President Trump is reportedly set to scrap Barack Obama’s amnesty that offered work permits to illegal aliens brought to the U.S. as minors.
As The Washington Post’s alleged “conservative” columnist Jennifer Rubin summarized for the elite consensus on the move, it’s “Trump’s most evil act.”
Working under the false impression that those who earned protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are all under 18, a plethora of pundits convinced themselves this would amount to mass deportation of children.
That’s not true at all. For one thing, a person has to be at least 15 years old to receive DACA. Government data shows that the majority of illegal immigrants receiving the deferments are 20 years or older.
These aren’t kids who now face the risk of deportation. DACA is a work permit program that offers non-citizens who came here illegally to take jobs that would otherwise likely go to Americans citizens, a fact that is getting lost in the outrage. (RELATED: Ending DACA Puts America First)
But a few interesting responses to the DACA scrapping have acknowledged that Dreamers are taking jobs from Americans — and that’s a good thing, apparently.
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox sent out two tweets last week on the matter. The first claimed, “.@realDonaldTrump, you’re killing the real American dream! DACA is fundamental for a successful America, what’s the point of ending it?”
The next tweet was more threatening. “.@realDonaldTrump Minorities will soon be the majority, and remember: we’re stronger together. Get it? You can’t trump the dream,” Fox said.
The two tweets offer two different arguments for keeping DACA. The first is that our economy depends on non-citizen laborers who came here illegally, and to remove their protection would destroy America’s prosperity.
It’s an odd argument for a foreign political leader to make, especially one whose country would be taking in the most Dreamers if they left the U.S. Shouldn’t Fox be excited that Mexico will get all this great talent that the American economy depends on to survive?
The truth is that Fox’s nation looks to its citizens working in America to send back remittance payments to boost the Mexican economy. His argument, looked at closely, is all about promoting the interests of the Mexican economy, not ours.
He doesn’t care that Dreamers take jobs away from American citizens. Citizens aren’t a big source for remittance payments like illegal immigrants are.
DACA is important to Mexico becuase it is a foot in the door for legalizing more of their citizens, who will then be able to send more money back to the home country without fear of deportation.
Fox’s second statement argues that ending DACA will alienate minority constituencies that will eventually be the majority of the country. In the future, these aggrieved groups will try to get payback on Trump voters for this terrible offense.
This vision doesn’t sound like a diverse America will be a very tolerant and loving place. But Fox’s tweet is only a blunter expression of the rhetoric deployed against Republicans who resist embracing amnesty.
Democrats, always genuinely concerned for the electoral fortunes of the GOP, have repeated ad nauseam that Republicans will never win elections unless they let in more immigrants who show no sign of any interest in GOP policies. But surely some will vote red when they get legalized, so the flawed argument goes.
Fox’s real argument is that these Dreamers are future Democratic voters and you better not make them angry. It’s a stance worth assessing for all the Republicans who think ending DACA is bad. Helping them become citizens ensures the GOP slides into electoral oblivion, according to Fox’s logic.
Both of the former Mexican president’s tweets don’t really help the cause of the Dreamers if examined with a skeptical eye. However, the argument that America’s economy somehow depends on illegal immigrants receiving protection from deportation is shared by corporate powerhouses.
Several corporate executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, signed a letter last week demanding Trump keep DACA. “Dreamers are vital to the future of our companies and our economy,” the letter declared. “With them, we grow and create jobs. They are part of why we will continue to have a global competitive advantage.”
The unintended message of the letter is that corporations prefer foreign labor over that of citizen workers. For companies with a depressing record of standing up for the First Amendment rights of Americans, it seems rather fitting that these corporations would go to the mat for the rights of illegal immigrants to continue working for them at lower wages. (RELATED: Corporations Remain The Biggest Threat To Free Speech)
Corporate America desires for an unrestricted influx of immigrants — whether it is legal or illegal — in order to get cheap labor. They claim it is vital for “our economy” because it means they don’t have to meet the wage demands of American citizens. More profits for them, fewer jobs for Americans.
The commitment to DACA by corporations is just another reaffirmation of their dedication to woke consumerism, and this one position directly benefits their bottom line. By stressing this issue so much, corporations are in effect saying that they do not care about the interests of Americans citizens. (RELATED: Corporations Now Push Woke Consumerism)
Their demand for cheap foreign labor is more important.
The outrage over DACA has only started, and in the coming days we are guaranteed to be inundated with claims Trump is going to tear eight year olds from their mothers’ arm and the economy is about to collapse without Dreamers.
In the upcoming cacophony of cries and shrieks, it’s worth looking at the real motivations for keeping DACA. For failed Mexican presidents and corporations, the concern for Dreamers isn’t so noble.
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