The Real Reason behind Trump’s Intransigence

Donald Trump currently speaks about a crisis affecting the U.S., but this crisis is not a result of an unprecedented influx of immigrants, as he would have us believe. In fact, there were four times as many illegal immigrants in the U.S. in the 1990s compared to today. Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is instead explained by the emergence of ethnic politicians in the U.S.

American federal government services have come to a standstill as Congress has still not agreed on a budget. The resulting shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. At least 800,000 federal workers will not receive their next paychecks and national parks are either open to the public and unstaffed or are closed because they have already run out of money. If Congress cannot agree upon a budget, government operations will remain paralyzed. This could lead to problems with the distribution of food stamps, which 14 percent of the U.S. population relies on.

Temporary federal shutdowns permeate the U.S. when opinion is sharply polarized. A shutdown provides the two main parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, the opportunity to turn to their bases of support and declare: “Look how stupid and stubborn the other party is!” However, they subsequently merely stand their ground and reiterate their previous positions.

Abolishing the Image of the US as a Destination for Asylum Seekers

Everyone knows that the current dispute centers on the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Donald Trump is still stubbornly clinging to his plan to erect such a wall, as it was one of the key promises of his presidential campaign. Nonetheless, the wall is only the manifestation of an immigration policy that seeks to destroy once and for all the image of the U.S. as the perfect destination for asylum seekers. According to the president, such an image is responsible for the overcrowded detention centers and the recent drama surrounding the death of two detained Guatemalan children.

In reality, the tactics that the U.S. is currently using to prevent asylum seekers from crossing the border only serve to encourage immigrants to try repeatedly. Across Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, people smugglers have discovered new sources of revenue in the form of entire families willing to emigrate. The U.S. has responded to the influx of immigrants by setting up temporary detention centers. There is consequently an overflow of immigrants at the border.

The popularity of the wall with 40 percent of voters supporting President Trump can be explained by U.S. immigration policy over the centuries.

In a nutshell, during the colonial era, voluntary immigration from Western Europe and forced immigration from Africa were the leading forces in migration patterns toward North America. At the end of the 19th century, there was massive Chinese immigration to the U.S. in response to a demand for railway laborers. Chinese immigrants were later totally banned until 1943. In the 20th century, European immigration was encouraged. (However Italian, Slavic and Jewish immigration was discouraged.) Policy with respect to Latin Americans has changed over the years depending on the demand for labor. However, 1 million Latin Americans, including some that had become U.S. citizens, were deported in 1954.

Throughout U.S. history, there has always been concern about maintaining an ideal ethnic mix within the American population, a concern that was addressed by quotas, explicit or otherwise. Quotas relating to national origin, however, were often not enforced, and better-educated immigrants were favored.

Authentic Native Americans

Trump currently speaks about a crisis affecting the U.S., but this crisis is not the result of an unprecedented influx of immigrants, as he would have us believe. In fact, there were four times as many illegal immigrants in the U.S. in the 1990s as there are today. Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is instead explained by the emergence of ethnic politicians in the U.S. Judging by their nationality and their physical appearance, there is no doubt that they are almost all authentic Native Americans.

On this final note, I have a relevant personal anecdote. In 1997, a friend and I were in Los Angeles to attend the opening of the Getty Museum. At one point, we were on a steep hill overlooking the city and the Pacific Ocean with a young Mexican girl, whom my friend was teaching English for free. While we were admiring the view, my companion asked the young girl if she thought it was beautiful. Without lifting her eyes from the landscape, she said, “Yeah, of course I do! But then, it belongs to me.”

Trump did not hear these words, but he knows people feel like this. This is the real reason that he and his supporters so stubbornly advance their anti-immigrant policy.