Trump & immigration: fear and division

Since his official incursion into politics, Donald Trump has made of his battle against immigration one of his most outstanding insignias, attributing to this phenomenon a false narrative made up by him, the increase in crime rates, unemployment, and the “loss of values” of the American people.

With this – similarly to his trade protectionism regarding NAFTA, based on the “defense of American workers”, or with the vetoes to enter into the U.S. taxes to predominantly Muslim nations, justified in the “prevention” of terrorism – a perception has been undoubtedly created in many U.S. citizens that immigration is a phenomenon with negative consequences for a country, instead of – what it actually is – an opportunity to boost economic growth and dynamism.

Included also in his anti-immigrant propaganda, however, it's curious to find true changes have been less than what it would seem. For instance, during the first year of his administration, the number illegal immigrants arrested was much lower than the figures reported during the last years of the George W. Bush administration or the first years of Barack Obama's.

In other words, with his rhetoric, the fear the U.S. President is generating is stronger than the reality of the policies implemented thus far. Something that, according to Andrew Selee , President of the U.S. Migration Policy Institute, makes people think fear is more than a result of policy changes and more a part of the strategy itself. And this is because no other president in the modern history of the United States has ever put such a marked emphasis on immigration, which most likely has its origin in the racism characteristic of the mogul.

In this noxious Trump utopic, unfortunately, it's clear this issue is a problem rather than an opportunity. However, Trump's decreed on migration aren't popular with most U.S. citizens, and the proof of this claim is the lack of support in Congress to grant the President more funds for arrests and deportations – and let's not even mention the wall.

It's a fact speeches and policies adopted in this regard in – or any other – by the businessman are dividing the United States , already polarized, and this could have several long-term repercussions. Because the result of this fear campaign against immigrants – because that is what this is – might not end up in a decrease of illegal immigrants in the country, like Trump wants, but could result in less integration of immigrants – and their U.S-born children, if that were the case – into society. In fewer words, Trump is dividing the American society even more.

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