No matter your political beliefs, it’s fair to say that life for immigrants in America has changed tenfold since Trump’s presidency. It all started last January with a little thing known as Trump’s immigration ban. This, one of the first notable changes the new president made, sent the country into shockwaves. Countless immigrants returning to America found themselves refused entry. Many were stranded in airports as lawyers attempted to fight the battle. Eventually, a judge overruled the ban, reinstating it in June with much stricter regulations.
Though this disaster was thankfully short-lived, it gave us some idea of what immigrant life would be like in Trump’s America. It certainly sent a short and sharp message that things were about to change. People who have worked in America for years, and even taken courses on how to correctly pronounce the specific sounds of English words began to feel increasingly unwelcome. Bear in mind, that these are people living in America on entirely legal terms through partner visa services, many of whom have long-standing citizenships.
More recently, communities were shaken by the mass rounding of immigrants. Hundreds were taken off the streets due to allegedly illegal citizenships. The sheer scale of these roundings caused protests and disruption. Even so, John Kelly stands by the belief that there’s nothing untoward with what’s happened. But, even if this was, as he states, a case of carrying out the law, it’s impossible to deny that the extent of the raids is unusual. This behavior undoubtedly sends a worrying message.
And, of course, let’s not forget the rhetoric which Trump referred to endlessly in his election campaign. Those calls to ‘make America great again’ take on a chilling aspect when you consider what’s happened since.
All of this, paired with the surge of immigrant-based hate crimes, has left for uncertain footing to say the least. Many immigrants who have lived in America since childhood now fear for their futures.
As though to confuse matters further, Trump has remained tight-lipped about his actual standpoint on immigration. In many ways, his actions and his ‘America’ rhetoric speak for themselves. Yet, at his maiden State of the Union speech to Congress, Trump further muddied the water by praising North Korean immigrant, Ji Seong-ho, for escaping terrible conditions. This isn’t something any of us expected. It’s certainly not a standpoint he’s expressed until now.
Of course, Trump has valid reasons for praising escape from North Korea, and we all know this is an issue he feels strongly about. But, is that to leave us believing he only sympathizes with immigrants who aid his beliefs? After all, most immigrants in the U.S. have fled equally terrible conditions.
As with anything, it seems Trump wants to keep us, and the immigrants in question, guessing. For the most part, though, this isn’t good news for those involved. It seems the uncertainty isn’t going to end anytime soon. We can only hope that, as we’ve been told time and again, any changes are carried outl within the law.