Tomorrow, the deadline that Trump imposed for Congress to enact “Dreamer” protection for those previously protected under the Deferred Action for Children, expires.
Deportations of these people, who were brought to this country as children and know no other home, are not expected to proceed until two federal lawsuits enjoining them are concluded.
Congress took no action because the U.S. Senate requires sixty voted to move the measure and three separate bills which would resolve this and other immigration issues have failed to pass.
Trump has been all over the landscape on these issues.
He proclaims his love for the “Dreamers,” yet abolished DACA by executive order.
He promised to sign any “beautiful” bill sent to him but then larded any proposal with so many demands and restrictions that its enactment was doomed.
He invited Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Durbin to the White House to discuss their proposal, only to ambush them with a number of anti-immigrant supporters that culminated in his calling certain nations “shitholes.”
Trump’s xenophobic beliefs are never far from the surface.
His followers spring from that element that fell behind him when he championed the “birther” movement and his racist insistence that President Obama wasn’t born in this country and was an illegitimate president.
He insists that the country abandon its current immigration policy that allows citizens to sponsor family members from other countries, which he calls “chain migration.”
His record on allowing refugees from war-torn countries, many of which are in wars that we are a part of, who fear persecution and genocide is hard hearted and abysmal.
Then there is his signature promise, “The Wall.”
His entire campaign was built around a promise that he would build a “big beautiful wall” and make Mexico pay for it.
Mexico, which was never consulted, understandably, has no intention of paying for it.
Interestingly, one of the demands he and his anti-immigrant coterie made during their session with Senators Graham and Durbin was funding for The Wall.
Since that demand undercuts his promise that he would make Mexico pay for the Wall, it seems like that would be any easy response for Senators Schumer, Durbin and others to justify the refusal to commit to it.
Trump’s myopic insistence that this fantasy would come true has now poisoned relations with Mexico and led to the cancellation of a visit by that country’s president this spring.
Never mind that they are one of our oldest and closest allies.
Never mind that they are one of our largest trading partners.
Trump’s own actions when it comes to immigrant labor are, to say the least, inconsistent with his expressed views.
Despite his “buy American, hire Americans” pledge, last October, Trump obtained visas to hire 70 foreign workers for the 2017-2018 season for his business at Mar-a-Lago.
This was an increase from the 64 he obtained for the 2016-2017 season there.
Trump’s antipathy for undocumented immigrants has never stood in the way of his willingness to use and abuse them when it is to his advantage.
Indeed, as far back as 1980, Trump employed 200 undocumented Polish workers to perform demolition on one of his work sites in Manhattan.
The workers were paid four dollars per hour, half the union scale, to work twelve hour shifts without gloves, hardhats or masks to protect them from the asbestos in the building.
Ultimately, Trump stopped paying them and when they complained, threatened to report them to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The workers sued and eighteen years later Trump settled the class-action lawsuit for 1.375 million dollars.
But there is something to celebrate.
This past week, the Washington Post, reported that the country has two new permanent residents.
Viktor and Amalija Knavs received their green cards.
It is probably a mere coincidence that they happen to be Melania Trump’s parents.
Melania Trump became a citizen in 2006.
Trump and his anti-immigrant supporters would call this “chain migration” which needs to be outlawed.
Under Trump’s proposal sponsoring family members would be limited to spouses and children.
I guess there are situations when “chain migration” would be acceptable.
Like if you are married to a Trump.