Democratic Party: Enemy of Immigrant Rights

Down With Trump’s Racist War on Migrants!

Hondurans Flee Devastation Made in USA

OCTOBER 30—In recent weeks, President Trump has sought to whip up the nativists in his base by making the Central American migrant caravan the defining issue of the midterm elections. Daily Trump rallies feature hysterical chauvinist rants against the “onslaught of illegal aliens,” a reference to the Hondurans and other Central Americans desperately fleeing the poverty and violence imposed on their home countries by U.S. imperialism. With the White House pledging to stop them at all costs, yesterday the Pentagon announced the deployment of at least 5,200 active-duty U.S. Army and Air Force troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, dubbed “Operation Faithful Patriot.” There they will join 2,000 National Guardsmen and the battalions of the U.S. Border Patrol. A few days prior, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen ominously commented that “the rules of engagement” were still being worked out: “We do not have any intention right now to shoot at people. They will be apprehended, however.”

The Trump administration had already enlisted the Mexican authorities to do Washington’s dirty work to prevent the caravan from moving further north. After crossing Mexico’s southern border, the once 7,000-strong caravan was met with detentions and deportations and is now reduced in size. Two days ago, as a smaller caravan trailing behind entered Mexico, a Honduran man was killed by the Federal Police.

Spewing his characteristic vitriol about Latinos and other “criminals” invading white America, Trump also has plans to invoke his presidential powers to close every door to their legal entry to the U.S., whether by banning them on “national security” grounds (similar to the racist anti-Muslim travel ban) or summarily denying asylum claims. We oppose these measures as well as all other racist, nationally discriminatory immigration laws and regulations.

The Democratic Party, the other party of racism and U.S. imperialism, has largely evaded the matter of the caravan so as not to alienate more socially backward potential voters. While there may be differences in what they say and how they say it, any policy differences between the Republicans and the Democrats boil down to how best to administer American capitalism. When on October 26 Democratic honcho Nancy Pelosi issued a statement regarding Trump’s anti-migrant “fearmongering,” it was to push “comprehensive immigration reform to protect our borders,” that is, a version of Trump’s wall. (read on)