Is there an immigration problem?

 

“Acknowledging the suffering of others prepares your heart to never harden.” Dr. BLR

 

As a frequent podcast listener and reader of several online magazines, I often come across the topic of immigration. It’s no secret that the U.S. has grappled with this issue for many years. While I have always paid attention, the spotlight has been laser-focused on it since the Obama administration. Nonetheless, what is never discussed is why so many foreigners want to take up residency. 

What I have surmised is that many white people were truly pissed that President Obama was elected and served two consecutive terms. For many of them, they probably believed the blueprint had been laid for another minority to be elected, and that was something they couldn’t bear. Enter the great white savior, Donald Trump. His election in 2016 assured those concerned about the race of future presidents that he would appease them by deporting as many undocumented immigrants as possible. He made many promises to build border walls and to have Mexico pay for them. As we now know, Mexico never paid a dime, and the border walls were insufficient to stop immigrants from crossing the border. But that didn’t stop white Americans, white-adjacent people, and other right-leaning minorities from wanting more done.

The number of federal law enforcement personnel grew exponentially to fulfill President Trump’s mandate for mass deportation. However, Trump wasn’t able to fulfill his promise because he lost the 2020 election to President Biden.

This event caused further dissension among those who wanted more action on the number of immigrants entering the U.S. However, they had to wait, and their anger festered, ultimately leading to President Trump’s reelection in 2024.  

Once back in the office, President Trump unleashed a quasi-blitzkrieg against minority communities under the auspices of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE became his private police force, as brutal as ever. They understood the mission and carried it out under the guise of full federal immunity. The mission is still underway, but the problem didn’t remain in the U.S.

Over the past two decades or so, Europe has experienced a surge in migration and illegal border crossings. In 1985, five European countries signed the Schengen Agreement, which allowed member states to travel freely across borders. That number grew to twenty-seven countries, and the agreement was fully implemented in 1995. For a time, this experiment benefited Europe. It allowed needed workers to migrate to numerous countries and help build their respective economies. However, all good things must come to an end. With the election of President Trump and his strong anti-immigration position, many leaders in Europe and around the world were emboldened to champion a similar stance. 

Far-right groups have emerged and taken to the streets to protest immigration. Countries such as Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, and Hungary are reevaluating their positions by tightening their borders, cracking down on anti-immigration protests, ignoring asylum policies, and shortening the in-country stays of refugees. Nonetheless, most of these countries fail to admit they have a population growth problem. For whatever reason, indigenous populations are not reproducing at a high enough rate to maintain ethnic growth. Enter the migrants, who can help with birth issues, but with a more colorful demographic. Concerning some, but what is the alternative? Instead of a thank you, migrants are demonized, and some are deported. Is it understandable? Absolutely not!

The old saying that the sun will never set on the British is repeated because the British have colonized so many countries, and it would take years for many of those countries to achieve full independence. Other European countries have engaged in similar colonization, and now it’s time to pay for the damage done. This problem is similar to the argument many white Americans make about paying reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans, in which they claim they weren’t responsible, even though the white race has benefited. 

Europe and the Americas will never take responsibility for what they have done to other countries. More importantly, the subjects within those colonized countries will continue to internalize the notion that the closer they are to whiteness, the better off they’ll be. Hence, when they come to the U.S., sporting their fair skin and the belief in the American dream, it will only take the likes of a President Trump to make them realize that they are not like us now, get the fuck out. So, do we have an immigration problem? I say no. This is America, and it will never change.