Boko Haram and Nigerian phone call conmen are the poster children for Nigeria. Whether that is fair or not, it is a fact. The news talks of Muslim and Christian girls being kidnapped by another evil branch of the Islamic fundamentalist tree. Out comedians recycle jokes about Nigerian conmen. So let Nigeria get its act together. But until then, I am not going to support putting the lives of people I love at risk so that the politically correct leftists here can feel superior. Virtue signal as much as you want. Trump is right about this one.
59
@ehillesum. Do you think a ban on Saudi Arabia should be prioritized? After all almost all 911 attackers were from there? If not, why do you think Nigerian citizens are a bigger threat?
36
@ehillesum
The "fact" that you consider these the "poster children" for Nigeria belies your own ignorance, not anything about Nigerians or what people who actually get out in the world know the facts to be.
24
The American citizenry is under NO obligation to offer up our country as a pressure release valve for the world’s overpopulated billions. Our country is already sufficiently burdened with overpopulation, which negatively impacts every facet of American life...environmentally, economically, socially ...and every other way.
Meanwhile, we have over 20 MILLION foreign nationals residing in our country illegally...with thousands more arriving every month to exploit our public services, our schools, hospitals, welfare system, and birthright citizenship laws...at a cost to American taxpayers in the $Billions, year after year.
When will we finally say.. ‘Enough’!
16
There is nothing racist about ban on countries that do not do proper trusted procedures to vet folks. It is not racist in any way, shape or form.
And when "journalists" throw around the word racism like this, it really cheapens the meaning. Save it for when you have truly racist actions so it means something when it actually does rear its ugly head.
13
Mr. Bouie, do you realize that if we didn't limit immigration from poor countries, their entire populations would be here? Look at how percent of foreign born population has gone from roughly 5% in the 60s to close to 15% now.
I personally have seen how NYC's population has changed mostly after 9/11, in ways that most of us do not like. Prior to 9/11 you couldn't see anyone with headscarves, now you can't go out without bumping to one or more women in their head to toe covering. Is it criminal to want to preserve the cultural and religious makeup of US? If we wanted to live in a Muslim majority country, we have dozens to choose from. Must we have open borders in order not to be called racist?
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states
45
@CacaMera Native American: If we don't limit immigration from England their entire population will be here.
7
@CacaMera I agree completely. Everyone in this country must declare they are true Americans in order to stay. The first requirement will be to declare which Native tribe their ancestors are from. Everyone else gets deported.
11
@Mag. Haven’t people been cheering the very low unemployment rate for months now? Housing IS an issue but don’t think immigrants- documented or not- are the cause. Viruses travel and not just on immigrants: you plan to forbid travel? The USA behind an Iron Curtain: no one comes in and no one leaves. Now there’s a wall for Trump to aspire to: one that keeps out not just non-European people but viruses and germs too!
6
Trump is a racist. I admire your stamina at continuing to point it out.
8
If you think this is unbearably racist then wait for the wrath of Mitch, Lindsey, mercurial Susan and of course, Donald, in his second term. The only way for you and others to stop this is use your influence and position as a writer to explain to all those concerned about racism that people have to register and vote to get rid of these persons. Somehow the message has to be to vote for the best of the choices rather than waiting for a candidate just like them in every way as this is not likely to happen. The time is nigh for mobilizing voters and connecting solutions to problems like racism, voting for the best choice rather than being outraged or indignant.
3
Thank you Mr. Bouie for saying strait out and in plain language that our president is a racist along with Miller.
America has never been a white country. All of the American Continent was the home of native Americans from Canada to the tip of South America. If anyone does not belong here it is us Western Europeans.
I have spent my whole life hearing white people calling nonwhites racist names like it was sooo funny.
We are all Americans now no matter where we came from or what color our skin is or what our religion.
6
Respectfully I completely disagree with you Mr Boule. The banned countries have failed to meet security practices that our nation has given them ample time and funding to complete. While your headline is click bait and emotionally wringing but it is pure partisan falsehood.
15
I am one of those who still believes that racial resentment and racism are the very heart and soul of everything that the Trump Republican administration does. Trump feeds it to his base and his base adores him for it and the McConnell Republican senators are scared to death of Trump turning his rabid mob against them. It could be said that they are all unified in the desire to do anything at all, including burning society to the ground, if that's what it takes to preserve and augment the unearned and unmerited dominance and entitlements of white conservative people and especially white conservative male people. This racism is one of only a few consistent themes that this administration has.
(We must look at this of course not through the tall tales of the Republican propaganda machine but rather through the lens of truth. For instance, the vast majority of Democrats and their representatives and their presidential candidates want safe, sane and humane border and immigration policies. They want the kind of bipartisan border and immigration legislation that Congress has already given to Trump several times. The stuff about open borders and the like is complete hooey.)
3
It's amazing. People are agast at what Trump has done with the environment, immigration, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Europe, Joe Biden, Putin etc. etc. But, no one holds him accountable. Why? How do we explain this to our kids?
How do our kids explain to us, that the history they are learning in school does not fit reality in this country? Why do people defend Trump and his lying?
6
This policy is clearly not about security. As the author clearly states, "And, it should be said, the administration has not banned all entry from Nigeria — only applications for permanent residence. Tourists can still visit America, an odd loophole if the White House is actually worried about terrorism." Permanent residents are much more thoroughly vetted than tourists. And it is also not about Nigerians overstaying visas. Again, this concerns banning any from applying, legally, for permanent residency. Put this together with a long list of other policies, eg "public charge rule"/wealth test which would also limit permanent immigration from predominantly poorer, non-white countries, and you start to see a pattern. Put this together with the history of Stephen Miller, the white nationalist who is the administration's chief architect on immigration policy, and you start to see a rationale. The goal is not to limit brown/black tourists, it is to keep brown/black people from permanent residency and citizenship, because in the minds of Trump/Miller, they make for inferior residents and citizens.
3
This appears to be yet another decision on a to-do list handed to Trump by Putin.
Russia, China, Turkey and other investors are building strong inroads in the emerging economies on the continent of Africa.
This is yet another example of Trump destroying America's post WWII position as an inspiring leader in, and beacon to, the world, and turning us into a much disliked and to-be-avoided pariah state.
2
A racist administration pandering to their racist base.
LET'S MAKE RACISM WRONG AGAIN.
VOTE DEMOCRAT IN NOVEMBER!!
11
Please.What can you possibly hope to say to damage the guy come General election?
You’ve already told us the sky was falling every week since he was elected. You told us the brown shirts were coming. You told us it was a literal dictatorship! You told us the economy was going to tank! World war three was going to kick off! Minorities would be hunted in the streets! Roe v Wade overturned!
Any day Trump would be in jail! Just wait till Muller! Just wait till Impeachment! Just wait till Bolton’s book!
You have worn all of it out so long ago. Why would anyone listen to your tantrums and hyperbole at this point? You have been exposed as the sore loser party you’ve been since Gore.
5
The president and his minions are surely considering adding Indonesia to the list. With over 200 million Muslims how could they not?
Which race or religion is being targeted? White Belorussians? Majority Buddhist Burmese? More racial nonsense. There are a number of drawbacks from excessive population density, just look around. Population growth is not a prerequisite for our success. Increasing in individual productivity is the route to success, not just stacking millions more people on top of each other here.
14
I guess it really all was about "economic anxiety"
America and Western Europe I suppose have a pathological obsession with race that can only lead to existential despair. I blame God. And geography.
1
I don’t think this is racism. China has always been a hot spot for disease. What Trump is doing is smart in light of the fact that this virus is way too easy to pass around
4
@george lange Oops! Didn't read the article.
1
President Trump's racist policies - fueled as they are by one of the most terrifying, anti-immigrant "public servants" in US history, Stephen Miller - have shown a clear electoral upside with voters who are susceptible to fear-based demonization of "the other".
Democrats need to shine a bright light on this behavior and the effect on its victims, in order to raise the electoral cost among the many good citizens who are appalled as they learn chapter and verse of this orchestrated, dystopian purge-like malfeasance.
1
I'm far more interested in helping African Americans whose ancestors were enslaved, not would-be immigrants from Africa.
13
The second that I heard that Trump added Nigeria to the list my first thought was this will win him reelection.
5
Pointing out that Trump is racist is like discovering that a toaster over heats pizza slices. It's one of the features written on the box when you buy it.
2
Ah yes. The old "we'll only take the best and brightest" nonsense. Which ignores the fact that the best and brightest of a nation usually do not leave. They have no reason to leave.
The whole thing is designed to limit immigration from nonwhite nations.
1
This is an intentionally divisive and cynical article, and a false narrative.
Anyone who actually takes the time to READ the executive orders will see that the rationale for doing so is laid out clearly and unambiguously.
It's a cheap stunt to paint this as racism.
And predictable.
14
I don’t know why the United States has to act as a pressure valve via immigration for the rest of the world. If we are so worried about climate change, then maybe these countries should practice birth control and then they wouldn’t be compelled to migrate to Western Europe and the U.S.
16
So now that the travel ban prevents black, Asian, brown, and white people (Kazakhstan has a lot of white looking people to me, I dont know if others do but I'd classify them as white like I do Russian people) it's still racist. Now that it covers Christian's, Muslims, militant atheists (NK), and pagans it's still just Islamophobic.
I just dont buy it. What I see are countries that have little to no control, or are dictatorships, or are states with a lot of terrorist groups. I see a diverse range of countries with huge problems that need to be solved before we can let in just anyone who wants to immigrate or come here.
11
What a burden it must be to view all of life through the lens of racism. If there’s a problem, some would have us believe, racism must be the culprit.
12
I think Trump meant Norwegians when he wrote Nigerians. We know he can’t spell.
3
It is white supremacist terrorism that the administration should be most focused on. In recent years white supremacist terrorists have been responsible for more acts of terrorism in the US and more fatalities than Islamic terrorists and by all accounts the threat of white supremacist terrorists is growing. Of course America has numerous potential white supremacists and there have been recent reports of neo-Nazi groups forming terrorist cells. The type of people that Americans should fear the most are white people. The main way to deal with this growing threat from white people is not through any immigration rules but by increasing efforts of the FBI to deal with white supremacist terrorism.
1
It's a racist country, except that "Nigerians are among the most successful immigrants to the United States, surpassing native-born Americans in income and educational attainment." Oops, how did that happen. They're not only successful, they're better than you are.
2
We all (should) know that America is land of immigrants from virtually all countries of the world who came here to escape oppression and build a better life for themselves and their family.
I am not historian but my family fled Easter Europe Settlement of Pale in late 1800's until my mother came as a child with her family in 1923 - just before the restrictive Johnson-Reed act.
