LETTER: The real immigration debate

Let me start by talking about the debate I wish we were having: What levels of immigration are sustainable for a country? How should the United States go about crafting solutions to immigration that acknowledges the need to uphold our immigration laws while also trying to uphold the spirit of America that has always welcomed immigrants? How much of a strain do immigrants place on public resources such as health care and education?

Now here is the debate we’re having: Are Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating the pets of locals? (They aren’t.) Why were illegal Haitian migrants “dumped” into Springfield, Ohio? (They weren’t. They’re here legally under a program called “temporary protected status” and they came to Springfield over the past few years seeking jobs. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden did not “wave a magic wand.” TPS is an immigrant program dating back to 1990.)

Donald Trump said recently, “I might be headed to Springfield soon for a rally, and I might not make it out. I’ll let you know.” JD Vance says: “You know what, I’ll call them illegal.”

This rhetoric is terrifying but also a classic playbook of racial scapegoating in an attempt to pit local white populations against black or brown immigrants. I sincerely want to hope Americans can see through this naked attempt at racial othering in a last-ditch effort to get votes through racial scapegoating. It’s shameful.