Trump: Undocumented Immigrants Are "Great"
It was never about immigration, it was always about white supremacy
In a move more predictable than his break-up with Elon, Pres. Trump announced today that his administration will change how immigration enforcement is handling undocumented farm and hotel workers saying, “we will have an order on that very soon.”
First in a post on Truth social and followed by a presser this afternoon, President Trump confirmed that pressure from farmers and the hospitality industry has changed his mind. Saying, “we can’t do that to farmers,” Trump is acting like he is just coming to the realization that immigrant labor, even undocumented immigrant labor, is critical to the functioning of this country. In reality, Trump has always known the value of immigrant labor, he has used undocumented immigrants in his hotels for decades. So, in the most professional, adult way possible, I say, “duh.”
Politicizing immigration was never about immigration policy or law and order or protecting our borders, it was always about white supremacy. Racist and nativist rhetoric got him elected, and he stuck with it for as long as he could but as soon as his white supporters shared their concerns, Trump changed course. The scale started to tip and the money started to carry more weight than the adoration from his “America First” supporters.
The role California has played in this move cannot be overstated. Gov. Newsom, activists, and protestors have stood their ground and for good reason. Speaking of standing their ground, earlier today in a shocking moment, California Senator Alex Padilla was drug out of a presser with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and handcuffed. Democratic Senators have take to the floor of the Senate to express their outrage.
Not only is relaxing immigration enforcement the morally the right thing to do, it is also makes economic sense. California is the largest milk producer in the US and also grows over one-third of our vegetables and three-fourths of our fruit. Between one-third and one-half of all farm workers in the US work in California and estimates are that between 40-75% of them are undocumented.
These statistics are startling. Not only for the unbelievable power California has to bring the US to its knees but also the extent to which we as a nation are unable to function without the exploitation of labor from people of color and immigrants since the beginning.
White supremacy is the United States’ “comfy shoe.” I use this metaphor a lot when I talk about our racist history. As a nation, we have had numerous opportunities to take responsibility for our forebearers’ cruelty and to forge a new path of true inclusivity and equity, but each time, we are unable to bear the discomfort change brings, so we slip on our old comfy shoes again. The period of time it would take, the amount of money it would cost to “break in our new shoes” is a sacrifice capitalism will not allow.
What is getting lost in the habitual chaos of Trump and his team is that we really do have an immigration problem. We have a problem with exploiting the labor of immigrants while we make citizenship or any form of legal status prohibitively expensive, complicated, and out of reach for many. Attempts to reform and improve our immigration system are thwarted by political strategists who recognize the value of having “illegal immigration” as a successful campaign talking point.
It has always been true that naturalizing those who are here would be a financial net-positive when compared to the resources demanded for this kind of deportation effort. Will this fiasco finally bring serious attempts for immigration reform to the table? A girl can dream…