Trump Paints Dystopian Picture of Immigrants and Immigration During His First Address to a Joint Meeting of Congress
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Click on the Play Button, above, to see immigration- and immigrant-related video excerpts from President Donald J. Trump's February 28, 2017, Address to a Joint Meeting of Congress
In remarks that were peppered throughout with references to immigrants and immigration, President Donald J. Trump painted a dark, dystopian image of immigrants and immigration as he delivered the first address to a joint meeting of Congress of his presidency.
The President's first prime time Address was delivered on Tuesday, February 28th, to a packed House Chamber and a world-wide audience via television, radio, and the internet. It was devoid of any mention of the positive attributes of immigrants past or present. Instead, the President portrayed immigrants as a threat to public safety, a threat to jobs for Americans, and a drain on public resources.
The President's first prime time Address was delivered on Tuesday, February 28th, to a packed House Chamber and a world-wide audience via television, radio, and the internet. It was devoid of any mention of the positive attributes of immigrants past or present. Instead, the President portrayed immigrants as a threat to public safety, a threat to jobs for Americans, and a drain on public resources.
Immigration Mentions and References. The president made seven different references or mentions of immigrants or immigration during his Address. In all, he devoted 937 of the 5,037 words in his address to the two subjects. Both the number of references and the number of words devoted to the subjects are records for presidents making Addresses to Congress.
While the President gave a nod to the possibility of enactment of bipartisan immigration reform legislation, he spoke of that possibility in terms of protecting the U.S. from those who would do the nation harm, and he did not at all address his view of what the fate should be of the millions of undocumented migrants currently living in the United States.
While the President gave a nod to the possibility of enactment of bipartisan immigration reform legislation, he spoke of that possibility in terms of protecting the U.S. from those who would do the nation harm, and he did not at all address his view of what the fate should be of the millions of undocumented migrants currently living in the United States.
Border Enforcement. It did not take President Trump long to bring up the subject of immigration. His first reference to the subject came just eight paragraphs into his 135 paragraph address:
"We've defended the borders of other nations, while leaving our own borders wide open, for anyone to cross, and for drugs to pour in at a now unprecedented rate. And we've spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled."
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Administration Immigration-Related Accomplishments Thus Far. The President next turned to the issue of immigration during a recitation of what he contended have been the accomplishments so far of his Administration. During this passage, the President said:
"my administration has answered the pleas of the American people for immigration enforcement and border security. By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions and billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone. We want all Americans to succeed, but that can't happen in an environment of lawless chaos."
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During this part of his Address, the President made mention of the border wall and the stepped up interior immigration enforcement contemplated by his two executive orders on border security and interior immigration enforcement, the memoranda issued by Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, and actions that have been undertaken in recent weeks to carry out those mandates:
"We must restore integrity and the rule of law at our borders. For that reason, we will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border."
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"As we speak tonight, we are removing gang members, drug dealers, and criminals that threaten our communities and prey on our very innocent citizens. Bad ones are going out as I speak, and as I promised throughout the campaign. To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this one question: What would you say to the American family that loses their jobs, their income, or their loved one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?"
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Refugee Admissions Pause, the Ban, and Extreme Vetting. The President's next reference to immigration came during a passage, during which he seemed to be alluding to and justifying his attempts to institute "extreme vetting," a pause on refugee admissions, and a temporary ban on individuals traveling to the United States from seven banned countries:
"Our obligation is to serve, protect, and defend the citizens of the United States. We are also taking strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism.
"According to data provided by the Department of Justice, the vast majority of individuals convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our country. We have seen the attacks at home, from Boston to San Bernardino to the Pentagon and, yes, even the World Trade Center. We have seen the attacks in France, in Belgium, in Germany, and all over the world. "It is not compassionate, but reckless to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur. "Those given the high honor of admission to the United States should support this country and love its people and its values. We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America, and we cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists. "That is why my administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe, and to keep those out who will do us harm." |
Job Displacement and Immigrants' Utilization of Public Assistance. The President's next turned to a criticism of immigrants for taking American jobs and reliance on public assistance, as well as on his proposal that the U.S. legal immigration system be refashioned to deal with that criticism:
"I am going to bring back millions of jobs. Protecting our workers also means reforming our system of legal immigration.