I didn't see it in article but this act also restricted immigration of eastern European Jews trying to flee Nazis.
Stephen Miller should know this - his great grandparents left
Antopol Poland in about 1904 fleeing the pogroms and poverty inflicted on the Jews by the Poles and/or Russians.
How quickly he has forgotten his own roots. He is a vile and
cruel person.
Only one answer to this article and all others that are similar, and to most comments.
We must all vote in November for Democrats - for President, Senate and House to restore decency, tolerance for others, compassion to help the vulnerable and less fortunate and--
to restore our DEMOCRACY !
Must have a blue tsunami in federal and state governments in November, 2020.
Don't stay home. Your vote is your voice !
5
I'd just like say to the "predominant culture" warriors in the comments here that if you find your views are socially unacceptable, you might have the wrong idea about what the predominant culture in the United States actually is; and even if we're going to go ahead and accept the nonsense premise that there is a "predominant culture," that still has the problem of passing over in silence the questionable assumption that there ought to be one.
One feature of this rhetoric that is important to point out is that it self-represents as unquestionable common sense, precisely for the purpose of not having a discussion about its premises. Call it out.
2
I voted for Trump because of the immigration catastrophe and will do so again for the same reason. All illegals should be deported and we should reduce the number of legal immigrants added and filter them with a merit system like every other Western nation uses. Only the U.S. accepts destitution, illiteracy, the aged, family members over skill sets, and those who are culturally incompatible, if not hostile, to the mores developed over the nation's 244 year history.
24
@Grunt I will vote for Trump on his immigration stance. We don't need any more humans -- there are too many right now. I love animals and want to save what is left of the environment. This has nothing to do with racism. Pro-immigration = anti-environment.
8
The quote from historian Mae Ngai suggests that it was improper to 'elide' the difference between the descendants of slaves, descendants of free blacks, and descendants of voluntary African immigrants.
While I disagree with any racialized disparate treatment of people, I don't think any subset of black people deserve better/worse treatment than another. We all deserve equal rights under the law, eliding any racial hierarchy that exists in the minds of racists.
2
RIGHT?!! Thank you for writing an op ed about this. Most of the countries he banned don't have a single case of Coronavirus.
United States still is a majority European White and Christian nation.
It is perfectly reasonable that a nation state wants to retain its national identity and adjusting its immigration policy to that end is absolutely valid as well.
What Trump administration doing in no different from what Singapore , Norway or Japan is doing in order to prevent social upheaval resulting from untrammelled immigration.
Yes United States was founded by immigrants but that doesn’t mean that those open border policies should stay the same when the nation has matured and its predominant culture has taken root.
To deny perfectly justified apprehensions of the natives about the ill effects of uncontrolled immigration ( jobs,assimilation, respect to values cherished by the natives such as freedom of speech, freedom from religion , women’s rights and rights of sexual minorities) is both obtuse and intellectually dishonest.
I have seen strong indications that a silent majority of Americans tacitly approve of these measures even if they are hesitant to voice them in polite society for the fear of being labelled a bigot, racist or a xenophobe.
115
@Gander FIR
This is not Germany in the 1930s, there is no such thing as a "blood" American.
The majority of Americans used to be descended solely from immigrants from Great Britain and Protestant Ireland. Then, white immigrants from other places streamed in, and that was no longer the case. Did the country lose its national identity? No!
For much of colonial and early American history, the majority or close-to-majority population of several Southern states was African-American. Were those Southern states less American? No!
The entire American experiment has been about expanding the umbrella. By the second generation, everyone (line myself, kid of non-white immigrants) is American and identifies more with the US than anywhere else, even if we have our criticism.
86
@Gander FIR Immigrants have been coming to the country since the Pilgrims.
24
@Gander FIR
Wow, that's all just completely wrong. American culture is specifically immigrant culture. There is absolutely nothing that dictates that we should be white or European or Christian. Virtually all measurable facts indicate that immigration is good for the country and makes us wealthier and better off. Preventing terrorism would be a legitimate reason to restrict registration, but it's clear from the way these laws are written (e.g. allowing tourist visas but not permanent) shows that the primary motivation has nothing to do with that. And who cares if a silent majority of Americans are secret racists as you suggest, it still doesn't make it right (and I happen to disagree with you on that, too).
73
I have many friends from Eritrea and Nigeria. They ,are hard-working, community-minded, generous and talented people. They contribute immeasurably to US society and culture. How horrible this news is: first, in the message of racism and xenophobia that hurts them emotionally and socially; second, in the fact that they may not be able to reunite their familes here in the US.
Many immigrant families come here in small "batches;" e.g. first a father, then his wife and children after he has become established. This practice is derided by the administration as "chain migration." In fact, it makes a lot of sense, and contributes to their well-being and that of our nation.
A grandma who has no economic value by Stephen Miller's calculations provides child care, housework and meal preparation while Mom and Dad are working second-and third-shift jobs. Little children grow up to become talented members of their schools and churches. People with disabilities are able to access the services and infrastructure that will help them achieve their full potential and contribute to the community. (These examples are drawn from my circle.)
Mr. Miller and his cohort, should they visited their aging relatives in a nursing home, could count the number of African immigrants--many with advanced degrees--who patiently change residents' diapers, spoon-fed them, lift them from bed, and patiently listen to them when they are lonely and distressed, for puny wages under tough conditions.
6
@M. Hart
An end to chain migration would still allow an immigrant to bring his or her spouse and children here. It would disallow siblings and their families, cousins, and other extended family members unless these people could get in on their own merits.
11
@ann I don't think that's been decided, and even if it has, these guys have a way of moving the goalposts capriciously.
Under your rubric, two of my three examples: a grandma, who would not qualify for family reunification, and a disabled person who is judged likely to become a "public charge" will lose the ability to immigrate.
1
How will the liberal left respond when we once again are faced with a terrorist act that could have been avoided had a realistic immigration policy been put in place. We are already experiencing the assaults to society their approach to ICE and bail reform has caused. Liberal idiocy in action!
27
We already have. The WASPs shot up the synagogues and mosques!
10
@Michael Jovanovic
We already have when white supremacist Dylann Roof killed 9 members of a Black church in Charleston, S.C. in 2015.
If that's not terrorism -- nothing is.
4
We don't need any more immigrants.
32
@Tim The US is overpopulated. I, myself, can't stand the traffic -- more humans equals more cars on the road. We don't need any more immigrants whether legal or illegal. I don't care what color their skin is -- has nothing to do with racism. There are so many bad consequences due to overpopulation besides traffic. Those who are pro-immigration are anti-environment.
12
@Carol. How about limiting the number of children like China did? Or the number of cars? Or tolls? Investing in mass transit? If the environment is really your concern there are more targeted solutions.
1
I am trying to understand why Nigerians, or people from any country, have a right to emigrate to the US. Racist or not- we have enough people. I don't care if there is a ban on all people entering the US. I am tired of this country being the dumping ground for the planet. I am tired of left-wing radicals defining this issue as 'take everyone, forever, or you are a racist.'. At a certain point more people means a lowered standard of living and quality of life for everyone. Nigerians have a perfectly good country of thier own. If they ruined it that is there fault- not mine.
29
@William Owens You're assuming that the immigrants from Nigeria et al are working on the books, and not off the books or becoming dependents of our welfare system. Somehow, in my entire life, my taxes have always gone up and the share of welfare recipients also seems to go up.
16
@William Owens
Sounds like a Ponzi scheme. Ponzi schemes are great for those who get in early and get out before the scheme collapses. Our population scheme will collapse as the planet warms, which is why those who believe immigration and economic growth are the answer are tempted to ignore or deny climate change.
10
@William Owens This is a myth. China has had one of the fastest growing economies for the past 3 decades with zero immigration. They are smart enough to invest in their own citizens instead of depending on importing foreigners.
19
While Obama gets way more style points for how these restrictions are served up, they’re basically the same. The broad accusations of racism and Islamaphobia need to be checked against the latest intelligence, the (many) Islamic sources of terrorism and these countries’ own systems on people traveling in and out. This article points out Trump’s unfortunate spin, but most Americans will look at this through a security lens first, which this article generally dismisses.
73
@Alberto Abrizzi Read the part about Nigeria where it says that Nigerians can still visit as tourists. Just not apply for permanent residence. So how does that serve the interests of security? A tourist visa gives a terrorist plenty of time to, well, commit acts of terrorism. No, I do not for one minute believe this is about national security.
55
@Delysia
Agreed. If anything, immigrants get far more security vetting than tourists do.
7
@Alberto Abrizzi One country which only periodically gets mentioned is Saudi Arabia. How can that country NOT be part of a ban, if national security is truly the point? Most of the 9/11 participants were Saudi. The killing of an American resident, Khashoggi, by the Saudi government. The recent attack on a US military base in Florida by a Saudi soldier. Yet, our government refuses to acknowledge the terror threat from them, and instead institutes bans against countries with no history of security threats against our country.
25
The rise of far right in Europe is primarily in response to the rise of radical Islam. The left makes it impossible to have an honest conversation about radical Islam labeling any criticism as Islamophobic. The result is rise of extreme right with actual racist views.
If we make reasonable conversations about Islamist ideology impossible, we’ll make extreme consequences inevitable!
I’m not a Trump supporter but it’s not racist to take a hard line against countries whose citizens routinely violate rules and norms.
34
Islam is not a race. It is a highly prescriptive religion and sometimes ideology. Converting to Islam would not transform me a from a white male to another “race.”
27
Most Americans are quite happy to keep these countries out of the USA. They would rather be safer then worry about complying with the wishes of latte-sipping opinion writers in the major media.
37
@Robert
Whiter. Fixed it for you.
1
When my parents and I migrated here (late 60's) America was a rising power that other nations looked to with respect. Five decades later, Our Stable Genius and his minions have reduced us to a barrel of jokes. GOP: this is not progress!
45
Nigeria is a big, diverse, secular democracy with a vast university system and the biggest economy on the African continent.
What will we gain by barring Nigerians from the U.S.? It won't make us safer. Nigerian immigrants and visitors pose no danger to us.
No, all this will do is turn the most populous nation in Africa against us.
We should be assisting the Nigerian government in its struggle with the terrorist group Boko Haram, not keeping Nigerians out of the U.S.
We should see Nigeria as a potentially great ally. After all, there are more English speakers in NIgeria than there are in the United Kingdom.
Nigeria is not just Boko Haram. It has had a huge literary and musical impact in the world. Some Americans might have heard of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author of "Americanah" and other novels; or Chinua Achebe, the famous Nigerian author of "Things Fall Apart"; or Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, the novelist and playwright. These are just a few of the multitudes of writers Nigeria has produced.
