Donald Trump is doing a disservice to those who criticize the high immigration thresholds in the United States, particularly for illegal immigrants. It highlights the rot of the debate, not to mention its racist bias.
Trump has said twice in recent days that undocumented immigration is “poisoning the blood of our country.” Trump, who recently called his opponents “vermin,” continues to follow the same dangerous path.
Because vermin must be eliminated and destroyed by all means possible. For this reason, dehumanizing your opponents and calling them vermin risks leading to very dangerous excesses. Especially in a country where there are more weapons in circulation than people.
Impure blood
Likewise, the claim that illegal immigrants are poisoning the country's blood implies that there is pure and impure blood. That we must rid the land of what is unclean. Consider the French national anthem, which speaks of enemy soldiers: “Let an impure blood… water our furrows.”
Trump particularly stigmatized immigration from Africa and Asia.
Trump's comments reflect extraordinary violence and racism that can no longer remain hidden.
In his first term, Trump had accustomed the American people to the thousands of lies he could tell on a wide variety of topics.
In what could be a second term, Trump appears to be revealing that he is deeply racist, vindictive and dictatorial.
Ten years ago, Trump's comments would have disqualified him from the presidency. Even the most radical wing of the Republican Party would not have wanted him. Today Republicans are demanding more.
Actual problem
The problem of illegal immigration to the United States is very real. Current statistics show that there are nearly 700,000 homeless people in American cities.
These homeless people are mostly people who can no longer find affordable housing.
In fact, given the nearly 13 million illegal immigrants living in the United States and the 2 million who arrived last year, it's surprising that pressure on housing isn't greater.
But these immigrants remain people who need to be treated with more consideration.
Their growing numbers have an impact on housing, crime, employment, etc. It is possible to discuss this calmly and with supportive figures. If necessary, measures can also be taken to protect the local population from too many illegal immigrants.
However, Trump's fiery speeches, like Pope Francis' fashionable idealistic speeches, do not help solve the problem.
Unfortunately, when it comes to immigration in Quebec, there will be people who repeat the pseudo-arguments of both sides.
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