Update on Trump’s Ongoing War Against Immigrants of Color
A Legacy of Discrimination That Continues to Shape U.S. Immigration Policy
The Trump administration’s immigration agenda was never just about “border security” or “national sovereignty.” From the very beginning, it was about race. Through sweeping policy changes, inflammatory rhetoric, and the elevation of hardline ideologues, Donald Trump built an immigration framework that disproportionately targeted immigrants of color—especially those from Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Though Trump is no longer in the White House, the legacy of his policies lingers, and his ongoing campaign has promised a second term even more aggressive than the first. For millions of Black and brown immigrants, the threat hasn’t subsided—it’s merely been rebranded.
From Day One: A Racially Charged Immigration Agenda
Trump’s war on immigrants of color began on the campaign trail, when he notoriously labeled Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “criminals.” Once in office, his administration wasted no time enacting a Muslim travel ban, reducing refugee admissions to record lows, and ending protections for Dreamers under DACA—programs that largely benefited nonwhite immigrants.
Policies such as family separation at the border, “Remain in Mexico”, and the public charge rule disproportionately impacted Latinos and Black immigrants. These policies weren’t accidental byproducts—they were carefully calculated moves designed to limit legal immigration from what Trump himself reportedly called “shithole countries.”
The administration also targeted immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, Sudan, and other non-European nations for deportation and termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), while expressing a preference for immigrants from countries like Norway.
Targeted Raids and Militarized Enforcement
During his term, Trump dramatically expanded the authority and visibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Under the guise of national security, ICE conducted raids on workplaces, neighborhoods, and even courthouses, often focusing on Latin American and Caribbean communities.
These operations, often conducted with militarized tactics and zero regard for community impact, left thousands of families traumatized. Children were taken from schools, workers rounded up during lunch shifts, and entire towns destabilized—all disproportionately in communities of color.
Meanwhile, white immigrants, even those in similar legal circumstances, rarely experienced the same treatment. The racism was not subtle. It was operational.
Building the Wall—Physically and Figuratively
The most iconic symbol of Trump’s immigration crusade was, of course, the border wall. While it became a punchline due to the failed promise that “Mexico will pay for it,” the wall served a darker purpose: it was a dog whistle turned bullhorn for xenophobia.
The physical wall was accompanied by a bureaucratic one—a massive slowdown in processing asylum claims, green cards, and visas, especially from predominantly brown and Black countries. Legal immigration plummeted under Trump, not because demand decreased, but because the system was deliberately throttled.
The Post-Trump Continuation—and Future Escalation
Though President Biden reversed many of Trump’s executive orders, the infrastructure of cruelty remains. ICE still functions with bloated funding. Court backlogs persist. And policies like Title 42, originally a Trump-era pandemic rule to block asylum seekers, remained in place for years under the new administration.
Now, as Trump campaigns for a return to the presidency, he’s openly promising to reinstate and expand his anti-immigrant agenda. He’s floated the idea of large-scale deportation camps, sweeping military operations to remove “millions” of undocumented immigrants, and reintroducing travel bans and asylum shutdowns. In a March 2024 rally, Trump told supporters, “We’re going to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history.”
According to a recent New York Times report, his advisors are already drawing up legal blueprints to circumvent courts, invoke emergency powers, and use the military to carry out mass removals—echoing language eerily reminiscent of ethnic cleansing.
Communities of Color Remain in the Crosshairs
At the core of Trump’s immigration ideology is a belief that nonwhite immigrants are less worthy, less American, and more dangerous. This is not just policy—it’s philosophy. It’s why immigrant communities of color remain the most vulnerable, even when legal or documented.
Black immigrants in particular have often been overlooked in the national conversation, yet they are five times more likely to face deportation on criminal grounds than other immigrants, even when facing similar charges. Racism at the intersection of immigration and policing magnifies their risk.
Latino immigrants, especially from Central America, continue to face disproportionate scrutiny, harsher treatment in detention centers, and delayed legal processes. Meanwhile, far-right media and politicians push a steady stream of fearmongering narratives about “caravans,” “invasions,” and “replacement.”
Conclusion: A Fight for the Soul of Immigration
Trump’s war on immigrants of color is not an isolated historical phase—it’s part of a long tradition of racialized exclusion in American immigration policy. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the National Origins quotas, the U.S. has repeatedly drawn its gates based on race and class.
But what makes the Trump era distinct is the overt nature of the racism and the scale of institutional backing behind it.
As the 2024 election approaches, the stakes for immigrant communities of color couldn’t be higher. The choice is not simply between policy positions—it’s a choice between a country that weaponizes race to divide, and one that acknowledges diversity as a foundational strength.
Trump didn’t invent anti-immigrant racism. But he mainstreamed it, monetized it, and built a movement around it. And that movement is still very much alive.
