Any time a Republican appears on television, they are likely to mention the flood of illegal immigrants coming across the Southern border. They will accuse those who are fleeing violence and poverty in these countries of everything from the illegal flow of drugs, high unemployment, various violent crimes and even child exploitation. They are demanding that President Biden “do something” to fix the immigration problem.
The thing is, they would rather he didn’t.
If the flow of illegal immigrants suddenly stopped, it would deprive Republicans of a major issue to pin on Democrats. Instead, they regularly campaign on this issue in an effort to create a controversy while offering few, if any, solutions. They will distract the gullible by laying the blame for all the nation’s ills on immigrants.
After all, it’s a time-honored tradition. Boston was littered with signs of “No Blacks, No Irish” as it discouraged immigrants and people of color alike from applying for jobs. The West Coast saw similar discrimination against their Asian population, eventually leading to the horrific internment camps of World War II.
Despite an overwhelming majority of Americans being descended from immigrants, there is still this overwhelming desire to demonize those who were not born in the United States. It’s a strategy that Donald Trump successfully used during his 2016 presidential bid. His rallying cry of “Build the Wall” resonated with his xenophobic base. It was a strategy he attempted to recreate in his 2020 bid, despite being advised to focus on other, more relevant issues. Sticking to the unbuilt border wall was appealing to his shrinking base of supporters, but it was not enough to overcome the multiple failures that characterized his time in office. Yet, it ultimately led to the January 6th insurrection.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey even tried to replicate Trump’s “wall” by using shipping containers to somehow prevent illegal border crossings. Gaps in the blockade made them essentially useless.
The Problems With Immigrants
Drug problem? Blame the mules flooding the border as they bring in an endless supply of illegal narcotics while Big Pharma could easily get you hooked on legal ones such as opioids. But, rather than fund programs to combat addiction, Republicans would rather deflect by claiming these funds would be better spent on homeless veterans, and then vote against the very bills meant to provide them with affordable shelter.
Unemployment? It must be some illegal immigrants who are taking your job and then bankrupting Social Security by fraudulent claiming benefits. That’s why so many people have left the workforce and spend their days ranting along with Tucker Carlson. All those jobs you could have had if only you hadn’t been “replaced” by some less-deserving brown-skinned immigrant.
The pandemic? It isn’t called the China virus for nothing. And with so many illegals bringing it across the border, it’s no wonder so many people are dying. But, it’s all a hoax anyway. The so-called vaccines are just another method of government control by injecting people with microchips to illegally monitor everyone.
Violence in the streets? It’s obviously the work of Mexican drug gangs (aided by Antifa and their Defund the Police movement) who have steamed over the open borders created by Democrats in an effort to destabilize America. This is definitely justification to amass more and more lethal weapons. It is only by exercising their Second Amendment rights that America can fight back against the illegal horde of violent drug cartels.
Cages and Busses and Planes (Oh My!)
Traveling sometimes thousands of miles and enduring inhumane treatment, immigrants hoped to be welcomed to America with open arms. Instead they were met with hostile border guards, had children separated from their parents where they were placed in fenced-in enclosures similar to cages or forced to live in tent cities for months at a time.
The anti-immigrant sentiment is so strong with Republicans that top Trump immigration official, Ken Cuccinelli, even tried to rewrite the famous Emma Lazarus poem that stands at the base of the Statue of Liberty. He wanted to eliminate the poor from the hope filled verse. While this earned him praise from the MAGA base, many prominent Republicans distanced themselves from his remarks. However, they stopped short of outright condemnation.
In a move reminiscent of the Reverse Freedom Riders of the 1960s, where segregationists tricked Black Southerners into boarding buses heading North, Republican Governor Greg Abbott sent busloads of immigrants to the Democratic-led cities of New York, Chicago and Washington, DC, even dropping some off at the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in an effort to “own the libs”.
Not to be outdone, Florida Governor (and possible Republican candidate president) Ron DeSantis duped unsuspecting immigrants onto a plane, telling them they were being sent to Boston where jobs and homes were waiting for them. Instead, they were dropped off at the Liberal resort community of Martha’s Vineyard. It was a move that backfired. Instead of being overwhelmed, the residents of this community met these immigrants with open arms, finally giving them the treatment they had long hoped for. DeSantis faces possible criminal charges for transporting this group across state lines illegally.
These are the “solutions” that Republicans propose to solve the immigration problem.
Smoke and Mirrors
Call it misdirection, deflection, gaslighting or whatever you want. The faux outrage Republicans express over immigration is nothing but smoke and mirrors. They want to distract you from the fact that they aren’t actually doing anything to warrant being elected. Instead, they create shiny objects, boogeymen and false controversies like Hillary’s emails or Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Because they are actually doing little more than providing roadblocks to any actual government business, they need the issue of the Southern Border to distract from their inactivity while they pocket donations from corporate donors and special interests. The immigration issue provides them with just such a distraction.
Don’t let them get away with it. Demand accountability from our lawmakers. Keep an eye on their voting records. And when it comes time for their reelection, confront their hypocrisy. This is how we can truly make America great again.
We are a nation of immigrants. It’s time Republicans we’re reminded of that.