“They’re eating the dogs! The people that came in. They’re eating the cats! They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” former President Donald Trump claimed about Haitian immigrants during his unbelievable response at Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Philadelphia.
Trump built his loyal base by demonizing immigrants. So like a warm security blanket, he reflexively went after immigrants in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ triggering comments about Trump’s tiny, bored crowds. If Trump believes immigrants are running around cooking your Goldendoodle, there is no telling what lies he will believe from his ardently racist advisors like Stephen Miller. His incendiary rhetoric would be funny if he didn’t already threaten to shoot immigrants at the border, and his Nazi-era slogan that immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country implicates all Latinos into this national sentiment.
Trump’s click bait approach to immigration contrasts sharply with what Latinos want from U.S. immigration policy. Results from the latest UnidosUS poll, conducted by BSP Research, shows that Latinos prioritize pathways to citizenship for the undocumented community, both “Dreamers” and long US-residing adults, and cracking down on human smuggling and drug traffickers.
Unidos sponsored a national survey of 3,000 Latinos, asking questions about specific policies, issues, and attitudes related to the upcoming election. In the survey, we asked respondents to select what they thought are the most important issues related to immigration that elected officials should address.
Vice President Harris addressed border security and immigration by saying, “So I’m the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings.” She established her credentials, her experience, and her strength in her answer, while Donald Trump went after the shiny object VP Harris had set up for him in her answer, “First let me respond as to the rallies…”
It should be notable to Latinos that rather than casting racist stereotypes and associating our community with criminals, VP Harris’s solution-oriented approach to border security focused on “transnational criminal organizations”, which is absolutely a threat to the country and a threat to people seeking better opportunities in the United States. Harris’ answer on Tuesday substantially reflects Latino’s policy preferences in a way that understands the nuances and interests of the community.
The Unidos results also supports this approach in another section of the survey. When asked whether they agree or disagree with an illegal immigration policy that expands legal channels that help people come with visas,and crack down on human smugglers and drug traffickers by investing in the effective management and security of the border, eighty percent of Latinos said they agreed.
Harris reminded us that Trump’s “incredible rallies” depend on a chaotic border. Pushing fears about immigrants is the central theme of Trump’s campaign; emphasizing problems, but never solutions. Harris reminded viewers that Trump blew up the bipartisan deal brokered by conservative Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford to shore up the U.S.-Mexico border and would have provided resources for border security. When the former President was given the opportunity to choose between progress on border security and the adoration he bathes in during his rallies, he chose his rallies.
Perhaps Trump’s refusal to support that legislation and his ridiculous claims about immigrants will be remembered as an electoral turning point. In a nation built by immigrants, Trump’s Nazi-era America First rhetoric is finally showing signs of dementia and a looming heart attack.