fast track for: white South Africans.
WELCOME TO AMERICA – THE EXCLUSIVE CLUB
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau greeted 59 white South Africans at Dulles International Airport in Virginia in early May like royalty. This is quite unusual, as high-ranking officials rarely meet refugees. It's worth noting the language Landau used to welcome the group – "quality seeds" that will "blossom" and "bloom." This kind of language raises eyebrows, considering the current political climate.
RED LINE RHETORIC
Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump's immigration plans, shared his enthusiasm for these white South African refugees. Miller claimed that their circumstances "fit the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created." But the South African government argues that these claims of persecution are false.
This white identity politics lingers in Trump's speeches, like an old tattoo that refuses to fade away. Take, for example, a 2023 New Hampshire rally:
"They're poisoning the blood of our country. That's what they've done."
Or on the Hugh Hewitt podcast that same year:
"We got bad - a lot of bad genes in our country right now."
Or in 2020, at a rally in Minnesota:
"You have good genes."
These comments recall the dark history of eugenics and American politics, a topic that Professor Shannon Bow O'Brien of the University of Texas at Austin investigates. O'Brien points out that while things have changed since the 1920s when the U.S. passed the Immigration Act (which excluded almost anyone who wasn't a white Northern European), the ideas from a century ago are still around – sometimes sneakily so.
AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Wendy Via from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism is concerned about Secretary of State Marco Rubio's proposal to reorganize the State Department by July 1. Specifically, the plan includes the creation of an Office of Remigration. This office would focus on removing individuals from the United States rather than welcoming refugees. Via views this move as a slippery slope, stating, "The gloves are entirely off."
Remigration is a policy idea that's been promoted by Austrian far-right politician Martin Sellner and has been embraced by far-right European politicians as a strategy to remove nonwhite migrants and Muslims. It sounds like the new buzzword for "deportation" in a shiny new package.
In conclusion, Trump's immigration policies have sparked a wave of polarization around the issue, with critics claiming that these policies create a divide and villify certain communities, while supporters see them as necessary for national security and border control. It's a messy situation that leaves many questioning who truly belongs in America.
- The shifting immigration landscape under President Donald Trump's administration has resulted in increased scrutiny and potential deportation for refugees, asylum-seekers, and immigrants.
- In the context of Trump's immigration policies, the government has put a hold on all refugee admissions, even for those who have completed background checks, while offering a fast-track process for white South Africans.
- White identity politics are apparent in Trump's speeches, as he often makes comments that recall the dark history of eugenics and American politics, sparking concerns about future policy initiatives and their potential consequences.
