Dem
47
GOP
53
The United States has a long history of taking in refugees from wars, famines, dictatorships, persecution, natural disasters and other calamities. Emma Lazarus' famous poem on the Statue of Liberty contains the words: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Donald Trump has crossed that out and replaced it with a sign commonly found in Mississippi in 1950: "Whites only."
In particular, while Trump is actively tying to block most immigrants, there is one group he is actively encouraging to immigrate to the U.S.: white South Africans, primarily Afrikaners. Normally, getting refugee status can take years, but Trump has now streamlined the process for white Afrikaners to allow them entry within a few months of applying. Thousands have now done so. Tough luck for the huddled masses. New sheriff in town.
Trump has repeatedly said that he believes that civil rights-era laws and protections have resulted in white people being treated very badly. He is trying to fix the problem by admitting white South Africans, none of whom were harmed by U.S. laws passed in the 1960s. He sees it as a kind of group reparations to white people who he thinks were harmed by these laws. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said (without any evidence that it is true): "President Trump has provided a lifeline for Afrikaners, who are being raped, maimed, killed and driven off their property across South Africa." It is true that there is a lot of crime in South Africa, but Black South Africans are the victims of the brunt of it. White South Africans are not being singled out. Jason Marks, a senior refugee officer who resigned last year in protest said of the administration: "They are rolling out the red carpet for this group with a clear racial and political agenda at the expense of everyone else."
The South Africans are being given a welcome packet when they arrive. It contains an Android tablet (most likely made in South Korea or Taiwan), an American flag (very likely made in China) and copies of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. They also get a Trump-approved history of the United States that criticizes racial equality and claims civil rights laws discriminate against white people. There is also a children's book from PragerU, a right-wing publisher, about a Black South African who must protect a white rugby teammate from a Black mob. Also in the packet is a report that downplays the role of slavery in the country's founding. Just exactly what new immigrants need to get started. When reporters asked how much the gifts cost and who was paying for them, there was no answer. It is very unusual for refugees to receive gifts from the government upon arrival. Although, you know who DID like that trick? Boss William Magear Tweed, whose people would stand on the NYC docks and hand out hams and turkeys to new arrivals. Good way to use some of that grafted money to lock in some voters. (V)