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Kamloops News

THOMPSON: Trump continues to avoid leadership with Dreamer immigration maneuver

September 18, 2017 - 12:00 PM

 


OPINION


Beyond the obvious depravity of President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, there are plenty of great reasons to let these young people stay. In fact, it makes strong economic sense to provide them with a clear pathway to American citizenship.

More on that later…but first let’s consider the real reasons for Trump’s drop-back-and-punt maneuver with the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Despite Trump’s bullying personality, it’s crystal clear that he’s more The Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz” when it comes to immigration solutions.

Trump simply lit the fuse and handed the bomb to Congress, hoping it would blow up in their faces. Plenty of Americans are stupid enough to fall for that, I guess, but everyone
with a triple-digit IQ knows exactly what Trump is doing…avoiding leadership.

Trump’s own Republican Party is more splintered on this issue than a bad two-by-four from The Home Depot. Some Republican hard-liners want to kick out everyone that isn’t a direct descendent of those who arrived on the Mayflower. Other members of the Grand Old Party object to illegal immigrants and anything they brought with them…including children. And still others begrudgingly say they can them stay…but make citizenship as hard as qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team.

It’s pretty obvious that Trump wants kudos from American voters who hate immigrants…but he also wants to be able to blame someone else when neither a sensible immigration bill nor a fair Dreamer’s Act passes the House and the Senate. And when Congress can’t do anything in six months? Well…Trump’s calculated scheme from the beginning…he gets to be the hero by extending the deadline for legislation. Bomb, bomb…who’s got the bomb?

Now for a few realities. Trump’s ending the Dreamers program primarily because President Obama started it…and his only “successes” as President in his first eight months are overturning sensible Obama initiatives by Executive Order. Remember, Trump hates Obama as much as he loves Vlad Putin.

Here’s what everyone should know and understand about Dreamers. About 800,000 young people who Trump wants to deport are as American as common-law spouses are, well, spouses. Most of these young “Americans” have never been to their parents’ native countries…many don’t speak a language beyond English.

The overwhelming majority of these young Dreamers are only guilty of being… not white. Most Trump supporters - indeed, most Republicans - blame immigrants…especially illegal immigrants…for everything wrong in America.

These Republicans claim Dreamers are just another segment of illegal aliens… dangerous criminals, murdering, raping and marauding across America. If you believe most Republicans, they live off welfare and steal what’s rightfully due “real Americans.” The truths are…Dreamers are less likely to be criminals than “real Americans” and they work…avoiding and even refusing welfare. The Trump Administration and far too many Republicans are practicing racism…pure and simple.

However, the Right Wing Nuts at “Fox & Friends” - taking a page from Attorney General Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions’ playbook - simply don’t let facts get in the way of a good story. For example, they - and the majority of Republican voters - Keep saying Dreamers are taking jobs from “real Americans.”  That’s a proven lie, too.

DACA is a much-needed shot in the arm for the American economy. Nobel-prize- winning economists - otherwise known as experts - point out that Dreamers overwhelmingly resemble the demographics of H-1B visa holders…highly skilled immigrants that America has allowed in for decades because they give the U.S. economy a boost.

Think about it…Dreamers are young…mostly in their late teens and twenties. That’s 800,000 educated young people paying taxes for decades…contributing to Social Security and Medicare. Hmmmm…seems to make a lot of sense for a nation with an aging population that’s drawing down Social Security and draining Medicare funds to embrace this group.

The loss of 800,000 citizens in a workforce that is aging will absolutely slow growth… regardless of monetary policy…hardly what the economy needs. The truth is… almost every American benefits from letting Dreamers stay. And do you think these educated, highly motivated young people want to be American citizens? You bet they do.

Donald Trump’s and the Republican’s scare tactics need to stop. Their arguments are lame…simply not true. Their opposition isn’t about Dreamers hurting America…because they don’t. It’s about letting people of colour stay in America…and a paranoid fear that these educated, highly motivated young people won’t be Republican voters. And that’s what this really is all about.

– Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines.  His essays are a blend of news reporting and opinion.


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