Conservatives famously call themselves “patriots,” and like any “good patriot,” they are hypocritically anti-immigration.
I say hypocritically since they themselves are the product of migration, they descend from immigrants, they themselves are immigrants, and live in a country that has historically been developed thanks to the presence, intelligence, and work of immigrants from many parts of the world.
Elections are coming up, and of course Joe Biden wants to be re-elected. Very surely he will resume his well-worn promise of immigration reform, while timidly trying to show that the Democrats also know how to give a severe treatment to anyone who seeks to reach American soil outside of the immigration system.
On the other side of the political divide (i.e. the Republicans), the attacks and slander against the undocumented will continue to intensify. As the elections approach, they will continue insulting Mexico, Mexicans, and all migrant-exporting countries, while at the same time promising countless things to the electorate. In addition, they will act as if the big issues in the United States could be solved very easily. For example, when Donald Trump, among many other things, during his campaign said that he was going to build a wall and Mexico was going to pay for it (something that never happened).
It is nothing new that during election time there is a competition between possible conservative presidential candidates to see who is the most effective anti-immigrant. Trump, with or without Twitter, apparently has not lost his fan base. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who seems to be the only one who could give former President Trump a real fight in a primary election, has just recently launched his campaign.
Despite the hatred and slander against them, the noble struggle of immigrants must continue, since it is clear that conservatism, as is its custom, will continue to do its dirty work of vilifying the poorest and most destitute in our society.
Regardless of who is in power, all of us who fight alongside immigrants must continue to do our advocacy work and continue to demand the passage of a broad reform in order to grant legalization to millions of men and women who are already living in and contributing to our society.
Marco Dávila lives in Minneapolis with his family, and writes about immigration in his free time.
0 Commentaires