In reality, it’s no surprise that the National Border Patrol Council threw its support behind the campaign of Donald Trump. His candidacy has been filled with racist and xenophobic epithets from the beginning, and this is a group frequently connected to extreme-right organizations with a decidedly anti-immigrant animus.
It’s also unsurprising that indviduals charged with protecting the border of the country –not of a particular real estate mangate—have allowed temselves to be captivated by this prejudicial, separatist discourse, since at the end of the day they are the ones who supposedly have their fingers on the pulse of the border, for better or for worse.
What is surprising, disgraceful, and brings to mind a riot squad–maybe they already see themselves in the role of the “deportation force” the multimillionaire proposed–is the tone of their communication, a sort of anti-immigrant manifesto in which they unleash their true essence upon announcing support for Donald Trump, despite the fact that, as they indicate in the letter, they don’t usually support presidential candidates in the midst of the primaries. There’s always a first time for ultra-nationalism to flourish when one is flirting with fascism.
One of the most emblematic examples of their justification for backing Trump is when they say “You can judge a man by his opponents: all the people responsible for the problems plaguing America today are opposing Mr. Trump.”
Surely the more than 11 million immigrants without papers, for example, do not have a favorable opinion of the magnate, who is proposing in a populist way to go after and deport them in a period of 18 to 24 months if he becomes president. This is one of the most reckless, fascist, and audacious claims he has made.
Beyond repeating the anti-immigrant tirade that has characterized Trump’s campaign from the beginning, scapegoating those who have become nemeses–essentially Mexicans, blamed for all sorts of problems in this country, considered to be “lawbreakers,” “drug traffickers,” or “criminals” in general–the message that the NBPC sends by backing Trump is that they are not on the side of a majority of Americans who support pro-immigration policies according to numerous surveys. Rather, they are support a dangerous historical relapse, not only in terms of immigration but economically and culturally, rejecting the image of the United States as a multicultural nation.
Trying to eliminate this reality is denying acceptance the historic change that has been going on in this country for some time.
The NBPC also claims that Trump is right when he says that the issue of immigration wouldn’t have been a major issue in the presidential campaign, were it not for his “bold and necessary” statements. For them, “There is no greater physical or economic threat to Americans today than our open border.”
If it gets reduced to that, the United States would not be a nation of institutions, the rule of law, or free elections.
Perhaps that’s why the NBPC says “We need a person in the White House who doesn’t fear the media,” and “who is pro-military,” among other things.
In effect, it seems that they needed a popular candidate in order to give them the opportunity to publish this anti-immigrant manifesto that proves exactly who they are.
