We Hold These Truths to Be Self Evident… Excluding Immigrants

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform

“We are the only country in the world whose immigration system puts the needs of other nations ahead of our own. That must change.” -Donald Trump’s Immigration Policy

Donald Trump’s immigration plan is to build a wall across the Mexican-American border to prevent more Mexican immigrants from coming into the United States, and he wants to deport all illegal immigrants and their children. He intends to make the Mexican government pay for the wall that will keep their citizens out of the United States. His immigration policy goes on to portray the entire Mexican population as cheaters, thieves, rapists, abusers, and murderers. He says that the Mexican government has published official pamphlets on how to illegally immigrate into the United States and uses anecdotal evidence of a few cases to frame an entire population as, in essence, inferior to “Americans”.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence

Much of Trump’s foreign policy degrades an entire population of people, and completely disregards the belief that all men are created equal. In my opinion, much of the United States’ soft power comes to our commitment to social justice in other nations and our philosophy of the freedom of opportunity that America holds for everyone. Although we have seen the deterioration of this dream overtime with a decrease in fluidity between classes, I think American citizens still hold onto the idea that every person has a shot at success if they work hard enough. We are a nation built of immigrants, there are very few people who can call themselves “Native Americans,” the rest of us have immigrated at some point in history in search for a better future. We are a melting pot of different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, and immigrants have made our country what it is today. Mexican immigrants are not inferior to any other kind of immigrant, and yet we treat them as if they are due to stereotypes and negative ways they are portrayed in the media.

A few days ago the United States agreed to take 10,000 Syrian refugees because the European Union is running out of places to put them, and there are voices that are pushing the Obama administration to welcome in even more than that. It is exciting that we have the capabilities to provide suffering people with a place to live in which they won’t experience persecution. It is also encouraging to see people pushing for the US to go above and beyond the call of duty in response to this crisis. It is interesting to me, because people are much more united on Syrain refugees than Mexican immigrants who come to seek a better future in America. It is different since their country isn’t in a time of crisis, but the underlying immigration issues remain the same.

So where do we draw the line with immigration policy? Trump’s policy goes too far, but we don’t have the resources to provide for every needy person in the world, and even if we do, allowing them entrance into our country may not be what is best for their overall wellbeing. It is more sustainable to support in-house initiatives in other countries to enhance the lives of their impoverished populations rather than allowing things to become bad enough that they want to desert their home countries all together to seek opportunity in the United States. I acknowledge that this is much easier said than done. We cannot just let anyone in, and yet we believe that everyone has the right to a bright future. How do we live out our belief that everyone is created equally, and still protect ourselves as a nation?

Here’s a funny spoof Colbert did of Trump if you want a laugh: https://youtu.be/OFVC3qYGYiE