- The global community must be a little piqued by the way Donald Trump has gone about administering in his second term. His pet project of imposing tariffs on several countries, on what he believes to be unduly skewed, affecting America and its local jobs/opportunities, is well documented. The other equally crucial aspect hitting the headlines since Trump assumed the administration is the way illegal migrants are being threatened with deportation has not only attracted global attention but also raises questions about the very ethos of America as a nation made up of people from around the world. It’s worth reminding Trump that America is a melting pot of people from across the length and breadth of the universe. This is an undeniable fact.
PC: The New York Times
- However, true to his form, the increasingly petulant, maverick, and impetuous Trump has gone about imposing irrational and ill-advised measures on what he considers not good for the locals. Migration has been practiced for millennia, contributing immensely to the growth of humankind and humanity itself. If at all we are reaping the benefits presently, thank the ingenuity of our ancestors and their adventures in crisscrossing the oceans to establish hitherto unheard of endeavours for the overall good of humankind. Coming back to Trump, it’s a political compulsion for him, even if it means raiding a cutting-edge Hyundai facility recently. However, only acting tough on undocumented labour isn’t the solution anywhere; increasing work permits is.
PC: Mint
- Mind you, actions always have consequences. Experts say detention of 475, mostly S Korean, workers at the plant could dampen foreign investment. That’ll hurt the US economy, but so will the growing fear among America’s 11mn undocumented migrants – roughly the population of New York City and Chicago combined. For the uninitiated, when Obama’s Secure Communities programme removed 400,000 undocumented workers between 2008 and 2014, businesses suffered because workers were too scared to go to work. Gurgaon in India experienced this recently when harassment by police resulted in an exodus of Bengali-speaking labour. The factories and families employing them as domestic help were left in the lurch.
PC: Straight Arrow News
- The economic argument against undocumented workers is flawed, as they don’t compete with US-born workers. They mostly shoulder low-paid, low-skill, sometimes dangerous work like cleaning, construction, fruit picking, and animal slaughter that Americans won’t do. They work cheaply, and by spending a good deal of their earnings within the US – rent, fuel, groceries – contribute to US GDP. The crime rate screed against illegal immigrants is equally unfounded. Four out of five deported illegals have nothing worse than a speeding ticket against them. And in the Hyundai raid, the workers were illegal only to the extent that they had the wrong kind of visa meant for visitors. Substantially increasing work permits should be the way forward. Simple.
