An Inappropriate Anti-Immigration Agenda

Raisah Khan, Staff Writer

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our society’s landscape and policies are constantly shifting to adhere to the unprecedented circumstances–sometimes for better, but oftentimes, for worse. The Trump Administration has weaponized the war against the pandemic as an excuse to push forward their anti-immigration agenda, haphazardly constructing policies to suit their own needs. 

Protestors rally outside the Ronald Reagan International Building out of discontent with 2018 ICE policies.

Pew Research finds that there were 44 million foreign-born individuals in the United States as of 2017. While immigration is often discussed as an “us vs. them” issue, it is clear that they are intrinsically interwoven into the fabric of our society, both socially and economically. One of the most prominent barriers to both documented and undocumented immigrants has been the xenophobic rhetoric used by the government. Several businesses and nonprofits have taken initiative to assuage the harms done to immigrants in our country, but the efforts have been lacking without the support of the government. 

After the 2016 election, immigration into this country became much more difficult. According to the Department of Homeland Security, in addition to a 30% increase in ICE arrests from 2016 to 2017, the Trump Administration passed several executive orders and policies to reduce resources for naturalization. Slowly, steps were being taken to exacerbate the difficulty of immigration into this country. Even individuals who were seeking a legal status in the “proper” way were facing extreme scrutiny in their applications and were often kept waiting or denied based off of insignificant details. 

Then enters COVID-19, altering global dynamics and forcing the United States to reconsider its foreign relations. The “us vs. them” mindset heightened as the President turned against China, blaming the nation for causing the global pandemic. At the beginning of 2020, Trump created travel restrictions against China, which he often flaunts in discussing the pandemic response. As is the tumultuous history between President Trump and the President of China, Xi Jinping, it seems apparent that Trump would relish the opportunity to block out Chinese citizens. 

However, it was found that 8,000 Chinese residents still entered the U.S. in the first three months after the ban was passed, and that citizens from Hong Kong and Macao were exempt from the ban. Furthermore, there was a faulty screening system for symptoms of returning citizens. The Trump Administration’s lack of proactiveness and meticulosity led to the endangerment of the entire country. This was the first indicator that the government’s concern was never the safety of its citizens or deterring the pandemic: it was about systematically preventing foreigners from entering the country. 

President Trump continued to pass xenophobic policies with flawed rationale, using the pandemic as an excuse. In the week of July 22, Trump suspended new work visas, cutting a wide variety of jobs, including seasonal workers and students in work-study programs. Ultimately, he successfully blocked 525,000 workers for the rest of 2020, against the advice of business leaders who prefer international workers willing to do specific jobs. These actions compromise the quality of entrepreneurship within the United States. The country has always thrived upon diversity of input and brainpower, which the Trump Administration strives to remove. 

Some of the brightest minds found in this nation are immigrants, but the inherently racist ideology of “white is right” prevails as the Administration seeks to increase opportunities for domestic jobs. However, some of these jobs are either better done by foreign workers, or they are simply not desired by domestic workers. 

Trump’s bias towards this issue is apparent, as he has constantly been seeking a way to box out immigrants–whether it be through building a wall or the proposal of the RAISE Act in 2017. The RAISE Act was a Republican bill that proposed to cut legal immigration by 50% through a variety of measures, including limits to H1-B visas. When this act was not successfully passed, Trump jumped on the opportunity to make whatever reforms possible when the sphere of immigration policy shifted, persisting despite his efforts being continually blocked. 

On July 6, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program announced that international students with full online schedules wouldn’t be allowed to remain in the United States in an attempt to decrease F-1 visas. However, after Harvard and MIT challenged the restrictions, this policy was rescinded on July 14. Although this was deemed a widespread victory by the media, this courtesy still did not actually apply to most of the freshman class. Full online course loads are still not permitted, causing these international students to make a difficult decision about their education. Additionally, all students must enroll full-time, or they will not be allowed to have an F-1 visa. 

Wait time for U.S. Employment green cards in the last decade and type of applicants by country.

These practices were intentionally created to deter foreign students from registering for American universities. Ultimately, a huge source of income from universities is being cut off, and the brilliant minds from other countries are unable to contribute to the United States. Many universities resent these policies, as they create financial difficulties and remove a huge portion of the student population. Furthermore, it undermines the prestige of higher education in the U.S.; known as a country welcoming intellect from all different backgrounds and serving as a beacon of quality higher education, the United States is regressing upon its values. 

Although many of the new policies are temporary, Trump is directing the government to make permanent changes. He proposes to only allow high-skilled workers from foreign countries as opposed to mid-level workers, discourage immigrants from applying for asylum, and create ongoing green card restrictions. While it may seem inconsequential now, the future for our country may be at stake. 

Already nearing a global recession, it is necessary for the United States to double down on its economic abilities and labor, which will only be weakened with the blockage of the foreign population. At a time when the country needs unity to deal with ongoing crises–not just the pandemic, but a slew of natural disasters and issues in foreign relations–the Trump Administration has chosen to take steps to further divides. 

By othering the immigrant population, the government has made it impossible for the people in this country to live in harmony. With an improper response to the pandemic and arbitrary cuts to immigration, America is setting itself up for failure.