On Jan. 20, Donald Trump entered the United States Capitol like so many other presidents had done before him to be officially declared president through his inauguration. However, following in the steps of 17 presidents, this is his second time going through this process, marking the beginning of his second and final term as a president of the United States. In fact, only 31.91 percent of presidents have not been reelected.
Being reelected with 77,284,118 votes, or 49.8 percent of the total may make it seem like he is a good president, but he is not.
America knows what he’s capable of doing, and so do I. Everyone has already witnessed his ideas during his first presidency and how they strayed far away from the standard that America is usually known for around the world. In his new term, Trump has already begun implementing his plan to change the nation — not for the better — for the worse.
One of his starting actions was creating a new executive order that eliminates projects headed by the Diversity and Inclusion Council (DEI) within the Department of Education. The council was created as part of Executive Order 13583 under President Barack Obama’s administration in (year). Trump believes that this move would help further end discrimination and remove any form of divisive ideas from education, an opinion seen through the title of the executive order being named “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” I disagree with this notion entirely.
America is built on the idea of change, as a country we have changed allegiances, ideals, and standards in order to get to the society we have today. This situation is no different.
By removing anything relating to cultural representation or inclusivity, Trump is effectively cutting off the connection to ongoing struggles within this country. Students won’t get to understand important aspects of American history that have shaped the whole nation, resulting in the struggles that people faced for civil rights in the past going unnoticed, and their efforts will be taken without any meaning. Real change can’t happen without addressing issues faced by marginalized groups, and the refusal to acknowledge the past will result in stagnation.
Trump’s new policies reflect his values on other problems, like his stance on illegal immigrants, specifically from South America. Trump has caused 267 immigrants to be deported back to Guatemala which was confirmed by a Guatemalan migration official. Furthermore, an unconfirmed amount of immigrants, (in the hundreds) were stated to be deported via military aircraft by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark New Jersey pointed out how ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detained illegal immigrants and even a military veteran without a warrant, violating the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure. Citizens or not, residing in America guarantees the right to the amendments provided by the Bill of Rights.
Efforts like these are hypocritical; America was founded by immigrants who took over lands that didn’t belong to them. If being an “illegal immigrant” in today’s world can be defined as taking residence in a foreign country without proper consent, then logically that would mean that the founders of America were illegal immigrants.
One of 15 families will be affected by Trump’s deportation initiatives. Immigrants greatly improve our economy and our GDP (gross domestic product), which are positive signs, not negative indications that signify the need for deportation. The idea of nativism will negatively impact the economy like it has done in the past for other races. For instance, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred the Chinese from entering the United States as people born in the U.S. felt entitled to their land and pressured the government into signing this act into effect.
Additionally, there is a stigma surrounding immigrants about how they are taking jobs or that they are part of an “invasion” of the United States. However, there are an estimated amount of 11 million undocumented immigrants within the U.S. today, representing around three percent of Americans. That means there is no significant impact of illegal immigrants in comparison to other groups residing in the country. With this in mind, I believe that the fears surrounding them are unjustified. jobs will not all be taken by illegal immigrants and there is no threat to national security. Even so, despite these fears, immigrants take jobs in industries like construction, professional services, and manufacturing that many people depend on to live their lives comfortably. Without them, industries would crumble, further speeding along a decline in the economy.
Trump understands that hating immigrants is a common tactic used by politicians to create an enemy that must be eradicated, and he exploits this fear just to help him gain support. But on the contrary, it is the opposite, in a study done in a 150-year period, 60% of immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated than U.S. citizens.
Even so, I’ve been taught to believe that America is considered to be the “land of the free.” Immigrants shouldn’t have to face consequences for wanting a better life. This hatred for immigrants comes from a place of privilege and a lack of empathy, as many do not realize what others have gone through in order for them to risk everything to come here.
Despite attempts to curry favor with American citizens, including suspending the TikTok ban for 75 days, President Trump’s actions are not necessarily excused. His actions could lead to further division in our nation and hinder the improvement of already weak communities. His policies on immigration and education reopen issues within America that have already been addressed during previous presidents’ terms. Editing or removing the solutions to the problems doesn’t necessarily resolve them, but instead creates new burdens for the next president to deal with.
Instead of helping cultivate a new era in America, Donald Trump has already set back the country several years in less than two weeks of his presidency.
by SIMON ARAGOZA