America’s election of Donald Trump–horrifying and destructive as it was and is–was part of a global lurch to the Right, and that lurch can be attributed to one over-riding factor: a negative reaction to immigration. There are a lot of moving parts to that reaction, but I want to focus on one inarguable element of MAGA’s hatred of (certain) immigrants–a hatred that blinds the economically-ignorant to the predictable consequences of mass deportations.
Racism has always been the central part of Trump’s appeal, and his promises to “protect” the border have, accordingly, focused on the southern border. When he talks about limiting illegal immigration, it is quite clear that he is talking about poor brown and Black people, not the rich, or the stray Canadian or Norwegian.
The promised massive deportations have yet to occur, but early reports reflect two “Trumpian” realities: his disregard for legal and constitutional niceties, and his ignorance of the way the economy works. It isn’t just his love of tariffs that illustrates that ignorance; he clearly has no comprehension of the importance of both legal and illegal immigrants in selected sectors of the economy.
In his first few weeks back in office, Trump has consistently ignored the law, so it isn’t surprising that early “roundups” have frequently crossed the constitutional line. As Paul Krugman recently noted, “if you make it clear that respecting the rights of the accused is a liberal, DEI thing, of course some ICE and Border Control agents will run wild. Basically, anyone with brown skin will be at risk of at least temporary detention.”
And speaking of risk, even though the number of immigrants arrested is small so far, Krugman and others point out that the raids that have occurred have already inspired widespread fear. Some workers have stayed home rather than coming to work. Others have returned to their home countries. And some businesses have even laid off valuable employees for fear that they may be raided.
In the linked essay, Krugman offers charts documenting the likely economic impact of widespread deportations, beginning with the fact that almost 1 in 5 U.S. workers is foreign-born. Most of those are here legally, but unauthorized immigrants make up around 5 percent of the work force.
Losing a large fraction of these workers would be a serious blow to the economy, especially because immigrants, legal and not, play a much bigger role in some industries and occupations than they do in the economy as a whole.
Agriculture is the most striking example: Immigrants — many of them undocumented — make up most of the farm labor force.
Push those workers out, either by actual deportation or detention or simply by creating a climate of fear, and just watch what happens to grocery prices.
About a quarter of construction industry employees are immigrants — 40 percent in Texas and California — but this number rises to 31 percent if you look only at “construction trades,” i.e., people who actually build stuff as opposed to working in offices or marketing. And the immigrant share is much higher in particular trades.
So at a time when Americans are still angry about the price of groceries and, with more justification, about the unaffordability of housing, Trump’s immigrant crackdown seems set to hobble food production and home construction.
Krugman notes that Trump can probably call off most of his threatened tariffs, granting exemptions in return for concessions benefitting him personally, but his constant, ugly screeds against (certain) immigrants have played into racial hatreds that can’t easily be reined in.
I have previously posted about the gap between immigration facts and the fallacies that allow MAGA bigots to use migrants as a handy wedge issue. As I said then, if anyone harbors doubts about the GOP’s entirely political approach to what the media routinely calls the “border crisis,” it should have been dispelled when Republicans abruptly walked away from a bipartisan proposal that–after difficult negotiations–had given them pretty much everything they’d been demanding, so they could use the “border crisis” as a campaign issue.
And speaking of the border–most of the 11 million immigrants who are here illegally flew in and overstayed their visas.
America’s anti-immigrant hysteria is central to today’s White Christian Nationalism. Of course, there has always been a nativist streak in America; Ellis Island was first established to keep “undesirables” from entering the country. “Give me your tired, your poor, your masses yearning to breathe free” was Emma Lazarus’ response to the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Know-Nothing Party was formed largely by people who feared that Irish Catholic immigrants would take jobs from God-fearing Protestant “real Americans.”
We haven’t come very far, and MAGA wants to take us back……
Economic ignorance is why we have economic slavery. And that is exactly what’s the Magats want.
Did you mean “legally” flew in??
“Krugman notes that Trump can probably call off most of his threatened tariffs, granting exemptions in return for concessions benefitting him personally, but his constant, ugly screeds against (certain) immigrants have played into racial hatreds that can’t easily be reined in.”
How can any of the above be legal without full hearings and acceptance by Congress; how far does Trump’s SCOTUS approved immunity go and what does it cover? Even if it can be “reined in”, the damage will never be undone in the minds of Americans – and immigrants – as all trust and faith is rapidly being lost.
