election Trump’s 2024 Election Rampage: Anti-Immigrant Onslaught Raises Alarms

As the US approaches the 2024 elections, President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant stance has triggered fresh alarm among a number of observers. From the since-abandoned travel ban on citizens from predominantly Muslim countries to the moves against so-called “sanctuary cities,” the president has taken numerous steps to reduce immigration into the US since taking office. Critics of the president argue that his hard stance on immigration is a violation of the country’s basic values of welcoming people from all backgrounds and rejecting bigotry. They worry the president is sending a message to the world—and more unfortunately, to the American public—that non-U.S. citizens are not welcome, and that ordinary immigrants should be feared, not welcomed. To date, the president has ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and has proposed severe restrictions on legal immigration. However, in addition to likely constitutional challenges in court, such actions could have more serious ramifications in the future. Given the country’s long history as a nation of immigrants, the reduction or curtailment of legal immigration could become an increasingly important issue in the build-up to the 2024 election. Beyond the moral implications of the president’s stance, there are also economic considerations to consider. Empirical evidence has shown that immigrants are an essential and indispensable part of the US economy, often becoming entrepreneurs and creating jobs. Furthermore, with US birthrates continually declining, the country needs to rely on new immigrants to fuel population growth and remain competitive in the global economy. To the extent that the president’s anti-immigrant policies reduce immigration, it could have a negative impact on US economic growth. Indeed, with fewer immigrants, local businesses may be forced to downsize or close their doors totally, leading to a negative feedback loop. This could be compounded if the president’s gradual restriction of legal immigration continues to its worst case scenario: a dearth of labor workforce and a sharp reduction in access to the American dream. Ultimately, the president’s anti-immigrant policies have serious implications for American values and for the nation’s long-term economic competitiveness. Only time will tell whether these tactics will succeed in the short term, or if we will have to brace ourselves for the consequences in the years ahead.