Stereotype: “A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.”
-Oxford Dictionaries
Under President Obama, there have been a record number of deportations. He has also employed the largest amount of border patrol agents. These have combined with other factors to drive a zero percent migration rate from Mexico, a trend that some expect to continue into the future. However, none of this is good enough for the xenophobic wing of the Republican party who still see the value of a good scapegoat - especially one without the power to vote. According to this point of view, we should ignore the hard working people in search of a better life whose labor is exploited by American businessman and instead claim that “they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bring those problems with us [sic]. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
To drive home his point, Trump has been parading the relatives of people killed by people in the country illegally stating “people came into the country illegally and killed their children. The illegals come in and the illegals kill their children.” However, these sad examples do not prove his case any more than being hit by a car driven by a woman proves that all women are bad drivers. A stopped clock is correct twice a day and occasionally events will occur that fit within a stereotype. The clock is still not in working order and the stereotype has not been proven true.
The immigration issue was part of larger narrative that tried to prove that our leaders are “stupid,” a word he used eight times during the speech. In his view, “It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people.” This view makes the assumption that Mexico is emptying their prisons the way Fidel Castro did during the Mariel boatlift. However, without proof that this is occurring, the more likely explanation for illegal immigration is the knowledge that jobs are available for those crossing the border. It appears that Trump is helping to provide these jobs.
The announcement was held inside the Trump Tower, which was the subject of a lawsuit in the 1980’s that claimed “the use of undocumented Polish immigrants, who allegedly worked round-the-clock and even slept at the site.” The Washington Post spoke to workers at Trump’s latest development in Washington D.C. who “quietly acknowledged that they remain in the country illegally.”Trump himself says he “can’t guarantee” the status of his workers. It seems to me that a smart person would get his own house in order before tackling problems on a national scale.