On Immigration, the Democrats Are Part of the Problem

September 16, 2019 | revcom.us

 

From Bernie to Beto to Biden, the Democrats make all kinds of promises on how they’ll be different than Trump on immigration. In fact, they have no answers. They are trying to lull you to sleep while a genocide gallops forward.

There is a massive refugee/immigration crisis around the world. Tens of millions of people are desperately fleeing for their lives. The two charts with this article show 1) the ways in which the Trump/Pence fascist regime has ratcheted up the oppression of immigrants to unbearable, genocidal levels in just the past month or so, and 2) the ways in which the Democrats have bullshitted and misled the masses of people.

Why is this happening?

The “world is burning” because of the climate change caused by the imperialist system. For decades they have plundered the whole planet and its people. They have carried out genocides and in other ways torn apart societies. They have dominated and outright invaded with their armies. The workings of this capitalist-imperialist system has devastated economies around the world, driving millions off their land and out of their homes, searching for any livelihood.

All this has now driven tens of millions to flee in desperation.

In this situation, all the imperialist powers are turning their “home countries” into fortresses. They take in a few immigrants but leave the vast majority to die. People are beginning to stand up against this in some places, but much more is needed. The Democrats pose and posture to lead this struggle, and they do have differences with some of Trump’s policies. But overall, they aim to corral and domesticate the struggle, to derail it into elections while real horrors are going on. In fact, the Democrats are complicit with Trump.

Why?

The Democrats oppose some of what Trump is doing, but they overall fundamentally agree with Trump that the U.S. has a right to “defend its borders” from “those who would break the law.”

Eric Holder, Obama’s attorney general, responsible for enforcing the laws of the land, said this weekend, “Democrats have to understand that ... borders do mean something.” When asked about unauthorized border crossings, he said decriminalization would “certainly take a tool away from the Justice Department.” As the New York Times voiced in a major editorial in July, “Every person who assumes the title of president of the United States also takes on the role of deporter in chief”. (Emphasis ours.)

And where did these borders come from? From a bloody war of conquest, waged by the U.S., whose main purpose was to extend slavery. Who violated the “laws” then? Who were the real rapists, murderers, and thieves? These borders enforce imperialist relations; and the U.S. violates borders all the time, not by sending refugees but by invading and bombing and dominating the vast majority of the world.

The Democrats agree with Trump that the U.S. has no real responsibility to the masses from these countries. But why are millions risking their lives to come here and Europe? Because the U.S. and the other imperialist powers have dominated, exploited, invaded, and controlled their countries and made their societies unlivable.

Think about it. If the Democrats didn’t basically see things this way, then why did Clinton begin militarizing the border back when he was president, with walls and Border Patrol—measures which have led to well over 7,000 deaths in the past 20 years!¹ And why did Obama deport three million people? And why did Nancy Piglosi lead in passing a $4.6 billion bill this June for funding border security? They did this because the Democrats have a basic unity with Trump that the needs of this system are more important than the lives of the masses of people. This is why they posture and pose to bring the masses under their wing, but always end up betraying the struggle.

THEY HAVE NO ANSWER!

Bernie concentrated this when he said earlier this year:

If you open the borders, my God, there’s a lot of poverty in this world, and you’re going to have people from all over the world. And I don’t think that’s something we can do at this point. Can’t do it. So that’s not my position.

Only the revolutionary communists get to the real root of the problem—imperialism. Only the revolutionary communists have the real solution—revolution, here and all over the world. The victorious revolution in the U.S. will above all fight to advance revolution all over the world; and it will welcome all those who sincerely want to build the new society here to be part of that great effort, as full members of that society. And that is a world worth living and dying to bring into being.

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1. According to data from the U.S. Border Patrol itself, 7,216 people died while crossing the southwest border at remote locations in the 20-year period from 1998 to 2017. Most of them died in the desert from dehydration, hypothermia or heatstroke. The actual number of deaths is much higher. According to CNN, the Border Patrol usually just counts dead bodies they discover while patrolling the border. In 2017, for instance, the Border Patrol reported 294 deaths, but CNN identified at least 102 more, not including scores of other likely crossing deaths in which officials were not able determine whether the remains were migrants. [back]

 

The Demonization, Criminalization and Deportations of Immigrants

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This June 2014 photo shows two young girls, separated from their parents, being held in cages at a detention center in Nogales, Arizona. Photo: AP