Trump's Racist War on Immigrants

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

He's hostile to Muslims from designated countries and Latinos wanting to emigrate to America, largely because NAFTA destroyed their livelihoods.

Candidate Trump's 10-point immigration plan included the following:

1. Build a wall along America's border with Mexico.

2. End "catch and release." Substitute detain and deport, procedures followed by Bush/Cheney and Obama he wants escalated.

3. Create a deportation task force and focus on criminals in the country illegally, including for offenses too minor to matter like traffic violations and others overstaying their visas.

4. Defund sanctuary cities. Withhold federal funding for areas not in compliance.

5. Replace Obama's executive actions with his own.

6. Institute greater extreme vetting than already. Block immigration from nations not compliant with Washington's rules.

7. Force other countries to take back immigrants he wants deported.

8. Get biometric visa tracking system fully in place.

9. Strengthen E-Verify to make it hard or impossible for undocumented immigrants to get work.

10. Limit legal immigration.

On Tuesday, Trump, flanked by neocon GOP Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue, endorsed the so-called Reforming Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act."

It proposes to cut legal immigration by 50%, imposing an income and education standard to keep unwanted immigrants out.

It'll separate family members by preventing documented immigrants from bringing them to America.

In a White House press briefing, Trump lied, claiming "(t)he RAISE Act…will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars."

It'll do none of the above. It'll harm most aspiring immigrants, scapegoating them largely based on race, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin.

It'll favor English-speaking, educated, skilled foreign nationals wishing to emigrate to America. It'll limit eligibles to about 500,000 annual green cards, granting them permanent legal residence.

The legislation is based on the false notion that immigration suppresses wages, causing unemployment and slow growth.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, wage inequality and stagnation are "largely the result of policy choices that boosted the bargaining power of those with the most wealth and power" at the expense of the great majority of American workers.

"(B)etter policy choices…can lead to more widespread wage growth and strengthen and expand the middle class."

Bipartisan policymakers in Washington promote inequality and wage stagnation in deference to business wanting low labor costs, aiding profitability.

The National Immigration Law Center called the RAISE Act "cruel and unAmerican…shut(ting) the door on hundreds of thousands of families and refugees."

The Anne Frank Center tweeted ".@POTUS' new #immigration plan: The Statue of Liberty weeps as she watches Trump flush America's moral leadership down the toilet."

Poor foreign nationals, largely people of color, are most affected by the legislation.

They're wrongfully blamed for misery inflicted on them by bipartisan extremists in Washington, exploiting working-class people everywhere so business and high-net-worth households can prosper at their expense.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.