Trump demonizes immigrants, accuses them of “infesting” the country – DW – 10/12/2024

Donald Trump promised this Friday (10/11/2024) November 5th to be “Liberation Day” for “Occupied America” ​​at a rally in an occupied city to “infest” the country with immigrants. Him, by the Venezuelan band Tren de Aragua.

In the final stretch of the race for the White House, the former Republican leader combined protectionist economic discourse and demonization of immigrants to strengthen his base of mainly working-class whites.

His rival in the Nov. 5 presidential election, Kamala Harris, is, by contrast, sending a message of unity.

In a more radical speech than usual, Trump gave free rein to his anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“America is known, around the world, as ‘occupied America,’ and they call it ‘occupied.’ We are being occupied by a criminal force,” he said in Aurora, Colorado. )

“I make you this promise, I make a vow: November 5, 2024 will be Liberation Day in America,” he added.

He accused Harris of “importing an army of illegal alien gang members and immigrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World” and “relocating” them to Aurora.

Far-right supporters say the city has been terrorized by Latin American immigrants since the release of a video showing armed Latinos in a building, despite denials from authorities.

Trump called the vice president a “criminal” and falsely claimed that Venezuelan mobs in Colorado were given permission to shoot at police.

“The Enemy Within”

According to him, there is an “enemy within”: “all the garbage we have to deal with who hate our country”, in his words.

Trump, who has promised to deport members of outlaw gangs as long as they remain, outlined some of the steps he would take if elected.

“I will catch and release,” he said, referring to the policy of releasing immigrants who cross the border without permission (pending an immigration hearing) rather than arresting them.

“I will restore the “Stay in Mexico” program,” he introduced during his mandate, so that immigrants await the end of the immigration process on the other side of the border.

“I would bring back Title 42,” he said, referring to a health provision implemented during the pandemic that allowed the detainment of virtually all immigrants.

“They are very sick with very contagious diseases and they are brought to infect our country (…),” he said of the immigrants, whom he had already accused of “poisoning” America and eating pets.

“I will send Congress a bill to ban all sanctuary cities, which protect immigrants from deportation, and we will begin the largest deportation crackdown in American history,” the president continued.

“Let’s close the border. Let’s stop the illegal occupation (…) defend our territory, we will not be captured,” he concluded in belligerent tones.

mg (afp, inkl)