None of this matters. We already know that all Trump cares about is reelection. This goal is to keep dark-skinned people away, then brag about it to his supporters.
7
Once again, a complex issue is reduced to the old tiresome dynamics of black and white. Does the author know what color the Kyrgyz people are? Let me enlighten him: Asian and white. What about Myanmar? Asian. It’s true that all these countries have a Muslim population but even leaving aside the obvious caveat that Islam is not a race, in each of these countries the dynamics is quite different: Muslims are persecuted in Myanmar; Eritrea has a Christian majority while Kyrgyzstan, a post-Soviet republic, is mostly secular. And to claim that Boko Haram, one of the most vicious terrorist organization on the planet, that specialize in child abduction and genocide is not a threat to the US because they have not killed an American (yet) is an insult to our intelligence. I don’t understand the rationale behind choosing all of these countries for a new travel ban. But I am sure that it is not what Mr. Bouie claims because he seems to know so little of the countries he is writing about.
23
@Mor This charge of racism is a lot of baloney. I guess I'll vote for Trump. It's human overpopulation that I am against -- don't care about the color of one's skin. It's so ignorant and uncaring (about our environment) to keep allowing so many immigrants into the US every year. Trump will win on his immigration stance alone.
7
I think this is overwrought. The US will not be weakened as a country by these bans. It’s not like these countries have wondrous educational systems or uniquely valuable cultures. And no one could argue that they do present risk. So why take it?
21
@John Martin
What countries, in your estimation, do have have 'uniquely valuable cultures'?
And as to your argument about education systems, Nigerians immigrants are among the most highly educated of any group immigrating here.
3
@networthy
So basically only Canada, Australia, European nations and 'a couple' of nations in East Asia have 'uniquely valuable cultures'. Egro, only white people and a 'a couple' of nations in East Asia have valuable cultures. So, the 40 percent of Americans who don't come from these favored places don't come from places that have valuable cultures?
Is this not textbook racism? The fact that you don't care whether it is or isn't makes it no less so. One thing we agree on is that many Americans think just as you do. America is not a land of freedom, initiative, enterprise, diversity. Nope, America is a land of white people. By, of and for white people -- and people from a couple of unnamed Asian countries.
2
The courts (ALL of them) have refused to stop, or slow Trump's attempts to exclude people of color (except White) from entering the US by legal means. Now the people must stop Trump themselves.
3
Once again, Mr. Bouie, you mix wholly valid arguments with invalid talking points and innuendo. Take your statement, which I also understand is true: "Nigerians are among the most successful immigrants to the United States, surpassing native-born Americans in income and educational attainment."
Surely this is therefore one area where the country isn't racist, at least, not racist enough to stop immigrant Nigerians from achieving their full potential. The same is true of East Indian immigrants, who are wildly successful here.
If you don't praise the good along with the criticizing the bad, you lose a big part of your audience. For comparison, there is a loud group that now takes as given that the free labor of slaves accounts for almost all current US wealth, despite its demonstrable, almost transparent falsity. See, e.g., Olmstead, Alan L. & Rhode, Paul W., 2018. "Cotton, slavery, and the new history of capitalism," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1-17.
Slavery was evil enough, and Trump is bad enough, without flamboyant exaggeration.
23
Well, of course Trump’s travel ban is based on racism. That’s just what he does, and I’m not surprised; it’s an election-year prize for his base.
If Trump were really interested in preventing terrorism, he would initiate investigations and crackdowns on white supremacist groups, which are, currently, the most dangerous source of domestic terrorism.
11
The one thing I have learned from these comments is that most Americans don’t have a clue about the complex, dynamic country called Nigeria or her people. Embarrassing but not surprising.
8
Well ok, just as I suspected, for the past several months the left has rarely mentioned Trump's "racism", as they had their latest phony politically motivated attack in full gear, the weaponization of impeachment. Now that, just like the "collusion" fiasco, impeachment is already fading away like the phony dud it is, we are back to the only constant, the subjective identity politics, no proof necessary Trump bogyman, racism! Now that they have run out of options, including producing an electable candidate, this is pretty much all we will hear for the left and their liberal press going into the election, Trump is a racist! Simply pathetic. They fail to realize their collusion and impeachment scams generated for the SOLE purpose of trying to sway the upcoming election has turned independents, such as myself against them, can you say backfire! I'm now voting for Trump, and I never thought I would say that--Trump is going to win bank on it!
20
@Chris Wite. To judge by the contents of your post you were always going to vote for Trump: he represents you so why wouldn’t you? I don’t know why you feel compelled to say “the left” made you do it. Perhaps you feel such a choice reflects poorly upon you and wish to spread the blame. Conservatives never “made me” vote a certain way.
1
It plays so well for Trump on this 75th anniversary of the camps in Europe. And, who’s fueling the policy? Stephen Miller and Jared kushner. Kushner’s Palestinian ‘peace plan” also involves limiting Palestinians’ mobility within their own homeland. Apartheid, racism, call it what you will, it’s wholly discriminatory and wrong. Kushner like Dershowitz have a personal agenda: dammed the Constitution and our institutions. Can anyone imagine what this country would be like had these brilliant people had been present at the Creation?
5
Yet we continue to place no limits on the one country with ties to September 11 terrorists.
12
Mr. Bouie seems to have failed to comprehend what America is now. Donald Trump has made racism the policy of the U.S. He warehouses immigrants in for-profit prisons. He courts neo-nazi voters. His party is totally behind him and they control the Senate.
Citizens who disapprove of the new America are currently free to voice their displeasure. After November, perhaps less so.
8
This administration is systematically trying to whiten the US. To deny this is obtuse.
They have spent billions interdicting and deporting Latin Americans. They refuse to regularize Dreamers. They have undermined the very concept of asylum. They have criminalized illegal entry. They have slashed legal immigration. They have made immigration and asylum hearings into a farce. They have caged babies. They have attacked family unification. They have come as close to zero immigration as the economy can stand, to placate his base.
And they have terrorized immigrant communities with raids on employers that have deported the workers and done nothing to the owners who hired them.
He has said and repeated racist memes to incite his followers to verbally and physically attack latinos.
If you can convince yourself this is not motivated by bigotry, there is nothing you will not believe if you set your mind to it.
7
@Revoltingallday
There is nothing that is going to make white women have large families ever again. Thank God we are evolving as a species. No such whitening is conceivably possible in a hyper consumerist economy. Birth rates have plummeted for 100 years.
2
We also spent billions on feeding, educating, healthcare and welfare on the illegals. Enough is enough!
3
And guess what? After spending billions on the ‘illegals’, they paid tens of billions in taxes, and mowed your lawns, slaughtered your pigs, and built your houses for slave wages. Such a deal!
1
Thank you Mr. Bouie. Donald Trump, like so many white Americans, but more virulently, wants all black people magically to disappear off of the face of the earth, except of course that he wants them to reappear when he thinks he needs them for something. Then they should disappear again until called for. Maybe we should call this form of racism "genieism", because for many white Americans, the ideal for nonwhites is to exist in a bottle, come out when called for, then disappear back into the bottle.
6
US immigration and refugee policies have always been anti-African, 45th just made it more blatant
5
Read the article about trump's speechwriters because it is very revealing of decisions like this. It involves Stephen Miller, known right wing extremists who chose the two other men who appear to be the same philosophically and have taken over the office of speechwriter. They are largely responsible (with trump's blessing) for coming up with these extreme Nazi like views. Do you think our esteemed congress is aware of any of this ? They do seem brain dead at this point.
8
This is just one more move by Trump/ Millar that eventually will give us our own version of the racist, anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws enacted in 1935 Germany.
3
First it was Islamophobia. Now it’s racism?
Give me a break. N.Korea, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan is also banned. And they aren’t Muslim or black.
18
If security was the main concern and presence of internal rogues the primary measure, then Germany with its abundance of Neo Nazi would be first on the list. But I suppose they are "fine people" ?
If stopping Muslim extremism, as opposed to just Muslims, was the primary focus, then Saudi Arabia would be the first one to feature on the travel ban. But I suppose that MBS has a deal for a Trump tower in Riyadh?
5
Totally agree
4
Over the summer I read the first 250 pages of William Schreier‘s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”. I would highly recommend this book precisely at the present time to anyone who might be concerned about the Trump administration‘s policies. The shutting out of immigrants, the packing of the courts, the delegitimization of the media, and the harshly aggressive retaliation against anyone who disagrees with them were all hallmarks of the early days of the National Socialist Party in the late 20s and early 30s in Germany . In this regard the Trump administration‘s policies are almost a carbon copy of what happen courtesy of Joseph Goebbels and Hitler.
It’s unlikely that this is a coincidence, it might be because of Steven Miller, to whom Donald Trump is continuously listening or it just might be that racists of a feather flock together.
Whatever the reason, this is not a time for apathy, nor is it a time for “this doesn’t concern me“. It concerns everyone, and anyone who is aware of history knows the dangers of repeating it.
6
The Republican Party and Donald Trump have never had a decent public policy idea in fifty years.
Their lone guiding principles are greed, oligarchy and sustaining feudalism.
Since those principles are abhorrent to the most people, they must be obscured by something else to hide the rapacious greed and avarice that is the true bedrock of the Republican Party.
Hence, the Grand Old Pigmentation party's 50-year Whites R Us Southern Strategy campaign originally championed by Richard Nixon in 1968 with a young Roger Ailes at his side, who would later become the guiding light of FOX News Grand Old Propaganda channel to stoke white spite 24 hours a day.
The GOP's white voter base requires the constant feeding of red meat to keep the fires of white fear and loathing of 'others' burning.
Ronald Reagan kicked off his 1980 campaign at the Neshoba County Fair near Philadelphia, Mississippi, a few miles from the site of one of the worst civil rights murders by white supremacists in American history.
Bush Sr. had Willie Horton.
Bush Jr. smeared John McCain with a racist whisper campaign about McCains adopted daughter from Pakistan.
Trump demonizes all foreigners and non-whites.
As Lyndon Johnson lamented about the sorry state of American politics in 1960, "if you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
That's the GOP platform.
9
I decry Trump's travel ban. And I would also like to draw attention to a great recent work of science fiction about an alien invasion and resistance set in Nigeria. The Rosewater Trilogy by Tade Thompson takes the idea of alien invasion into the realm of bioinformatics. And one learns quite a bit about Nigerian politics and society. Thank heavens the travel ban does not extend to books.
1
@Patricia That's next month.
If Trump wants to ban Muslim terrorists from the USA, he should start with Saudi Arabia. It was the Saudis who produced the majority of the 9/11 terrorists AND use their oil money to spread Wahabi Islamic fundamentalism around the world.
