Powerful essay on Trump’s immigration policies and rhetoric

This was written by a man whose wife was killed by an undocumented immigrant. He still deplores Trump’s policies.

Trump’s immigration rhetoric

Trump’s bigoted rhetoric is a cynical effort to get the bigots to vote. He has taken his campaign efforts to the gutter. The caravan is not an invasion and no threat to America. Why doesn’t he campaign on low unemployment and good GDP growth? This make is clear that he knows that the reason people voted for him was bigotry, not economic anxiety.

https://t.co/0VlhDQbuvw pic.twitter.com/p8Ws0RlvCi

— Share the Facts (@sharethefact) October 30, 2018

Recent moves to send more troops to the US-Mexico border, possibly overhaul asylum policy and rethink birthright citizenship are political ploys with dangerous implications, immigrant and civil rights advocates warn https://t.co/SbHMcxAzrV

— CNN (@CNN) October 30, 2018

Trump’s attacks on immigrants have made immigration more popular

How Trump Made Americans More Favorable Toward Immigrants https://t.co/wxtnx2UFUB

— David Benson (@dahveedbenson) October 30, 2018

Trump wants to end birthright citizenship by executive order

This won’t happen – it’s just a way to get his bigots riled up for the midterms.

The founders set up the constitution so the president can’t do what he’s proposing to do with birthright citizenship. It’s a stunt, like sending the troops to a border for a non-existent invasion.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 30, 2018

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday broke with Donald Trump and contested his claims that he could circumvent the 14th Amendment https://t.co/gGFGHXuclg

— POLITICO (@politico) October 30, 2018

House Speaker Paul Ryan rejects President Trump’s idea of ending birthright citizenship by executive order – The Washington Post https://t.co/bOPLUhENyw

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 30, 2018

Clarification: Legal scholars broadly agree the 14th Amendment's language covers children of undocumented immigrants, and the Supreme Court addressed it in a footnote to a 1982 casehttps://t.co/2DhM3q1Nrp

— POLITICO (@politico) October 30, 2018

GOP lobbyist just told me this birthright issue was raised by Trump so Republicans in leadership and in tough districts can attack him. It makes a lot of sense. The GOP can fight the message that they’re all Trump pawns. A message that has resonated nationwide, because it’s true.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) October 30, 2018

Trump says no other country has birthright citizenship. He’s wrong. https://t.co/8wPZhJAgsD

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 30, 2018

Can Donald Trump end birthright citizenship with an executive order? Probably not https://t.co/3ZelOoXppU pic.twitter.com/tmwSzbef5r

— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) October 30, 2018

Opinion | Steve Vladeck: No, Trump can't reverse birthright citizenship. Here's why. https://t.co/8HBSz2Kje3

— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 30, 2018

"With this court, you never know." https://t.co/Hq2GQgJURh

— Scott Lemieux (@LemieuxLGM) October 30, 2018

May 5, 2016 https://t.co/uYRDqkeumN

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) October 30, 2018

Trump wants to end birthright citizenship. A judge he appointed says he can’t. https://t.co/v1SQ1cJnVp

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 30, 2018

Another reason why the Trump's attack on birthright citizenship is not just a "distraction"…

As @JamilSmith tweeted, the 14th Amendment gave citizenship to former slaves in 1868. This is not just an immigration issue, its about the historical place of black people in the U.S.

— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) October 30, 2018

Russians Flock to Trump Properties to Give Birth to U.S. Citizens

Asylum overview

This is a good overview of the asylum requirements and process.

Asylum 101: What is asylum and will the migrants in the caravan get it?

This congressman needs to read it:

The only place anyone can apply for asylum is within the US or at a port of entry. You cannot apply by mail from a war torn region or a “safe third country” or whatever. You’re supposed to be a Senator. https://t.co/fm3hMp3vU1

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 11, 2018

Great tweet about the caravan

We should be far more worried about the people who are angry at the caravan than the people who are part of it.

— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) October 27, 2018

The caravan and asylum

Trump has lied about the caravan and demonized them. These are mostly people fleeing terrible circumstances and looking for a better life. They want to work – they are not criminals. We have any unfilled jobs and can use people who want to work.

I am not in favor of criminals and open borders. I am in favor of treating people with respect and compassion. I am opposed to separating parents and their children.

People in the caravan have the right to apply for asylum. I assume more people are trying to get asylum since Trump is cutting back on legal immigration. Their claims should be evaluated in accordance with the pre-Trump interpretation of the law.

FACT: It IS legal under US and international law to present yourself at the border and seek asylum. https://t.co/Xw0q36IcDm

— ACLU 🗳 (@ACLU) October 24, 2018

The border is tougher to cross than ever. But there’s still one way into America.

Why migrant families are seeking asylum at the border in record numbers. https://t.co/0AFdhlqwgl pic.twitter.com/kp4zaj9c50

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 24, 2018

"The migrants coming today are increasingly Central Americans seeking asylum or some form of humanitarian protection, bearing stories of torture, gang recruitment, abusive spouses, extortionists and crooked police." https://t.co/curBvjRyyL

— Brady Dennis (@brady_dennis) October 24, 2018

.@realDonaldTrump says the migrant caravan is only trying to sneak into the U.S. But a previous caravan gives us some better context. 401 presented themselves at ports of entry to apply for asylum. 374 (93%) passed their initial test. https://t.co/5rHHI16Zu1 via @usatoday

— Alan Gomez (@alangomez) October 24, 2018

Why does he think these are zingers?

