Watching the presidential debate, I got some humor from the quips between former President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Whether it was Trump comparing the brevity of Harris’ policies to the phrase “run, Spot, run,” or Harris’ goading of the former president to talk about his rally crowd sizes, there were plenty of comical moments. But what I didn’t enjoy was the former president spewing unsubstantiated lies about the Haitian immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio.
Over the past couple of weeks, Trump and his Republican allies have unabashedly claimed that members of the Haitian community are going around Springfield, rounding up people’s pets and the local wildlife, and eating them! It is a story so far-fetched that in a recent interview even Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican nominee for vice president, disturbingly admitted that he knew these stories were made up but committed to continue spreading them to make a point about immigration. Let’s call this out for exactly what it is — racist, xenophobic, weird, and just flat out dangerous.
We could have talked about how the Haitian immigrant community — a community that has fled a country grappling with gang violence and political instability — helped to revitalize a decaying blue-collar city. They eagerly joined the workforce, shared their culture, and revived the dwindling population. I absolutely acknowledge the newfound struggles Springfield has faced as it grapples with a large influx of people. There is ample opportunity to have constructive debate on how to better integrate the Haitian immigrant community while not leaving behind the already struggling residents of Springfield. However, Republicans did not share this nuanced story. Instead, they chose to add fuel to the flames of hatred and put targets on the backs of Haitian immigrants.
We already know what happens to vulnerable groups when political discourse becomes nasty and polarized. Asian Americans suffered from the racist rhetoric spread during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, Jews and the Arab community are experiencing heightened attacks on their safety because of the discourse surrounding the Israel-Hamas war. And now, not only are Haitian families in Springfield fearful of attacks, but the entire city has been subject to countless threats.
The rhetoric from the former president and his party is not happening in a vacuum, but points to a larger trend that is occurring in the United States — an increasing embrace of anti-immigrant sentiments. From polling this year, Americans have indicated less trust in the character of immigrants, an increase in the belief that immigrants pose a “major risk” to the United States, and a normalization of support for the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Most notably, we’ve seen the largest percentage of Americans who want a decrease in overall immigration to this country since 2001. It comes as no surprise then that throughout the debate, regardless of the question, Trump pivoted to immigrants as a catch-all problem that, once solved, would supposedly fix everything wrong in the United States.
While it’s easy to blame Republicans for feeding these sentiments and creating a self-reinforcing system of anti-immigration sentiments, I blame Democrats as well. For too long, they have pivoted rightward and allowed Republicans to control the narrative on immigration. We saw this in the most recent bipartisan immigration bill that nearly passed the Senate earlier this year but was subverted by Trump at the last minute. Looking at its provisions, you wouldn’t believe it was Democrats that drove the attempts to pass the legislation. Policies such as tougher qualifications for asylum, record funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, continued funding for a border wall, and the creation of a mechanism that would shut down the border when crossings pass a certain threshold are policies in stark contrast to the party’s immigration messaging just four years ago.
Democrats should promote this simple message: There is still broad support for expanding pathways to citizenship, protecting asylum seekers, and welcoming those searching for a better life to come to this country legally. Immigrants are not criminals, border crossings have been steadying to a four-year low, and supporting immigration is not only a moral obligation, but an economic one, too.
In closing, we know our immigration system is broken and is an issue constantly kicked down the proverbial curb, but if we want change, we must reject the parameters set by those who demonize immigrant communities and fearmonger to the American people. Conversations guided by hate lead to antiquated, uninformed, and harmful policies, when we should actually want a fair, effective, and efficient immigration system. In order to do that, we must start by reasserting the idea that immigration is neither a hindrance nor an inconvenience to the United States, as some would want you to believe, but it is undoubtedly one of our nation’s greatest strengths.
ALEX GUZMAN is a College senior studying political science from Northampton, Pa. His email address is alexguz@sas.upenn.edu.
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