7
Virtually ALL of Herr Trump's policies and actions are deeply disturbing to anyone who cares about the "greater good" of communities, countries and the world as a whole. However, the most difficult to swallow of all, are those which discriminate either bald-facedly or under-handedly against large, diverse groups of people who don't happen to belong to the dominant ethnicity or religion of the USA, or at least the 40% of the country which seems to care greatly about such matters (a shockingly high percentage in and of itself!!). (i refuse to use the obsolete, completely useless category "white": such nonsense REALLY needs to be discontinued in the 21st century!). Discrimination/bigotry/racism/dehumanization is a VERY ugly side of human nature, and if we are to ever have a peaceful, prosperous world we must fight this tendency to divide all of humanity into counter-productive "us" and "them" categories: all false dichotomies carry with them great dangers, but this one more than most. As a nation, the USA must learn to embrace diversity and to seek the "common good" of all: this is the very best "win-win-win" solution for more than a few of the nation's challenges and Dark Sides.
1
I have consistently noted that the people who come from foreign countries legally--which all Africans do--are the best and the brightest, loving the freedom they experience here, making me excel in what I do by their example and inspiration. Some of the illegals as well.
And the reason is, they've managed to negotiate many obstacles to coming here. A ban says we hate you. A quota says welcome and congratulations. It's a no-brainer.
3
@jim guerin We have a quota, and people come illegally anyway. That's why there's a ban.
5
@KM
A ban does nothing about people who "come illegally". It prevents people from entering a legal process.
You must be fantasizing that immigration officers in airports are telling any and all people with Nigerian passports to go home. That's not how this works and it's not what is happening.
Educate yourself.
1
Dope. The ban is for legal immigration. Illegal is and always was illegal.
1
Two far more serious and immediate "vectors" for domestic terrorism are the forms of terrorism often referred to as organized crime and official/overt racism.
Maybe the Trump administration should consider expelling these from the country. I will gladly help them pack.
3
Editors,
You labor under a delusion that Mr. Trump believes in anything other than himself. He is not a racist because to be a racist you actually have to think that one group of people is superior to another. That requires thought, no matter how misguided or intellectually dishonest. Trump does not think, he calculates. He has said as much. He reads a room and plays whatever role he thinks will get the room on his side.
He does not care about any classes of people. He cares about fame, money and votes.
He will use anyone equally to get what he wants. If he feels singling out Muslims will get him votes then he will single them out. If he feels singling out Mexicans will get him votes, then he will single them out. If he felt attacking evangelicals would get him votes, then that's what he'd do. It is all the same to him. Other people exist to be used.
You are giving him way too much credit.
2
And the country not included in the ban? Saudi Arabia. Maybe the Nigerians need to open up a few Trump Hotels in Lagos.
3
Many of Trump's more heinous policies are being implemented under cover of Donald's silly tweets.
While he entertains the media and the public, his operatives are gutting government services, retiring scientists and career staffers, imposing odious collective bargaining agreements on federal unions, still holding kids in cages, ruining the farm economy, consorting with autocrats and raising concerns about our reliability as an ally.
Trump is dismantling the administrative state -- the one that enforces equal employment opportunity and protects the environment.
It will take a lot if time and money to restore American values to American institutions. Republicans will be held responsible for raising taxes to repair the damage done on their watch.
1
This new ban is not about terrorism, nor were the previous bans. Trump is desperate to keep America white and Christian at all costs. I am a white woman who finds that deplorable.
98
@Barbara
Chad has an African country with a predominantly Muslim population. It was initially on this second list of countries that were not giving us enough information about their citizens who wanted to come here. Then Chad started giving us more through information on them, and so it was removed from the list. If the other countries comply with our security needs, we will also issue visas for their citizens.
12
@Barbara
Keep America Christian? You mean the pseudo-christianity of the white "nationalists"?
9
Why is it not?
Trump is doing this because LBJ changed the exclusionary immigration policy with the immigration act of 1965, which opened legal immigration to the whole world; Africa, Asia, Latin America and the middle east. Trump's expansion of the excluded countries will be challenged in court again. By making it so obvious, Trump may actually be threatening his Supreme Court majority.
6
This is why no matter how obtuse and unethical the guy in the WH is, Democrats won't be able to beat him.
If we listen to Dems and Mr. Bouie, we have to continue outsourcing and offshoring jobs, while we bring in as many poor people as possible in a major rush to the bottom.
Yeah, keep it up and see the likes of Trump get elected over and over again.
26
@CacaMera If people are emigrating into a country and find work, there is in no way any sort of "offshoring" going on, since the term obviously means "the practice of basing some of a company's processes or services overseas, so as to take advantage of lower costs."
3
@CacaMera That's not at all what Mr. Bouie says, but sure.
1
@CacaMera
The problem with bringing in mostly wealthy people from thoroughly corrupt countries is that you are biasing the selection towards people who are likely criminals. Even worse, they are likely to retain ties to their homeland in ways that could help evade our law enforcement.
Over time, this is likely to eventually create a reputation that harms everyone from that country. Wealth tests are a horrible formula when applied to most of the world.
2
Putting a racist label on every action by the President does more harm than good. Is the travel ban racist? Hardly. Crying wolf isn't the path to follow as folks will turn a blind eye to future accusations that could be true. Choose your battles, and choose wisely.
13
Jamelle,
This is a highly useful template headline. You can do an entire series called “The Racism at the Heart of Trump’s (fill in the blank) Policy”.
2
The sad truth is that racism is a winning strategy for Trump. His base loves that he's banning blacks and muslims from the country.
And the vast majority of us who find this appalling would never vote for him anyway. It is akin to the Southern strategy that Republicans have perfected over the decades. The difference is Trump doesn't even bother to dog whistle.
72
@Sparky
It is not "akin" to the Southern Strategy. It is the apotheosis of it.
The GOP expanded the Southern Strategy to the entire nation under Reagan. And sadly, it has worked for them.
4
OMG - Outrage that America will suffer because fewer Nigerians will legally immigrate to the United States ?
My kids are struggling to pay for housing, healthcare, and daycare for their children.
And Democrats wonder why Trump will get re-elected.
8
Racism's at the core of Trump's essence. Every policy, every utterance is baked in racist overtones. Divide and conquer is his motto.God help us!
3
If you view everything through the lens of race, then everything you see appears to be racist. There are certain countries that tend to produce individuals who are potentially more dangerous to us than others. I do not think these restrictions are racist and your continued projection of racism, without evidence but based on your own, clearly biased opinion, is becoming odious.
11
China will be very happy to enter the void the US is leavng around the world.
1
@EmmettC No they won't, they allow almost no immigration. They want Nigerians in their country even less than people in the US do. For all the screaming from the left, the US is one of the most immigrant-friendly countries in the world. Which is why so many want to come here, even if they can't do so legally.
5
I wish the Native Inhabitants of what we now call America had a much better immigration plan. I wish they would have kept all the poor white people from coming and almost immediately using enslaved labor to enrich themselves. Maybe if they would have protected their borders, and told the white people to stay in their backwards corrupt European nations the entire world would be better off Today.
Now that we're all here sitting on land stolen from the Native Inhabitants, with centrues of brutal enforcement of strict Jim Crow statutes, genocide, and racists terrorism, maybe we should be more forgiving to all people looking for a better life. I'm sure the smug white people still fear that the immigrants given half a chance, will do to them what they did to other people around the world. Maybe those scared white people should re-read the inscription on the statue of liberty, and remember that this is "the land of the free and the home of the brave", but I guess that only applies to white people with guns and racists laws on their side.
5
@Mike , I wish that everyone could read this. How can people forget or not learn how we became the land of the free and the home of the brave? I am so discouraged with the way our country is going downhill. I’m beginning to worry that we can’t stop it from happening.
@Mike The poor white people were the labor, not the ones using slave labor. Those were the rich white people, who in many cases were descendants of wealthy Europeans who could afford to buy plantations. Blaming poor whites for things their ancestors had no part of is just going to drive them into the hands of Trump.
3
Thank you for calling it as it is. Trump is racist. Those that vote for him support and enable a racist. There are no two ways about it.
5
Racism is at the heart of Trump, period. Everything. Travel, immigration, regulation, you name it.
5
Nigeria is like India, all the good highly educated people come here and the country is the loser. Maybe we are doing Nigeria a favor but keeping them there. Like Marco Rubio’s parents, they are economic refugees.
4
Your claims about Nigerians sounds like the "model minority myth" about Asians that is criticized.
2
Thank you, Jamelle Bouie, for calling racism "racism", not a euphemism such as "concern for white nationalism." (For years, earlier this century, the NYT used to call torture by the government's "enhanced interrogation techniques," undermining the appearance of independence.)
Some might remember that Sec. of Agriculture Earl Butz was fired by the evil Nixon regime for telling a racist joke, yet Trump harms people with blatantly racist and bigoted polices, with the approval of the SCOTUS, and gains approval from his racist and bigoted base.
No one should accept a government that harms innocent people as legitimate, especially one based on racism.
Trump's racist, white supremacist, and anti-Muslim bigotry reveals a glaring defect of democracy. With a racist and/or bigoted electorate, democracy produces a vile illegitimate racist and bigoted government.
3
"And, it should be said, the administration has not banned all entry from Nigeria — only applications for permanent residence. Tourists can still visit America, an odd loophole if the White House is actually worried about terrorism."
Bingo. It makes me laugh, how trumpies solemnly tell us we must cage little children because terrorists might come through a port of entry. trump wisely makes those IS terrorists wait, bomb vests on, across the border in Mexico, where they'll just sit, looking at their watches patiently. Thwarted while waiting to blow up a BP agent or something.
But this idiot decree that NO NIGERIAN MAY LIVE IN THE U.S. (but rich tourists are OK)? Makes zero sense, since even I could pretend to be a rich tourist, go to the touristy places unimpeded and blow them up. Sheesh. Thanks for Stephen Miller, republicans.
Oh, and Russia? C'mon in!
Racism has nothing to do with the travel ban, per se. It stems from the Global War on Terror, launched in 2001. The US Patriot Act codifies most of the executive office freedoms. The other central causal factor, however, is the influence of special interests that surround the Executive Office. Part of that special interest was visible last week in Washington, as Jared Kushner's "Deal of the Century" was announced concerning the partition of Palestine. The travel ban merely extends from that larger geopolitical objective. I do think Obama at least notionally tried to soften that ideology, but he significantly alienated Israel, and Netanyahu, who has found his agency in Trump.
7
@Matt Andersson
If you change the first sentence in your comment to read:
"Racism has everything to do with the travel ban, per se. ...."
Then with the rest, it is spot on. Well done! Have a recommend.
