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During Donald Trump’s first term as President, Fox News reported that he pressured the federal government to punish his personal rivals. How? By releasing detained immigrants onto the streets of America’s towns and cities where Trump’s rivals lived.
Let that sink in. Not the Trump labeled fake news, but Fox News.
The fact is, Trump bragged that he personally pushed then Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to release detained immigrants. These people were transported, not back to their country of origin, but to large and small cities across America where the majority of residents did not vote for Donald Trump.
He directed that they be dropped off at street corners, without food, without shelter, without bathrooms, without assistance of any kind. This was a wholesale release of detained people – including children – onto the streets of America, without shelter, money or food – homeless and starving.
These people were dropped anywhere and everywhere that Trump did not carry the vote for his run for the Presidency. He directed that they be dropped into the “strongholds of the enemy” without notice, into the homeland of fellow Americans.
These immigrants had a dream of coming to the United States of America. A place they fantasized about. A place that was rumored to be welcoming and caring, where their children might have enough to eat and an opportunity to learn. A safe haven that was free of drugs, where the government is not corrupt, where they might not be killed in their sleep. A place where they might find work and opportunity.
And, yes, there was a chorus of voices who supported their coming. But no one believed that immigrants should be bussed to a street corner in an unfamiliar American city and left off in masses to fend for themselves. Trump directed it anyway.
Even Fox News was outraged.
These immigrants were in Trump’s mind a weapon that Trump wanted to unleash on you, his fellow American citizens. Trump’s idea is that if “Democrats” love these immigrants so much, let them take care of them.
There were many problems with Trump’s logic.
First, large and small cities include Democrats, Republicans, Independents and non-registered Americans – not just those Americans that Trump considered his enemy.
Second, few Americans support a porous border. The majority of Americans – regardless of political party affiliation – support some level of controlled immigration.
Third, the immigration crisis was stoked by Trump’s policy of shutting down all immigration. This caused a crisis that Trump then painted as immigrants from the south as murderers, rapists and gang members.
Fourth, Trump underestimated the ingenuity and hard-work ethic of these immigrants. For the most part, they now have jobs, are hard working, and have become self-sufficient even in the face of the challenges Trump put in front of them. .
With the unforeseen success of Trump’s program to place immigrants willy-nilly across America, he is now directing that they be removed forcibly from their jobs, homes and roots that they planted. He has directed that they be placed in cages in numerous camps, not unlike the Nazi German concentration camps. Even members of the Congress and Senate are not permitted to review the conditions of the camps.
The argument goes like this. They are not much better than vermin.
Just think. A President of the United States of America pushed to release immigrant detainees onto the streets of large and small American cities, as retribution against his political enemies. He then paints these same immigrants as villains and orders these people to be arrested and imprisoned.
Trump is threatening you. If you do not vote his way, you will be punished. Overrun by evil immigrants, murderers, rapists and gang members. He will bus them to a neighborhood near you. And if these people get jobs and are successful, he will then over run your neighborhood with masked thugs without warrants to arrest them.
This is not democracy. This is something else.
Democracy is where you and I as Americans have the right to vote the way of our conscience, the way we feel best – without retribution, without punishment, not the way we are told or bludgeoned to vote.
Personally, I am outraged, and so should you. Trump has been painting others as the enemy. Might the enemy eventually turn out to be you and me?
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, former Shippensburg University Trustee, awarded numerous patents, as well as Founder and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx provides cloud-software for automated sourcing and managing of mail marketing, swag, packaging, and all things print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com.