"The current, outdated system depresses wages for our poorest workers and puts great pressure on taxpayers. Nations around the world, like Canada, Australia, and many others, have a merit-based immigration system. "It's a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially. Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon. "According to the National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs American taxpayers many billions of dollars a year. Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, we will have so many more benefits. It will save countless dollars, raise workers' wages, and help struggling families, including immigrant families, enter the middle class. And they will do it quickly, and they will be very, very happy, indeed." |
Call for Immigration Reform. The new President spoke about his vision for immigration reform legislation. However, in doing so, he couched it in terms that implied that the current system is insecure and costs American jobs:
"I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: To improve jobs and wages for Americans; to strengthen our nation's security; and to restore respect for our laws.
"If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens, then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades." |
Portrayal of Immigrants as Criminals and Predators. The longest immigration-related passage of the President's Address was devoted to introducing several persons in the House gallery whose loved ones were killed by criminal aliens and announcing the creation of the office within DHS devoted to tracking such crimes:
"We must support the victims of crime. I have ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American victims. The office is called VOICE, Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement.
"We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media and silenced by special interests. "Joining us in the audience tonight are four very brave Americans whose government failed them. Their names are Jamiel Shaw, Susan Oliver, Jenna Oliver, and Jessica Davis. Jamiel's 17-year-old son was viciously murdered by an illegal immigrant gang member who had just been released from prison. Jamiel Shaw, Jr., was an incredible young man with unlimited potential who was getting ready to go to college where he would have excelled as a great college quarterback. "But he never got the chance. His father, who is in the audience tonight, has become a very good friend of mine. Jamiel, thank you. Thank you. "Also with us are Susan Oliver and Jessica Davis. Their husbands -- Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver and Detective Michael Davis -- were slain in the line of duty in California. They were pillars of their community. These brave men were viciously gunned down by an illegal immigrant with a criminal record and two prior deportations. Should have never been in our country. "Sitting with Susan is her daughter, Jenna. Jenna, I want you to know that your father was a hero and that tonight you have the love of an entire country supporting you and praying for you. "To Jamiel, Jenna, Susan and Jessica, I want you to know that we will never stop fighting for justice. Your loved ones will never, ever be forgotten. We will always honor their memory." |
The Democratic Response. The Democrats offered two official responses to the President's address. The first was by former Governor Steve Beshear (D-KY), who only briefly referenced immigration during his remarks.
The major immigration-related marks from the official Democratic response came from Astrid Silva, an undocumented alien who currently is temporarily protected from deportation and afforded work authorization as a result of former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Speaking for eight-and-a-half minutes in Spanish, the 28 year-old Silva brought up the case of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, an Arizona mother who advocates contend is one of the first undocumented migrant who was deported as a result of the new enforcement priorities enunciated by President Trump.
Said Silva,"Today Guadalupe is far from her children who are U.S. citizens and who are an example of the great impact that Trump's actions have over the American people in general, not just on the undocumented community,"
Continuing, Silva said, "In this country, there is no space for discrimination, racial profiling or persecution. But sadly, this is what the Trump administration has brought forth for Latinos and immigrants."
The major immigration-related marks from the official Democratic response came from Astrid Silva, an undocumented alien who currently is temporarily protected from deportation and afforded work authorization as a result of former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Speaking for eight-and-a-half minutes in Spanish, the 28 year-old Silva brought up the case of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, an Arizona mother who advocates contend is one of the first undocumented migrant who was deported as a result of the new enforcement priorities enunciated by President Trump.
Said Silva,"Today Guadalupe is far from her children who are U.S. citizens and who are an example of the great impact that Trump's actions have over the American people in general, not just on the undocumented community,"
Continuing, Silva said, "In this country, there is no space for discrimination, racial profiling or persecution. But sadly, this is what the Trump administration has brought forth for Latinos and immigrants."