Yet another obscenity, creating more "others" to be demonized. And more families separated for no reason. Like the earlier travel ban, there is no rational basis for these exclusions. Just meanness, hate and red meat for rallies.
7
Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world, with 206 million people. By 2100, it is projected to be the world’s third most populous country – ahead of the U.S. – with 733 million people, according to United Nations estimates. In a spring 2018 survey, 45% of Nigerian adults said they plan to move to another country sometime within the next five years. How many millions should the U.S. take in, Mr. Bouie?
31
Trump put the number to zero. It was never an open door policy to begin with and that's not what the author argued for.
18
@Tom Oh, I don't know, Tom. How about decent human beings try to work together to negotiate a reasonable number? I don't know anyone who thinks that US borders should be completely open. But Trump's policies are just plain racist. Also, neither the United Nations or anyone else has any business projecting what county's population will be in 2100. And given that India's population is now 1.3 billion, just how does 733 million make Nigeria the most populous country in the world in 2100, anyway? What a bunch of nonsense. And Stephen Milller? Echhhh. Now I need to wash my hands.
2
This same question is being asked in Europe, which has taken in tens of millions, and they are nonetheless called "racist."
7
We need vast and broad immigration to continue as a developed country. We cannot depend on Euroamericans to strengthen our economy. As a person of descent from multiple “races” including Native American, I am well aware that our country was not born from only white folks floating over from Europe and we still are in transition that blends are human traits into a wonderful melange of humanity. That will continue to be the sinew that strengthens us once those who are lost in racism and bigotry lose the power they have squandered in despicable acts over the last three years. Voting matters!
7
@Linda Johnson wrote: "We need vast and broad immigration to continue as a developed country."
China seems to be doing just fine without vast and broad immigration. So are all developed countries. So, no, we don't need vast and broad immigration.
We need policies that revive our middle class and raise up our poor. Bringing in a flood of foreign workers will not achieve either of those goals.
13
@NorthernVirginia Really ? Talk to people in the red midwest that cannot find enough labor to work the farms. Most Americans can't and won't do back-breaking labor. And what defines "our". How many generations in the US does it take to be considered "one of us" ?
1
@NorthernVirginia To revive the American middle class has little to nothing to do with the inflows of immigrants. You can argue that US should shut the door and sort out their domestic mess first. But to ban some countries in Africa over the rest of the world just sends out the signal that people from those countries are "bad" for the US. You also have troubling countries in Europe like Greece and Italy - if people there choose to move to America for better opportunities, they could do so; why can't a Nigerian does the same thing? Such immigration policy is dangerous because for people who are racists, this is validating their behavior, and for the marginalized population in the US, their social status got further compromised, for no justified reason whatsoever.
1
I'd encourage every reader who prioritizes this issue to write to their representatives, especially their Republican ones, as I did yesterday. My message was simple: work with their Congressional colleagues to provide policies/laws that mitigate the spurious, illogical dictates of this unqualified president. Trump lies so fluidly that whatever rationale his administration states for their pronouncements automatically is specious. It's time the Republican party stand for something other than the laptop of this unseemly president.
4
@Julie We should not focus only on what comes out if the White House, we need to pay attention to the lobbyist-funded activities going on in Congress. The last big attempt at immigration reform was heavily skewed in favor of certain lobbys. The current, more focused, S386 is another lobbyist funded attempt which would be a disaster for people from most of the world.
From the Canadian government travel site:
"Nigeria - AVOID NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL
Avoid non-essential travel to Nigeria due to the unpredictable security situation throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings.
Regional risk level - AVOID ALL TRAVEL
Avoid all travel to the following regions due to the risk of terrorism, armed attacks, kidnapping, intercommunal and sectarian violence"
The same advice can be easily located on multiple European country advisory sites as well. But - of course - those countries are nor racist.
21
This is a red-herring. Fear of the alien is a subterfuge for the wealthy class. People movement is not the issue. It's capital movement and that started with Nixon and China.
9
It has been my experience that one should never underestimate the importance of race when trying to understand human behavior in the United States, especially the adoption of any policy by President Trump or Mr. Miller. Mr. Trump and his father were charged by the federal government with discriminating against African American tenants, with no pretense of dangers based on terrorism. While President Trump also discriminates against most Muslims, it is no accident that the vast majority of the potential Muslim immigrants blocked by this policy are also black or people of color. If the risk of terrorism is not a pretext, why doesn’t the U.S. do more to effectively regulate visits and immigration by people from Saudi Arabia, since most of the 911 terrorists, and many other terrorists who have killed people in the U.S. have come from Saudi Arabia, not Nigeria. What is the difference between the people who live Saudi Arabia and Nigeria that activates the minds of President Trump and Mr. Miller? I would like to be part of a group effort to build a better culture in this country where these kinds of things are less likely to occur or be accepted as legitimate policy.
6
Several readers have suggested that the US "adopt Canada’s policy of only admitting immigrants that add the most value to the economy, bringing skills in short supply. We don’t need more janitors, gardeners, maids, and construction workers". Canada has more than one category of immigrants that are admitted - many are admitted based on NEED. Think about the number of people from Syria who came to Canada a couple of years ago. I volunteer in an organization that works with refugees - people from all over the world, many of them from northern African countries - and many of those folks lack employment skills. But they are some of the most motivated and hardest working people I have ever encountered. And they are willing to do the jobs that some Canadians don't want - for example, working in cleaning jobs, and stocking grocery shelves. The need for this work force is only going to increase over the years as the birth rate falls further in Canada - as it is in many Western countries.
13
Those who don't study history seem determined to repeat its worse elements.
9
Last year, Nashville elected a Muslim woman from Nigeria to an at-large seat on our Metro Council. She wears a hijab. She also was easily the most qualified of all the candidates in the race. She is a CPA with specific experience in municipal budgets -- a skill that is in short supply on the Council and also sorely needed as Nashville faces serious budget issues. You couldn't hear this woman speak without being impressed, and there was a sense of real celebration in many parts of the city when she was elected. We have thousands of people from the African diaspora in Nashville. They have become wonderful Americans. It is abundantly clear that Trump is appealing to racism. That's who he has always been, and a legacy of his Klan father. But it's dispiriting to see so many of our fellow citizens cheer him along, including Tennessee two senators who I can only describe as morally bankrupt and irredeemable.
32
@Katz I know this is a racial statement but over the course of 30 years I have know about 20+ people from various African countries. It was unusual that I liked them all and had great social interaction with these folks and some who are now friends.
I can say the same thing about my interaction with people from Newfoundland, Canada. Another group of folks I have never had a bad moment with.
Doesn’t make your opinion right, every president have the right to protect the interests of the country and its citizens. Without fear
22
@Anonymous But, as the column points out, there is no evidence that this is "protecting the interests of the country and its citizens." In fact, allowing Nigerian tourists directly undercuts the stated security rationale for the policy.
9
The list of reasons to convict and remove is a long one.
9
The last thing I want to be is a minority in my country. Who thought it was a good idea to threaten white folks that they were going to become a minority in this country anyway? Trump is what happened when that was done. Trump is now actively preventing white people from become minorities in this country. Yes, that is what he's doing. But perhaps a blast of liberalism will change his voters minds?
10
@No big deal Here is something to think about: It's not just your country, No Big Deal.
8
@No big deal Why are you so worried about becoming a minority? Does the US have a record of treating minorities badly or something?
8
@No big deal . Why is that a threat? It is what it is: just a strange way of counting and dividing Americans. The fear should have died a long time ago- maybe back when people feared Irish because they were Catholic and poor, Germans because they spoke another language, African slaves because we’d exploited and wronged them and feared payback, Chinese, Jews, Japanese-Americans... The list goes on and on and nothing is learned.
2
"Tourists can still visit America, an odd loophole if the White House is actually worried about terrorism."
Of the many odious elements of the Trump Administration's immigration policy, this particular part seems completely absurd beyond the point of any reason, sans just absolute racism and bigotry. It couldn't be more obvious that terrorists are not going to want to submit themselves to the vetting involved in actually emigrating to the U.S. (or anywhere else, for that matter), if only for the sheer amount of time, effort, and money involved, versus just entering a country on a tourist visa.
5
I used to work with a woman who was born in Nigeria, educated in Italy and the UK, and had emigrated to the U.S. to become a citizen. Her father was a Nigerian diplomat, so she traveled all over the world, taking his family with him. She was a brilliant woman, but hard to get close to because her European education made some of our Southern idioms and customs seem off-putting to her. But if she's an example of the people of Nigeria, and I believe she is, I say take Nigeria off the no-entry list, vet the ones who apply for visas, and stop being so blatantly racist. We continue to insult our allies and cozy up to dictators and despots (Putin, Kim, Erdegon, the Saudis). When will this nightmare end?
12
@Alice You should realize that not a people from a country are diplomats or children of diplomats. Your premise is flawed.
6
@Alice Anecdote is not data, especially when the person you mention is exceptional in many ways. Using her as an argument for all Nigerians is like using the Dalai Lama as an argument for all Chinese.
1
What else should we expect from a president who ran for office as a white nationalist? Emails have shown that Stephen Miller, who appears to be the main architect of Trump's immigration policy, was pushing material from white supremacists to Breitbart News. The biggest threat to Americans with regard to terrorism is from white power terrorists. Yet we don't see any immigration bans from countries where these people are most likely to come from.
8
As if we needed more proof of Donald Trump's unabashed racism, there comes news of his newest travel ban to restrict people of a certain faith and skin color to America.
Face it. It's pretty difficult for Mr. Trump to explain his way out of a previous statement he made about Nigerians, saying that said after seeing the U.S. they would never "go back to their huts" in Africa.
It makes no difference to him that Nigerians are highly educated and hard working -- and as a result of being a protectorate and then a colony of the British from 1901 until their independence in 1960, they all speak English.
American Blacks already know what the real deal is with this president when it comes to this president and his feelings about race.
Now the rest of the world knows it too.
5
With 4% of the world’s population, the United States ethnic breakdown is 60% White, 12% Black, 18% Hispanic, others 10%.
With only 3.2% of the world’s 7.8 billion persons classified as ‘white’ is a matter of time when 'whites' become a plurality in the USA. Messrs.
Trump and Miller will probably live to see this become a reality.
@MMJ where are you getting your numbers? Are they current?
1
If we’re willing to call say Ted Cruz and Jennifer Lopez “white”, and I think most Americans do consider white Latins as “white”...Then whites will maintain a numerical majority into the future...If that matters to you...
1
Does anyone remember that the stated rationale for Trump's initial travel ban was the "need" to establish a procedure for "extreme vetting." Does anyone recollect his saying that this process would take approximately three months to compose and institute? Why is no one challenging him over this? What's the delay? Why is the ban being expanded? Mr. Bouie is absolutely correct: it's clear that Trump's motive has nothing to do with the nation's security and everything to do with this "president's" racial preferences.
