Trump’s anti-immigrant policy not good for Guyanese in the U.S.

By Vishnu Bisram

Republican candidate, Donald Trump is seeking his colleagues support for the party’s nomination for the 2016 Presidential election. But many Guyanese living in the US believe that Trump’s anti-immigration stance, a reversal of a few months ago, is not good for Guyanese Americans and/or other immigrants.

Trump has stated his preference for deporting all illegal immigrants in the US (over 11 million) and to restrict citizenship to legal immigrants as well as to babies born in the US to illegal immigrants.

It must be noted that all of Trump’s past wives and current wife are immigrants; yet he takes an anti-immigrant posture — a display of hypocrisy. Only a few months ago, he was pro-immigrant employing many and praising the contributions of immigrants to America’s development. He had favoured a liberal immigration policy to bring in skilled immigrants.

An anti-immigrant theme is resonating well with Republican primary election voters and Trump has been advised to run with it. Coincidentally, Frank Lutz, pollster and political analyst for the AFC for the 2006 elections, is Trump’s main advisor and pollster – the man behind the anti-immigrant theme that is playing so well with voters.

There are sixteen candidates seeking the Republican nomination, with Trump playing on the anti-immigrant theme. Trump attacks on Mexicans and Mexican immigrants also played well with voters. He began to expand his anti-immigrant theme attacking other immigrants (other nationalities) as well. However, he favours immigration of skilled people, like engineers, doctors, and computer specialists, though not to grant them citizenship.

Trump is also now advocating a denial of citizenship to babies of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as part of an immigration plan that emphasises border security and deportation of illegals.

In an interview on national TV, he said as President he would push to end the constitutionally protected citizenship rights of children of any family living illegally inside the U.S.

Native-born children of immigrants, even those living illegally in the U.S., have been automatically considered American citizens since the adoption of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in 1868.

The odds of repealing the amendment’s citizenship clause would be almost impossible. The other Republican candidates do not support such a drastic anti-immigrant step. An amendment requires the votes of two-thirds of both Houses of Congress and support from three-fourths of the nation’s state legislatures. There are three other similar possibilities to amend the constitution and all are difficult to achieve.

Republicans in Congress have pushed without success to repeal the citizenship provision since 2011. Some conservative Republicans believe the citizenship provision could be changed without amending the Constitution. It is doubtful the court would agree with such an interpretation of the constitution.

Nevertheless, many feel that Trump is bad news for immigrants, and Guyanese and other immigrant Americans should consider becoming involved and supporting mainstream candidates who would advocate their interests.