AND
Last November 5th The political destiny of the United States was defined, after several months of a close electoral contest where the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump displayed endless tactics to achieve the sympathy of voters in that country. These elections were marked by last-minute changes and attacks that kept citizens in constant suspense. An example is that only after a soulless first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden did the deteriorating physical and mental health suffered by the current US president become evident. As a result, the Democratic Party decided to propose Vice President Kamala Harris as its candidate, balancing the balance between both contenders. However, despite the strategic movement, questions about migration and border security were the main topics that remained on the agenda.
Beyond what we could imagine, the struggles and differences in discourses not only remained in the great domes of power, they also permeated all strata of society. As ironic as it may seem, the discourses of xenophobia were taken up by the undocumented migrant community itself, since it was recurrent that people talked about serious border problem
and how much the country changed with the newcomers, that is, the people who entered that country in large groups in the summer of 2022. They stated that previously the economy and security were better and described the new opening system as unfair. of borders, since Those who enter now have everything easier
. These words were heard repeatedly; Even in interviews prior to the election results, a Latina Trump supporter used the expression that during the Biden administration They let in many animals
. Definitely, with this comment he repudiated his origins. The situation turned against each other.
The most unfortunate thing is that part of the Mexican migrant community sees Trump hope to fix the country
since they mention factors such as that their government had a better economy and that it had a heavy hand with migration. When doing this analysis they lost sight of the fact that they are also migrants and, even worse, that they once crossed that same border. This only makes it clear to us that the strategy implemented in 2022 by Texas Governor Greg Abbott of sending truckloads of asylum seekers to sanctuary states, such as New Jersey, New York or Chicago, was a success. It generated division and, above all, great resentment among people, because it gave the sensation that newcomers were treated better
. In the streets the phrase was heard We crossed the desert, we worked hard and no one has given us anything, but for them everything is very easy
. Added to this, the special programs that were enabled for new arrivals to regularize their immigration status worsened the division and anger. This only reflects a little of why Trump won with a significant majority at the polls and why many Mexicans with documents bet on him.
The Mexican migrant community feels disappointed by the Democratic governments, since they have only been used as a political banner, while in reality they have been forgotten, so the specter of deportations is no more scary than remaining a lifetime in uncertainty, without have a secure future neither here nor there. They, the undocumented, have been, for years, the driving force of the US economy. Their sons and daughters were born in that country and for many of them it is the only reality they know. There are undocumented populations who have seen their grandchildren born there; Many others are great businessmen or have properties and, above all, have made that nation their home. However, they have never been able to regularize their situation.
This is a great inconsistency due to past governments, which have left them marked and made their future uncertain. People who have been in this country for decades still keep the memory alive that the only president who implemented an amnesty so that they could regularize their situation was the Republican Ronald Reagan in the 80s. This is the reason why some Latinos, especially Mexicans , spoke out in favor of Donald Trump. This was more than the pain for his people and for his roots in the face of the candidate’s constant attacks in his speeches. The Democrats do not see all this, they only regret the defeat, without recognizing the historical debt with the migrant population.
What follows is an uncertain future for everyone, since the next president of the United States, Donald Trump, has made it clear to us that he based his campaign on hate, division, misogyny and, above all, not respecting the rights won. For the undocumented migrant community comes an important survival challenge. This is why from the first weekend that it was known that Trump would be the next president, there were several mobilizations in New York, where they spoke out for the rights of undocumented people and those of the LGBT+ community. We community defenders have retreated, making strategies with our peers, rethinking our work and, above all, designing various help scenarios. We know that dark times are approaching that not only affect the undocumented, but everyone personally. Despite the fear, we know that we will not stop, because we are sure that this will make us rethink our strategy not only in the United States, but in Mexico, which by order of the neighboring country will also toughen its immigration and border policies. The news has shown us that a large number of people in the form of a caravan are trying to cross Mexico, before Trump takes office, which reflects the last glimmer of hope that the population displaced by violence in the world has and that maintains the fantasy that the United States is the promised land. These elections make it clear to us that discrimination and the rejection of otherness have been stronger than any progressive policy.
Now, more than ever, it is important to generate strategies and plan support programs for the migrant community that will allow us to be prepared for future catastrophic scenarios. The union of our people will be the most powerful weapon that will allow us to tear down the walls, which have been built by speeches of fear and hate.
* Member of the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center