1) Only those with a visa or valid asylum claim (as construed prior to Trump's abuse of the law).
2) Those without.
3) Whoever will, plus limited temporary benefits for asylees.
4) Same.
5) TBD by DHS Office of Refugee Resettlement. https://t.co/i9VYfjGMU0

— Will Wilkinson 🌐 (@willwilkinson) October 24, 2018

During the caravan this spring, those who actually went all the way to the U.S. border (less than a quarter) presented themselves at ports of entry to seek asylum. A wall would have nothing to do with this.https://t.co/CDRFRdrs6X

— Philip Bump (@pbump) October 24, 2018

According to current US law, regardless of how many people you’ve come with or whether you’ve gone through Mexico first, presenting yourself at a port of entry to ask for asylum is proper. https://t.co/vrKU67Wiwy

— Dara Lind (@DLind) October 24, 2018

Asylum is a process. Or was until Sessions effectively outlawed it and began stealing kids as a policy response. Fuck your gutless fear of people seeking a better life. https://t.co/bkhSEnmonW

— David Simon (@AoDespair) October 24, 2018

No one advocates for illegal immigrants, but only you turn away those legally seeking asylum and take children from their parents pic.twitter.com/mIuxC6FAoJ

— John L Peters (@JohnLPeters) October 24, 2018

Trump lies about the immigrant caravan

He lies when he blames the Democrats.

He lies when he said it includes people from the Middle East.

He lies when he said it includes criminals (or at least offers no proof).

He’s a bigot trying to excite the bigots who are a large part of his base.

Nobody has presented any evidence that there are people from the Middle East in the migrant caravan. pic.twitter.com/k1coxNpZFY

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 22, 2018

As is frequently the case whenever Trump says anything new before 9 a.m., this "Middle Easterners" tweet appears to have been inspired by Fox and Friends. https://t.co/UGRnxaSBj6

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 22, 2018

Follow the bouncing ball: 1) Guatemala's president said at a conference that they had arrested, over some period, 100 people linked to terror. Completely unrelated to the caravan. 2) Right-wing sites used that to raise caravan fears. 3) Fox joined in. 4) The president joined in. pic.twitter.com/6dxKq2HEK8

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 22, 2018

Trump’s tweet linking migrants to “unknown Middle Easterners” is a reprise of old GOP rhetoric. https://t.co/BRvknmROqf pic.twitter.com/6J6GWFpi59

— The New Republic (@newrepublic) October 22, 2018

I asked DHS for evidence for this POTUS claim that “Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in” with caravan migrants… (thread) https://t.co/4zsXHWbNzb

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 22, 2018

Hello from southern Mexico, where no one covering the caravan has met anyone from the Middle East, and there is no way to discern anyone’s criminal history. https://t.co/wKoCfhY0mO

— Kevin Sieff (@ksieff) October 22, 2018

.@ABC's team in southern Mexico has encountered no "Middle Easterners" amid the group, reports @mattgutmanABC https://t.co/SLoQYMufbk

— Ben Gittleson (@bgittleson) October 22, 2018

Have not seen a single “Middle Easterner” in the caravan, @realDonaldTrump. Have seen hundreds of women and children and babies, though. https://t.co/skzF0IEGCi

— Kate Linthicum (@katelinthicum) October 22, 2018

"It's inconceivable that there are not people of Middle Eastern descent in a crowd of more than 7,000 people." — VP Mike Pence tries to defend Trump on his caravan claims

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) October 23, 2018

This is the perfect ending to the @juliehdavis piece today https://t.co/dVxDbRyNiZ

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 23, 2018

Trump did not say Middle Easterners are "traveling through Mexico toward the US". He tweeted "unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in" to the caravan itself. Not the same thing. Also, is there specific evidence that citizens of those Middle Eastern countries are threats? https://t.co/SnsXpZag1r

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 23, 2018

Trump lies about anti-immigrant riots

He’s just making stuff up. Republicans just go along with it. Disgusting.

I've fact-checked every word Trump has uttered for two full years. This is one of his most dishonest weeks in political life. He's lying about so many different things at once, and in big ways — not exaggerating or stretching, completely making stuff up. https://t.co/XrgPbUIcZ1

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 22, 2018

"Where are the riots, sir?" https://t.co/dmjOrldogY

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 23, 2018

Trump lies that California residents are "rioting" in protest of sanctuary city immigration laws: "They're rioting now. They want to get out of their sanctuary cities."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 20, 2018

Trump, to reporters, insisting without proof that Californians are rioting over sanctuary cities: "You shouldn't have – take a look – they want to get out of sanctuary cities. Many places in California want to get out of sanctuary cities… Yes, it is rioting in some cases."

— Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) October 22, 2018

President Trump doesn't back down from his baseless assertion that Californians are rioting to "get out of sanctuary cities."

Asked by @GeoffRBennett to name the locations of the riots, the president said, "Take a look … Many places in California." pic.twitter.com/QcXnmM3yFp

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 22, 2018

Missed this last night – POTUS manufacturing non-existent riots from the campaign trail. https://t.co/MUqHE95u9v

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 21, 2018

Trump is considering a new policy to separate children from parents

I asked Trump about this WaPo scoop that admin is considering a new family separation policy. He replied, "We’re looking at everything," and explained that he thinks the initial policy helped deter illegal border crossings. https://t.co/Ir0tKesQ99

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 13, 2018

This is a significant comment and a reminder that the imagery POTUS claimed he was troubled by of children was imagery he believes to be a useful tool for certain purposes. https://t.co/ZN3tn7Z8CF

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 14, 2018

It. Wasn’t. Though. (And it’s crucial that everyone writing about this empirical claim from Trump notes that a body of evidence suggests separation and family detention aren’t meaningful deterrents. https://t.co/UDgwVmVuT7 ) https://t.co/HV1Vx1218o

— Dara Lind (@DLind) October 14, 2018