22
@stu freeman "Does anyone remember that the stated rationale for Trump's initial travel ban was the "need" to establish a procedure for "extreme vetting.""
Like George W's statements about WMDs in Iraq, this was just fabricated.
5
It is essential that immigration policies must be broadly constructed so that they are thoroughly understood by applicants and enforced objectively by border officers. And that is why Trump has continued to ride his wave of success and accomplishment in this particular domain. European countries continue to struggle with coherent methods to control their borders and satisfy their citizenry. And in particular, Europe’s Progressives point to Trump’s Policies “cruelty” to prevent any new immigration laws. Sooner, rather than later, a backlash will move critical immigration policies to a state where America’s will seem benevolent in comparison. The consequences will be lethal for “them” and safer for “us.”
8
A great harm caused by illegal immigration. We have so many people living in the US illegally that immigrants who are actually a great boon to the US are kept out simply because they are more immigrants. Generally speaking Nigerians are highly educated, English speaking, and assimilate seamlessly, I can't imagine a better people to welcome to our country. We need to move to a system like Canada has with e verify for all employment.
15
@somsai
Also -- wacky notion here -- if we are truly concerned about undocumented immigrants working, we should punish the employers to the point where it is uneconomic. It's easier and cheaper to enforce that punishing individual workers, and nets us fines to boot!
8
@April Almost everyone who is middle class or higher is guilty. Here teachers hire housecleaners, and the guy who knocks on the door with a better price for lawn mowing, the landscaper who only takes cash and has extremely limited English, every single restaurant, all new construction, the guilt is wide and everyone loves the low wages except American workers.
2
Another feature of the 1924 immigration act, though they would not have used the term at the time, was to force Americans to abandon any notions of multiculturalism. By stopping immigration from those nations whose citizens were deemed unassimilable, the people from those nations already here would have no choice but to abandon their traditional practices and Americanize.
The cruelty of 1924 law was an aspect of my childhood being, as I am, from one of the listed groups with family members who were prevented from coming to the U.S. in order to be reunited with their loved ones. Sadly, by the time the law was changed in 1965 for many of my relatives it was too late.
While we certainly need immigration reform it needs to be done within the context of our founding principles and must ensure due process, neither of which is possible by reinstating the brutishness of the past.
6
Mr.Bouie, our Country 100 years ago was radically different than today. We as a Nation have come a long way in those years and are so diverse compared to most other nations. Yes, Trump and Miller can’t be allowed to undo the progress we have made.
11
Saying that immigration policy is racist because most Americans are white and most immigrants are people of color completely ignores the reality of changes in demographics. America is mostly white because it was settled primarily by white European immigrants who were facing intolerable conditions in their home countries. In the prior century, the white societies of Europe became much nicer places to live, and thus immigration from those countries has dwindled. Now most immigrants are of color because horrible conditions exists in their home countries. We have always tried to enforce immigration laws, but progressives don't like the fact that those laws are affecting people of color more than whites. The laws are not racist, nor based on racism. The laws affect those who try to immigrate, and that demographic has changed.
IMHO, claiming that all issues have a racial discrimination basis is racist in and of itself, as it presupposes bias without analysis of other factors.
40
Mr b , setting aside that you are ignoring a lot, it seems that, in debating that the bias is not towards people of color, but towards people escaping intolerable conditions, you actually don't make a case against there being a bias. If the reasons that our white ancestors came over were to escape opression, and now we don't want immigration from any people escaping opression, the bias seems even more heinous, not less.
19
@Dr B
Policies need to be rooted in facts on the ground and clear goals. These travel bans have no coherent explanation in terms of national security or other valid interests, so it is fair to look to other motives.
9
@lise Thanks, but Jemelle's argument appears to be that whites want enforcement of immigration laws because current immigrants are primarily people of color. I believe we have always wanted enforcement of immigration laws, just as we have always wanted legal immigration. Saying we now want enforcement because immigrants are not white assumes that we've changed our attitude towards immigration because of the change in demographics. To assume that is racist, as it ascribes beliefs to an entire group based on their color rather than their individual motivations. Some whites are racist, but Jamelle's argument is that Trump and several members of his cabinet must be racist because they are white.
6
I'm surprised that this article and comments left out the fact that the new travel ban includes all pregnant women. I was less shocked by the new countries added to the list--this is just Trump being Trump--but I am horrified that he can get away with keeping pregnant women out of the country because he is afraid of "anchor babies." Babies are not terrorists, so there's no guesswork required to understand Trump's motivation for this rule. Imagine visa officers having to ask women if they're pregnant! What if a woman says "no" and is still suspect--will they require pregnancy tests?!
I would say it's unbelievable, but I will believe anything now, after 3 years under Trump.
27
@Dee I wouldn't be surprised if they did start requiring pregnancy tests. Just another way to violate a woman's body.
3
@Craig I am okay with tourism, and I'm okay with birthright citizenship, and I'm okay with immigration. I am the grandchild of immigrants (where did your family come from? or are you Native American?) and am disgusted by how the Trump administration treats immigrants. It would be great if Congress could revamp the system so more people could enter legally, IMO. But until then, I don't worry about immigrant terrorists, especially newborns; we have plenty of home-grown crazies to worry about.
1
Thank you Mr. Bouie:
You brought to mind a memory from 1977 when I was attending West Virginia University. I was a freshman and I met a Nigerian student in one class named Peter. He and I became friends and sat together. One day as we were walking to class he tried to hold my hand in friendship. I explained to him that in the US, it was probably not a good idea to hold hands while walking to class. He was a great guy and I have thought of him from time to time over all of these years.
Nowadays of course we have the internet. After reading your article I googled Peter. It turns out that he became a successful agricultural engineer and has lived within 150 miles of me for thirty years! He died tragically of cancer in 2001. God I wish I could talk to him again.
Tangential but I thought I would throw it out there.
Peace Peter.
42
@g
Thank you for that memory. I ate meals every day with African students when I worked in Beijing many years ago, and remember being told by a student from Gambia (all these Africans were doing engineering degrees in Chinese) that in Nigeria you are not considered educated unless you have a master's degree. That was in 1991.
Now, as a teacher with a young Congolese refugee from a camp in Tanzania among my 6th graders, I am equally curious about the inclusion of Tanzania.
1
Me. Bouie,
While I agree with most of what you say, I do have a question about income and educational attainment of Nigerians in the US.
Specifically, I would like to know what percentage of Nigerian immigrants arrive wealthy, or at least very well-off. My impression is that it is rather high relative to immigrants from many other countries. And since they come from a country where corruption is not (to be charitable) checked, questions concerning their attainment of financial success post arrival in the US are perhaps merited.
9
@The North
Since the US has a corrupt government, should all Americans being presumed corrupt?
Pre-judging someone based on their country of origin is the definition of, well, prejudice.
5
@The North wow, just wow. this line of reasoning suggests we ought to assume people guilty just for trying to better their lot and come to a different country. since there are still a lot of white supremacist elements in Europe should we assume immigrants from Europe are white supremacists until proven otherwise? should we vet them extra hard, too? Unless you apply this logic to all immigrants it seems biased to focus the scrutiny only on Nigerians. and maybe racist, too.
1
@MD. If letting 100,000 people from country x into the USA is going to raise the crime rate in the USA, why do it? Unless you just like crime.
The 1924 immigration law was proposed to stop immigration from Italy and Jews from Eastern Europe. It was very effective and stopped immigration from those groups. If Steven Miller’s Jewish ancestors had not come before 1924, he would not be here. An interesting curiosity of this law is that the proponents didn’t want to be accused of bias against Jews and Italians and so made the law read that immigrants were to be in proportion to those nationalities in the US in 1895, a date specially picked for a year when Jews and Italians were a very small number in this country.
19
@lester ostroy Ted Kennedy must have studied his history when he was able to insert the following provision for the first visa lottery: "at least 40 percent of the number of such visas in each fiscal year shall be made available to natives of the foreign state the natives of which received the greatest number of visas issued under section 314 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (or to aliens described in subsection (d ) who are the spouses or children of such natives)".
Or a long winded way to say "Ireland and Northern Ireland"
2
The author writes a lot about the 1924 law, almost 100 years ago. Yet he conveniently ignores the state of the affected countries’ technology in 2020 meant to assure the US that visa applicants are who they say they are. Upgrade vetting to get removed from the list. Do what every other country not on the list does. It’s that important and that simple.
20
Had the enforcement portion of Reagan’s immigration reform been enforced in even a lackluster fashion, Trump would never have won on his anti-immigration platform. Fewer immigrants and no future Trumps is a good enough trade off for me. Let’s move on already with a lesson learned.
46
@Djt yes this is the only real downside to immigration - our misinformed, frightened and racist tendencies make us vulnerable to self destructive right wing populism.
1
Reagan’s immigration reform gave very limited ways to fulfill the demand we have for labor, especially “low-skilled” labor.
@Djt
"Let’s move on already with a lesson learned."
How do you suggest we do that in a nation where the Senate is giving the President the freedom to declare himself President-For-Life, and not just the anti-abortion kind of life.
Turn out the lights, America's party's over.
Another great example of Trump's intolerance of certain races and religions is his ban for permanent residence of Tanzanians. Since independence, Tanzania has been largely peaceful and encounter less political conflict than many of its neighbors. While their dabbling in socialism (an African version of socialism called Ujamaa or familyhood) did put it at odds with the United States in the late 1900s, it has remained peaceful.
On the other hand, their neighbors in Kenya have had much more turmoil. This turmoil has shown up in terrorism leaking over from Somalia and election violence. However, Kenyans were not included in the travel ban.
Another fun and related fact, Kenya's population is only about 10% Muslim and Tanzania is about 35 to 45% Muslim. It is not difficult to connect the dots and understand Tump's intention and motivation behind this travel ban, and it should not be so difficult for the Supreme Court to notice this either.
22
@Kay N
Nigeria may be and is "fantastically" corrupt but if USA doesn't than England or Switzerland will be harvesting government looters stashes whenever they in accordance to global USD denominated oil commodities resources doctrines, coerced upon them accumulate by "regulating it" racket of corporations that drill there.
Naturally, this author and his liberal readers are opposed to the travel ban, without acknowledging its many strengths.
Trump is banning immigrants from hyper-dangerous third world countries. This will make the United States safer. Many of the nations on the list openly breed terrorists who vow our destruction. Largely, citizens of these countries possess values which are anathema to freedom and tolerance. Do you think citizens of Nigeria condone gay marriage? Women’s rights? The Left is afraid to have that conversation.
