A WEEK OF CONTRASTING VISIONS ON IMMIGRATION
America’s Voice spent the week pointing out the ways the two competing presidential campaigns differ on immigration, while noting the vulnerabilities that the opponents of immigration are facing. Vice President Harris and her new running mate, Gov. Walz, held rallies over the weekend in Nevada and Arizona and at each one, V.P. Harris acknowledged the need for a path to citizenship for immigrants already here and the need for legal immigration channels. This message framing, combining legal status, legal immigration and a secure and orderly border is the messaging that the preponderance of public opinion research indicates connects most with the American people and AV praised the veep for leaning in. On the other side, the former President and his running mate, JD Vance, continue to tout a plan of mass deportation, but without any detail on which millions of people they will target first, how badly the program will impact the economy, federal and state/local budgets (and deficits), local communities, American families, children separated from their parents and inflation. All of the evidence is that mass deportation is the most impactful economic policy Trump is discussing and the impact will be devastating. As we celebrated the anniversary of the implementation of the DACA program 12 years ago on August 15, AV noted that the mass deportation plan would target exactly the same immigrant youth who came forward with their families so heroically in 2008 and led the way for legal status, deportation protections and work authorization.
TRUMP AND MUSK ADVANCE SAME DEADLY CONSPIRACY THEORIES OF CHARLOTTESVILLE RALLY SEVEN YEARS LATER TO THE DAY
It was seven years ago that a mob of neo-Nazis and an assortment of bigots descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting the replacement theory slogan “Jews will not replace us, you will not replace us.” Trump famously said of the rally that there were good people on both sides. Seven years later, this white nationalist and antisemitic replacement conspiracy theory is now the centerpiece of the GOP’s campaign message. On the anniversary, Donald Trump joined prolific replacement theory promoter Elon Musk for a rambling, incoherent, and dangerous interview where the X owner compared immigration to “World War Z” and a “zombie apocalypse.” It was the sort of dehumanization linked to violence on par with Trump’s “vermin” rhetoric,” said AV Senior Research Director Zachary Mueller. “Whether it is a coincidence or not, Trump’s choice to sit down with Elon Musk on the 7th anniversary of the white nationalist Charlottesville rally is a revealing one, following Musk’s role in amplifying the white nationalist riots in the United Kingdom and his consistent pattern of amplifying the replacement theory.” He importantly notes it wasn’t a conversation of substance, “but one that actively puts American working families at risk.” Read more here.
THE IMMIGRANTS THAT TRUMP WANTS TO DEPORT CONTRIBUTE BILLIONS
In her weekly column, America’s Voice consultant Maribel Hastings writes that the undocumented workers that the Trump-Vance ticket seeks to mass purge are also mass contributors to the U.S. economy. Both men have avoided specifics on their mass deportation plan, Hastings notes. “And that responds to the fact that the Trump-Vance team is only exploiting this issue for political and demagogic ends, and avoids talking about the data that shows undocumented people help sustain and grow our economy.” She points to a recent study revealing that undocumented workers paid an astounding $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022, with more than a third of this going to federal programs they’re barred from accessing, including Social Security and Medicare. Deporting these workers would not only have catastrophic consequences by separating millions, but would also hurt working American families. “In contrast, last weekend the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, reiterated her support for immigration reform with a path to citizenship, because she understands that legalizing the undocumented workforce would bring even larger benefits to the Treasury, as their salaries increase and they pay more in taxes,” Hastings concluded. “But the prejudice and open racism of Trump and the Republicans towards immigrants is such that they would rather deport those who contribute millions to our economy.” Her column was also published in several outlets, including La Opinión, El Diario NY, and Radio Bilingüe. Read her column in English here and Spanish here.
TRUMP AND VANCE BOTH EXPLOITED IMMIGRANTS TO ENRICH THEMSELVES
Trump isn’t the only candidate from the 2024 GOP presidential ticket to have enjoyed the fruits of immigrant labor despite a non-stop vilifying of immigrant communities. CNN reports that Vance, a protégé of tech billionaire Peter Thiel, was an early investor and board member of a startup “that promised a high-tech future for farming and for the workers of Eastern Kentucky,” including investing in local jobs. But AppHarvest workers soon found themselves laboring in grueling temperatures, some collapsing from heat stroke symptoms. When workers began to leave and the company appeared to be panicking about a potential labor shortfall, migrants from Mexico and Central America were then quietly brought in and “kept in separate bays from other workers and were sent away when bigwigs came through the warehouse.” But Vance learned from the best (or worst). Trump and his businesses have had a long history of hiring and exploiting the same undocumented workers he’s demonized for political gain. Both men are now advancing a mass purging of these workers, in a catastrophic and inhumane plan that would derail the national economy, reignite inflation and represent mass family separation. One former AppHarvest worker said that they were “sold on this beautiful pipe dream,” only for it to turn out to be a “nightmare.” It’s not that different from the false vision that Trump and Vance are trying to sell to the American people. Read more here.
CELEBRATING 12 YEARS OF DACA
Thursday marked 12 years since the day that thousands of young immigrants lined up to apply for the DACA program. It’s since become one of the most popular and successful public policies of the Obama era, allowing hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries to work legally, pursue higher education, buy homes, and live free from deportation from the only country they’ve known as home. Click here to share our graphic celebrating DACA, DACA recipients, and the many contributions they’ve made to this country.
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS
Monday, August 19, stands to be a momentous day for many American families. It’s the first day that eligible immigrants can sign up for the Biden administration’s new program protecting the undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens. “This new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country,” the White House said in June. In California, home to the largest number of potential applicants, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) will be offering an array of services, including community sessions, screenings, and application processing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at its Los Angeles headquarters. No appointment is necessary. “We want to encourage as many families as possible who think they qualify to stop by one of our informational sessions and determine if this is the right opportunity for them,” said Karla Aguayo, CHIRLA Legal Services Director. “Our immigration attorneys will respond to all their questions and assist them if they do qualify to apply.” For more information, call CHIRLA’s Immigrant Assistance Hotline at (888) 624-4752.
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