“Why Economic Ignorance Matters” Am I being economically ignorant by assuming the denial of my Social Security income has not yet been effected or ended by entering the monthly amount into my checkbook to pay bills? It will take a trip to the bank to speak in person to ask for the information as I do NOT bank on line or on my phone; it will take a law for force me to stop paying by check as I do not have debit or credit cards for paying monthly bills. I will not further open access to my economic information to hackers locally, nationally or internationally. My health care billing department and my 23andMe DNA account have been hacked; so hackers know I have frequent urine tests via health care and am 55% Irish/British, 19% German/French and it is highly likely I will never go bald.
“America’s election of Donald Trump–horrifying and destructive as it was and is–was part of a global lurch to the Right, and that lurch can be attributed to one over-riding factor: a negative reaction to immigration.”
And that negative reaction has escalated since Trump’s APPOINTMENT – NOT ELECTION – to his first term in 2016. The U.S. as a global leader for 80 years has been looked to for guidance and approval; Trump opened the doors to blame immigrants for all ills in 2017 and there will be no concessions as long as he gets away with it due to his SCOTUS full immunity to destroying democracy in his homeland.
Robert Delaney – most immigrants here illegally, came on a visitor visa. They got a visa, flew to the US and never went home. They came legally and have committed a civil offense by not returning.
JoAnn Green
and anarchy .
All of your posted concerns are legitimate , in my opinion.
The Judicial branch is all that is standing between the orange
How long will that last ? What happens when this administration routinely ignores court decisions ? It’s already happening , in some lower courts . Are SCOTUS decisions next on the chopping block ?
The MAGA controlled Congress will NOT intervene , as they are complicit , committed and compliant with his agenda. Resolutions are being floated and introduced to allow a third term . I don’t really see the midterms occurring. I pray that I am wrong and totally mistaken in my assessment of the situation .
Heather Cox Richardson’s essays are always informative and insightful. Today’s post was especially chilling. As we watch schmusk’s wholesale destruction of all government institutions, it’s clear that the goal is privatization. But as I’ve scratched my head over dRumpf’s moves to make the cost of living more unaffordable, rather than his campaign promises to the opposite, the explanation was in HCR’s post: Both the gutting and privatization of public services and properties, along with the economic destruction, are exactly what the Russian oligarchs, led by KGB Vlad, did after the fall of the Soviet Union.
These things have been in the works since 2015, when Paul Manafort joined the republican’s campaign and brought Russia’s promise to get him elected.
Melinda is correct. That is how Melania Trump entered the US, except she came on a visitor visa and worked as a model, which was a civil offense. That’s why the gold digger latched onto the creepy Trump and hung out with Epstein and Maxwell.
Mexican culture is work-oriented, and they don’t value education beyond high school. Thus, Mexicans are perfect for construction, hospitality, landscaping, agriculture, and meat processing jobs.
Fear in all its forms is the driving force behind the Republican Party. It’s a party of reactionaries. If you listen to Fox News for very long, your blood pressure will rise and you’ll get angry. You can always tell who listens to Fox all day on social media. I have an acquaintance who listens to right-wing am talk-radio, and when he comes into a meeting, he emits a lot of energy from the built-up anger. He has to spew something to keep from exploding. They are ticking time bombs and Trump holds the detonator.
That fear works great on the people but doesn’t bode well on the stock market. Fear equals risk. Europe is a considerable risk, as are Mexico, Canada, and China. Canada and China will hit us where it hurts. Todd Young is already working on a package for farmers (he’s being handed bailout packages).
Why implement a tariff when it costs us more to bail out industries that get hit with reciprocal tariffs?
Or, why would you downsize the IRS department at the height of tax season? LOL
I’m still waiting for Trump to withdraw the US from NATO and bring our troops home. That will reduce our deficit but hurt Europe’s economy.
I follow a deaf-mute tech wiz on X who has the attention of Elon Musk. She’s built a data website that allows you to research the money flowing into and out of the government. At first, she was focused on the grift in the Democratic Party, but after much coaxing on her posts, she changed to the uniparty. There’s another site called Little Sis that does the same. It’s why establishment politicians are filing lawsuits to stop Musk/Trump. The amount of grift is impressive and it seems that the “revolving door” in Washington is where it takes place. The amounts paid to “consultants” and “PR firms” are very lucrative. It’s all coming to a screeching halt so we shall see how that impacts the games played by BOTH political parties and their media networks.