Economically, would-be immigrants from the banned countries have little to offer the United States, which should certainly be open to immigration, but of the best and the brightest.
I did not vote for Trump in 2016 and do not plan to in 2020, but I support his travel ban and the political courage he displayed in implementing the policy.
73
@Mark
Womens rights? So Trump's rolling back of womens rights by changing definitions of domestic violence and sexual assault are a shining example for the rest of the world?
29
@Mark "This will make the United States safer. Many of the nations on the list openly breed terrorists who vow our destruction. "
As we have seen, there are more terrorists born right here in America who vow our destruction than there are thousands of miles away in west Africa. America has been home to native-born terrorists (KKK,etc.) since there has been an America - and their numbers are growing exponentially right under our noses. If there is anything we should fear, it is that. We alraedy know the enemy - and it is us.
41
@Mullingitover Yes, the kindness and warmheartedness of Nigerians came into focus for me just last night on Facebook, where some of my friends had a prayer group going for Rush Limbaugh, who just announced that he was very sick. Many of the participants acknowledged the evil thoughts that came from this man and the negative impact Limbaugh's words have had on people of color - and they concluded that it gave them even more reason to pray for Rush's health to improve. Now that's compassion.
11
Has this country ever had a immigration policy that pleased the citizens of the country. Trump picks on immigrants for the simple reason the whole system is rigged against them and, as a bully, this is just the kind of thing he goes for. The big question is, of course, does this country or the current residents of it, actually see a positive in any aspect of the immigration policies?
22
@LHP The current immigration joke says something like this: "No one is above the law except the illegal immigrants". The system is broken.
18
@LHP How ironic...! A President who routinely demonstrates disrespect for the law is attempting to enforce the law. Trump cannot lead where he won't go!
33
@Floyd Lewis Do what the doctor says not what he does
The word racism carries a lot of baggage that draws people away from the heart of the issue. Before you can be a racist you have to be PREJUDICED: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. RACISM is a word that has been used so much for so long that it is relegated to the click-whir part of the brain. Prejudiced is a word that would stop me.
7
@DHR Read your own definition and examine the words, actions and policies generated by Stephen Miller and approved by trump. It is bold faced bigotry and racism that cannot be conflated as something else.
Looking up the "chicken in every pot" campaign phrase recently, I recently saw an ad for the Republic party that touted its efforts to "[pass] more laws to regulate and purify immigration." They also bragged about efforts to "reduce industrial and human junkpiles." Plus ça change...
6
I truly wonder if the President could find Nigeria on a map.
I’m sure that Stephen Miller, at this very moment, is busy at his computer, adding just the right touch of hate to the President’s SOTU speech this evening.
There is no research or science behind
this president’s immigration policy. Just Stephen Miller.
32
@Pat how do you know there is no research or science behind the immigration policy? Have you been a part of the process of creating policy? Maybe, just maybe, the president knows something you don't.
1
Why was Pakistan excluded?
2
@Santosh
Saudis or British wrath could be the factor to dissuade it.
1
@Santosh
Saudis or British wrath could be the factor to dissuade it.UKUSA need to control Pakistan strategic arsenal. How else do you want it to be done other than have a good working relationship by intelligence agencies cooperation with people who can press the button there?
Nigeria had an outsized role in the transatlantic slave trade: https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/transatlantic-slave-trade-nigeria.
To this day they still have not officially apologized for.
Though it is a nation of 200 million it is the definition of a failed state. This makes it dangerous. It has squandered its oil wealth and has experienced un presented brain drain thereby farther hindering its development.
I say for now stay home Nigerians and make your nation great again.
ADOS 2020.
13
@DAWGPOUND HAR Most of the ships carrying the slaves were Dutch, British, American and who knows from what other European countries. What is your point.
5
The transatlantic slave trade was conducted primarily by Europeans. Does this mean that Europeans should be banned from immigrating to the US?
5
@John Warnock read the last sentence to start with.
2
There was no sense to having Nigeria on this list
6
While Alexander Harrison respects fact you are fortunate enough to be a contributor to the TIMES newspaper, I find your views so naive,so politically correct as to be nonsensical. Nigeria is a FAILED STATE in my view and reasons for introducing a partial ban are justified. Spent years in Guinea Conakry as a mentor to students aspiring to become elementary school teachers,"instituteurs, institutrices dans les ecoles primaires,"@ENI , all of whom were adults, market traders, retired soccer players,"tres sympathiques,"but at that time country, still recovering from the brutality of Sekou Toure, and led by a hand picked successor,was also viewed as a failed state. In 2008, a massacre of over 150 "manifestants"occurred in Conakry centre perpetrated by forces of order, military and police, gendarmerie,Yet the violence in Guinea amounted to "peu de chose" compared to the corruption, disorder in Nigeria, where one sees the underserved northern part of the country, mainly Muslim in rebellion against the more developed south, Boco Haram, offshoot of Al Queda, is just 1 example of the prevailing chaos.We allow a half million, grosso modo, immigrants into this country yearly. Travel bans, temporary, r not the worst thing in the world,NGO which I worked for banned assignments to Nigeria in years when daily life became too unstable!Ban is still in effect!
8
@Alexander Harrison
We celebrate the English, Germans, Dutch, etc. people who fled their 'failed states' to come to the US. Why are the people of Nigeria different?
4
@April : Very simply because after the Civil War there was an economic boom in the US and we needed all the "main d'oeuvre" we could find, and encouraged anyone to come to the US.We don't have that need today when many American citizens are competing for jobs with the unskilled, uneducated from places like southern Mexico, whence millions have come without visas and made life, more precarious, dangerous for citizens. Victor Hanson, renowned historian of Hoover tells, and he lives in Selma , California, how, 30 years ago he could leave his doors unlocked yet today has 5,6 guard dogs to protect his property. Recall that between about 1929 and c. 1965 we had NO immigration and we made out just fine, Wife is from Ghana, waited her turn in line, loves Trump and thinks Obama scewed up because when he was in office she could not find a job.
1
@Alexander Harrison. You’re blaming immigrants for increase in crime when all documented facts show they are not? Your post is the definition of anecdotal evidence.
What race are these banned travelers ?
4
It’s no defense of Trump’s travel ban to point out that racializing it misses the point of visa violations to obtain permanent residence here. What does Jamelle Bouie suggest that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services do to enforce our visa laws? Does he wish to apply affirmative action laws for racial preference to discriminated groups for past racially motivated policies favoring Northern European, Protestant and English speaking countries?
If Johnson-Reed and the 1924 Immigration Act were tilted towards white immigrants, then African slavery and the Mexican Bracero programs added permanent residents and citizens, unethically, for adverse ends. Yet the two preferences tilted against whites (Except when the State Dept. racially classified Mexicans temporarily as “whites”). Too often the simple application of historical lessons can repeat the same errors of past offensive precedents that violated our Constitution and its ideals.
8
First, our visa laws, as you call them, are enforced. Not perfectly, because no law is enforced perfectly; observe speeding on your nearest highway. But millions are deported annually. That’s enforcement.
If you want better enforcement, more money for deportation, fine. Crank it up. Meanwhile, though, why bar millions of people from working and studying here? Why tell citizens of a dozen countries that they, by dint of accident of birth, are barred from ever moving here? Where is the logic, or justice, in that?
8
There is S.386 that has passed the House and had come up for vote in the Senate a couple of times.
The focus of S.386 is to provide green card to people in the US using employment based visas. There is a huge backlog of people from India and China who applied for permanent residency due to oversubscription of the H1b visas, with existing per- country caps the to see up to decades long wait. It is worth noting that after countries in the Americas, India and China are the countries of origin with the most green cards awarded per year. With S.386, ALL green cards allotted for employment based green cards will be awarded to people of these two countries. That will remove the possibility of green cards for employment based visas for people from the "rest of the world" for 20 years by estimate. This has been accompanied by some strong lobbying efforts and had escaped being passed by only one or two votes. Should this pass there will be a huge uproar.
Please pay attention to what is going on in Congress as well as the White House - we are NOT getting the right kind of thinking from our elected representatives.
5
List of countries that have have all banned recent travelers from China:
U.S.,
New Zealand,
Philippines,
Iraq,
Indonesia and
Australia
And Japan and South Korea have banned travelers from the Hubei province.
So what is more likely for these actions:
Responsible government officials are trying to contain a pandemic, or
Trump is a horrible racist.
Apparently for Mr Bouie, blaming Trump is the explanation for everything.
And for the record, here are the details of the ban:
"U.S. ban applies to travels who have been in China in the last 14 days. Family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are exempt from the ban"
10
Mr. Bouie’s article was about bans on immigration from a predominantly African countries, especially Nigeria. It was not about restrictions on China, which is in a completely different situation, with an epidemic in one of its provinces. None of the African countries mentioned are experiencing any such epidemic.
15
When I think of Trump's travel ban, the 1924 Immigration Law is definitely a good comparison. Not just due to the racism of the law, but the reality that Trump's administration seems to want to go back to all sorts of concepts from the 1920s such as deregulation and the destruction of the environment, not to mention the intense control of the Klan on local communities.
10
In 15 minutes I will leave this café for the Red Cross where my two Iranian-born colleagues will converse in Swedish with 8 or 9 fairly recent arrivals, mostly Eritrean young men whose last step here was arranged by the UN.
They are doing well, learning Swedish fast, most of them.
Trump would not let them in but Jamelle I question whether Trump's racism is simply based on so-called "race". I think his racism is based on anything at all-religion, color,etc.
And how does the USA classify people? It uses a system created by racists in the service of creating a racial order.
Why not give us a column on that?
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
14
@Larry Lundgren - I wrote that comment in my phone and add this note on the slight chance that Jamelle Bouie might read the comment. As many comment readers know, in connection with any column about racism - demeaning someone because the racist, President DT, for example - finds a convenient reason - to see an individual as being of lesser worth than he, the racist, I ask why we we do not end classifying by "race" doing as the former Director of the Census Bureau, Professor Kenneth Prewitt proposed here in 2013 and again in 2019.
The existence of that system declares for the world to see that since 1790 the USA has formally maintained a system to put people in their place in a racial order.
Here in Sweden we immigrants are simply recorded by country of birth. Thus the records now show that of the 10,000,000 citizens, 1,000,000 were born somewhere else.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
4
@Larry Lundgren
It is amazing to me that in 2020 some people argue that if they pretend not to see race then racism will disappear.
That makes about as much sense to me as claiming that refusing to call something cancer will make the cancer go into remission.
4
@Lilo - Who exactly are the some people who argue that if they pretend not to see race then racism will disappear?
It would take more than 1500 characters to examine your statement but here is a start.