The orange monster has proven over and over that his weakest subject is economics. Bankruptcies galore. So, naturally, the WCNs want him as their leader because he is also racist to his core. We’ve been pounding this drum about Trump’s insanity and “charisma” for years on this blog, but nothing seems to matter to the racist, backward fools who vote for their own poverty. It’s ironic that their ignorance and false god appreciation will drive them into deeper poverty. Who will they blame? Democrats, of course. Why? Because the worst human being this country has ever produced will tell them to.
Courts be damned! The Trump-ites will defy court orders and the justice “system” will do nothing to stop the illegalities. Why? Because the courts lack the courage and the means to enforce their decisions. Pam Bondi is already showing her true colors and will happily prosecute her boss’s perceived enemies; those who ridicule and debase him – in his own mind.
Privatizing government services like the post office will, as usual, be a disaster of epic proportions. I say “as usual”, because every business Trump touches turns out to be a failure of some sort. Try booking a room at one of his resorts. You’ll be broke before you leave. THAT is what will happen to the Trump economy.
Then there is the topic of foreign relations … Ain’t it great being loved by the world?
MTV, seperate from the detritus of dysfunctional upbringings, are just average (at best) people off the streets. They know little about life for average humans, and are inexperienced in government and business. They all were raised racist, they all had dysfunctional childhoods, they all became showoffs as adults. Due to some lucky draws for themselves, we are stuck with them in government, where they grabbed all of the power, but after that, they just started pushing buttons in DC to see what happened. None of the consequences happened to them.
We have three from the terrible twos in DC’s playpen. The adults do not understand them but know they deserve a spanking.
When adults visit the home of life here and now, they leave muttering, “What terrible kids! They need to be taught differently”, and they are correct.
First we have to get their attention.
When similar circumstances occurred in our past, it took bloody wars to correct them. I hope we have progressed beyond bloody battles, but we must revolt to restore the house that life built, and it must remain home.
Trump contains massive ignorance about anything that is not related to grifting!
How many specific, immediate and urgent economic impacts are currently unwrapped as a result of a reckless trade war initiated by our President? Spirits and wine sales are controlled by provincial liquor control boards who have a vast network of state owned high quality retail outlets throughout Canada. Net proceeds fund healthcare to the multi-billions of Canadian dollars! For example, LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is one of the largest single buyers of American brands in the world.
Yesterday, you may have heard all provincial LCB’s have removed all American brands from retail shelves. The economic impact wil not be immediately felt because this is stock pre-paid. The future impact is a tsunami American distilleries and brewers are terrified of. Jack Daniel’s announced this is worse than the tariffs. Threat assessments to the American economy are being felt elsewhere totally oblivious to our President and his closest advisors. One has to wonder if he has already counted the benefits and opportunity for his cronies to cash in. The payback is huge. The cost to American citizens to enjoy a beverage of choice after five pm will soon rise significantly. The Apprentice in Chief is just smacking his lips and dismissing all the ‘defeated woke suckers’.
My take on immigration is informed by the business woman whose company cleans my house. The last time we spoke, I advised her to tell her employees to carry a copy of their papers with them. She did that.
We spoke again on Tuesday. I asked if she or any of her staff had been having trouble with ICE. She and her family and employees were okay, but several people in their neighborhood had been picked up. She said it will be hard to keep going, because there weren’t any workers to pick the crops. She also knows people who have been building houses who have been deported.
Apparently her husband is one of the Hispanic men who voted for Orange Jesus. She couldn’t make him understand why he shouldn’t. They are from Cuba and Cubans have been a solid Republican bloc since 1959.
Anyone who thinks the grift will go away soon is looking through rose colored glasses. Th grifter in chief won’t stop grift, but he will limit it to friends and family.
Smekens, … would you please rethink what you said:
“Mexican culture is work-oriented, and they don’t value education beyond high school. Thus, Mexicans are perfect for construction, hospitality, landscaping, agriculture, and meat processing jobs.”
What did you really mean to say?
Unrelated to this specific blog post, but related to the national nightmare we all find ourselves living through – is it needless paranoid to consider switching my political registration from D to R?
It seems silly, but with a new deputy director of the FBI (Bongino) who is a right-wing podcaster and conspiracy nut who has opined that all democrats should be rounded up and arrested/detained for the good of the country…. you know… it’s the kind of thing that now I worry about a small amount.
look at the back door to any restaurant,hotel, small buisness,you may find a majority of minorities. ive got 45 years driving around the country,and having to lay over in towns,anywhere. since im a type who seeks out the places where the working class go to enjoy local life,and spend my CASH. id rather be around like people. though born here,and anglo white as they come, id rather be around like the minded. there was a time,just a few yers ago, the local big box lumber/hardware store, had these vary people standing around at dawn for day labor work. local small time contractor needed a extra hand or few. paid cash,and gone. they looked for long term projects,and would hire on full time. no one ever mentioned their lack of control to steady employment, they are greatfull for any job,without regard many times to their situation. the fact is most Americans have forgotten who left them the very democracy to be free from harm and unjust laws. those who jump the fence, by majority were escaping the trap of a government and local issues that only led to their families poverty and possibly their death. we live in a silver spoon nation that has now totally disregarded its own given promises. the silver spoon has been shoved down their throat so far its making a bulge in their pants. rightwing propaganda has devistated this nation. while piling on its war against whos right and wrong.were deporting the wrong bunch. i have a saying, “if you dont like paying your fair share of taxes,theres plenty of third world nations that you can move to,shit in a bucket and walk a dirt path to whatever you can do to provide.” the same should go for those ungreatful magas/billionaires that have openly harrased our democracy and driven a bullet into what made this country great,and made the billionaires rich with too much power. now they want to deport the better ones over their own putrid ideals.this is not what our past forefathers died for. that trump sling along in congress the other nite. he talked down to everyone. and grandstanded his greed. obviously,the education in this country has definitely failed somewhere. now we pay the price..
Norris:
there would be a rising tide of education everywhere,if the so called illegals were granted a free education,.i remember the past gov of hexas.Ann Richardson has got a bill signed for anyone to attend college. anyone
but i giess we dont need eduacted people anymore.
As a west coaster, I get to read this hours after it posts in the middle of night here. I just read that IQ45 wants to deport the Ukrainians that were brought here after the war started in Kiev. I mean WTAF is that about? He’s deporting Ukrainians, for what? and To What? I know that 45 has caused a global shock with his cozying up to Putin but deporting Ukrainians just made me cuss out loud. This could cause terrorism. They have nothing to lose after losing their homes and their residency here. He is a monster.
Peggy;
ICE is following by contract with, google and facebook anyone who maybe illegal, have them stand down on these enities. they are being tracked.
Trump just now reversed himself again on his tariffs. He must be basing his economic moves on the rise or fall of the stock market. Nothing like having an imbecile in charge of things.
Norris, I meant to say what I said.
Mexicans are generally not interested in higher education. Only recently have Mexican-Americans begun changing their educational values, and it will take generations to change that culture.
The industries I mentioned choose Mexican migrant laborers over caucasians because of their superior work ethic, and they’re much cheaper labor.
Spend time talking with them, Norris.
You should hear how that sounds, Todd. It sounds like how people used to talk about Black people (and probably some still do). Here’s an academic paper that refutes what you say: https://www.sjsu.edu/people/marcos.pizarro/courses/215/s0/ValenciaBlack.pdf
js, I pride myself in being very curious about everything but with a short attention span so I’m broadly and shallowly experienced.
Also I never met anyone I couldn’t learn from and teach to and I make it a point to talk to everyone.
You get the picture.
I have found an inverse correlation between practical, friendly, generous people and apparent wealth.
When all is said and done, wealth redistribution up is our plague to deal with. It simply doesn’t serve anyone or anything well.
Jack, thanks for the heads up. I’ll pass it along.
Todd, the people who come here to give their families a better life will work their fingers to the bones so their kids can go to college. If they had the opportunity, they would go themselves.
Trump’s bankruptcies are usually held up as evidence of his incompetence, but I have come to view them as strategic, perfectly suitable for grifting.
Sheila, You and I can no longer even recognize the political party we were both an active player in.
The rise of the tea party started ripping at the fabric, but Trump and MAGA turned the effort into a full on distraction of the gop party.
I was most evident in the 2024 debates when the slated republicans all showed up to debate except one that should have been a disqualification then and there, but No action was taken except to support Trump because he felt he did not want to answer to anyone in the established gop.
His maga party should have been seen as the 3rd party candadate that he was, not the official gop Trump who is neither Republican or Democrat. Our gop died when the party decided to let the anarchist libertarians in the front door and they took over. It’s a sad-sad failure of the gop that has lead to where we are today.
Our gop is dead, maga replaced it and we would do well to point that out at every turn because to the tradition gop families who are feeling left behind also, and they could be brought into the democrat orbit if the democrats would take a more moderate position on just a few issues that concern us all. MAGA’s are feeling loud and violent given the president pardon shield they carry, and the majority of Americans will not stand for it but as the maga’s say go ahead and stand against us, we have the guns yo lay you down as an enemy of our AMERIKA and will get away with it.