People do not see race, they see difference. Genetically, there is only one 2020 race, the human. Genome researcher David Reich reminded everyone of that here on March 31, 2019.
Your reply has nothing to do with anything I wrote in the comment or self reply.
Racism, as defined in an important book by Erik Bleich - The Freedom to be Racist, is discrimination based on difference - religious, skin color, nativity. Two of the most striking forms of racism in Europe and in the USA right now are religion based - anti Semitism, anti Muslim.
Racism will never disappear. Kenneth Prewitt would like the Census Bureau to gradually end classification by "race" and see us described in terms of SES variables. Sweden does not assign people to races, but racism is present in many forms just as it is in every country.
Do you go around seeing each person you meet and assigning that person to a race?
Just curious.
my info in original above.
"Tourists can still visit America, an odd loophole if the White House is actually worried about terrorism."
The ban just covers applications for residency. Fewer black skins to annoy Trump and his followers. And of course it doesn't matter that Nigerians seeking student visas or permanent residency are highly educated, and as the author documents, "among the most successful immigratnts to the US, surpassing native Americans in income and education."
The openly racist Miller, a young white nationalist with incredible power because he has the president's nativist ear, is changing the face of America, one step at a time.
The limp excuse that they could increase terrorism is cover for racial bigotry.
40
of course these comments display the usual white racism. But in addition to that they do raise an honest question of whether these restrictions are race-based or religion based. The sad truth is with Trump they're undoubtedly both.
11
Meanwhile our policy towards our "allies" in the Persian gulf doesn't change, even though the majority of the 9/11 terrorists were from the KSA and UAE. In fact not sooner than last month a Saudi air force trainee killed 3 people and wounded 8 in a Florida air base which resulted in the eviction of a larger group of trainees all with terrorist links...
17
We certainly seem to want to be a petty, fearful, insecure little nation these days. Meanwhile the rest of the world will move on. Being a cosmopolitan world leader is too scary. Better to hide behind walls and cower in fear.
6
Is it even worth the time to dissect the policies of a man who is clearly the world’s biggest bully? When I was young I learned that bullies need an audience. Once ignored, the bullying stops. Time to deploy some school yard psychology.
6
Unlike the 1924 ban on Central and Eastern European immigrants, the present restrictions appear to be based on terror warnings.
5
@Hope
Yeah, they’re terrified of having more people of color here in America.
1
This extension of Trump's original travel ban can be summed up into one sentence: It is not a travel ban, it is a racist immigration ban.
7
Should the US simply open its borders to Africa and have free movement? If all the skilled Nigerians come to the US who will build Nigeria? Given the incredible corruption in Nigeria and the vast sums of money the ruling classes have stolen should the US put sanctions on Nigeria? Should the US offer all Nigerians US citizenship and in exchange take Nigeria over to include the oil? That would be a reasonable deal. Nigeria could be come a state of the USA. Do you think that would be a good idea Mr. Bouie? Why should a Nigerian child suffer when your kids have a bright future? How about agitating for a solution beyond simply siphoning off the wealthy and talented in Nigeria.
19
@AS Please look up 'false dichotomy'.
Am I supposed to distrust a Nigerian physician, a great physician, by the way, here in our US healthcare facility, that I work with, because Donald Trump has spoken against Nigeria now?
Trump won’t be happy until US citizens here hate others throughout the world except Israelis, Russians, North Koreans., and Saudi Arabians.
16
Make no mistake. This rule was made in order to get the Democrats to come out for immigrants and foreign nations so Trump can wrap himself in the flag and declare himself protector of the homeland. They say racist, he says champion of American interests rather than ‘them’.
7
I'm fine with Trump's move to restrict travel from Nigeria, if they do have information about potential threats from this region of Africa. Everything isn't racism, Mr. Bouie. Maybe it is to you, but not to millions of Americans who want to be safe. White supremacy, anti-immigrant racism . . . please put on a new hat, once in a while.
34
@JP
When it comes to Trump's travel bans, which "hat would you prefer?
A big "if" here. In an administration so secretive (No witnesses!), we'll never know what they know--
And to which portion of the ever-smaller globe are you deporting our own home grown terroists, the armed and increasingly dangerous, white supremacist population our president has encouraged the likes of Stephen Miller support?
8
@JP where are the "potential threats"? If we are concerned about potential threats, how about putting Saudi Arabia on the list? The 9/11 hijackers were mostly Saudis. Interesting how you don't see a single person advocating for putting Saudi Arabia on the list. This isn't about safety. It's racism and bigotry in plain sight.
4
@JP
You should push to have Saudis banned form entering the US. Saudis Killed more Americans in 20 years than Nigerians 100 years.
Now that Bouie has correctly identified one symptom of the US' slide into 3rd world status, what is the next step?
Does anyone remember the movie Evan Almighty, lame as it was? We can only hope God is talking to a modern-day Noah (or several) to prepare for the global warming-caused Flood. It won't last just 40 days. But it might be God's plan to erase the gerrymandering, corruption, xenophobia, intolerance, and so much worse.
In 2016, China issued 1,576 permanent residency cards. This was more than double what it had issued the previous year, but still roughly 750 times lower than the United States’ 1.2 million.
That's from Wikipedia. Its useful to put our immigration policy in perspective.
17
@JR I think as long as we outdo China we are okay.
This was all about race as in human.
And all about racism as in inhumane
There is only one biological DNA genetic evolutionary fit human race species that began in Africa 300, 000 years ago.
What we call race aka color is an evolutionary fit human pigmented response to varying levels of solar radiation at different altitudes and latitudes primarily related to producing Vitamin D and protecting genes from damaging mutations in ecologically isolated human populations over time and space.
What we call race aka ethnicity aka national origin is an evil malign socioeconomic political, educational, demographic and historical plot to legally and morally justify humanity denying black African American enslavement and equality defying separate and unequal black African American Jim Crow.
While race is a myth, racism is a reality.
See ' The Race Myth: Why We Pretend That Race Exists in America' Joseph L. Graves; ' Watson Decoded' American Masters PBS
7
The inferiority of Trump and his enablers is not racial, but it is real. I think they are barely competent enough to realize this, and fear it. On a level playing field they would have no chance.
6
He is racking up talking points for the campaign. He promised to ban Muslims, he has banned enough to sell the claim that he has, and he has done it despite the liberal opposition and with the sanction of the Supreme Court. You have to admit he is good at what he does, because you have to respect him before you can defeat him.
5
It is depressing to read most of the comments here. Fear of the other, the stranger, seems to be part of human nature I guess. This in a nation where everyone's ancestors came from somewhere else (even indigenous people). Economic pluses or minuses have no bearing on the emotional responses of most people to immigration/strangers it seems.
14
I am dismayed to read those comments advocating restrictions based on "best and brightest" attributes. Who's to judge? Reread Lazarus' poem, "The New Colossus" to remember the generousness, pride, and strength that once defined our fair country.
15
@Caren Rubin,
The situation has changed. It was always inevitable that an expanding capitalist economy with an insatiable need for new workers would come to an end. Today, globalization and automation have rendered many native-born American workers obsolete and, barring federal intervention to preserve order, their numbers will continue to grow. The era of mass immigration is over.
6
@W Pierce
So if globalization and automation has rendered native-born American workers obsolete, maybe the underlying problem isn't immigration policies but the form of unrestrained Capitalism that we adhere to.
5
If the issue was race, Belarus, a nation that is 99.8 percent White would not be on that list.
Can we just tell the truth about Nigerians and visa overstays as well as high levels of fraud when it comes to Nigerians applying for visas abroad. The UK has an entire department dedicated to Nigeria for the sole reason of fraud and Australia also has Nigeria alongside Pakistan as one of the nations they manually process data such as education credentials in order to verify them.
Canada has a high rejection rate of Nigerian visa applicants for the very same reasons, fraud and visa overstays.
If it was truly about race, we should be seeing all 55 African nations on that travel ban. Last I checked, South Africa, Seychelles, Botswana, Liberia and Namibia(Nambia to Trump) have low rejection rates .
Nigerians face restrictions even from fellow African nations, with South Africa refusing to give them the visa on arrival option,even as the country extended the privilege to other commonwealth nations while East African nations like Kenya actually ask Nigerians to be cleared by their drug enforcement agency first before entering their country.
So the problem is with Nigerians, not Africans in general. That is not racism.
98
@Gerald Visa overstays apply to non immigrant visas. Trump isn't restricting those. He's restricting immigrant visas only.
35
@Gerald I am no Trump fan, but clapping back at his every move while alleging the most sinister motivation possible is intellectually vapid. He may be an anti-intellectual brute, but he's not David Duke either. To be fair, I haven't researched the motivations behind the Nigerian policy, but I'm pretty sure there's some reasoned logic behind it. The so-called "Muslim ban", for instance, restricted immigration from those countries that were so troubled they no longer had an operational vetting process. That, to me, is grounds for restrictions. We have a system. We have rules. One of those rules is that we have to know who we're letting in to our country. We need to know criminal history, possible terror ties, etc. This information comes from the country where the traveler is departing from.
31
@Gerald
There's no evidence at all that visa fraud is the factor here. The Nigerians who immigrate to the United States are disproportionately students and highly educated professionals. They are model immigrants.
25
Yes, it is wrong for Trump to use race or religion as a reason for shutting down immigration from African countries, such as Nigeria.
But we do need to shut down immigration almost entirely, with exceptions for people who are well-educated, exceptions for students from abroad who do well in US universities, and can contribute to keeping living standards in the US from dropping further.
Jamelle Bouie makes the mistake of believing that ALL PROBLEMS we confront are due to race.
But global warming is a problem that was caused by too much population growth.
We have ignored the reality provided by climate science. The results are unmistakeable. There is a limit to the carrying capacity of planet earth. Global warming is a message earth to us, saying we have reached and surpassed carrying capacity.
The population of Nigeria is growing at 2.6% per year, the population of DR Congo is growing at 3.3% per year. Population growth is causing use of fossil fuels to rise, even as we TRY to shift to solar and wind energy.
Japan is CHOOSING to build new coal plants which pollute enormously to replace nuclear energy which it used before. This decision will be replicated by dozens of other countries as the need for energy grows with the growing population.
We already have had famine in Zimbabwe, genocide in Rwanda, civil war in DR Congo, and slums expanding throughout Africa due to too much population growth.
And it is the Africans who will suffer most as the planet warms.
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@Blaise Descartes
"But we do need to shut down immigration almost entirely, with exceptions for people who are well-educated, exceptions for students from abroad who do well in US universities, and can contribute to keeping living standards in the US from dropping further."
Your criteria would effectively remove the ban on Immigration from Nigeria.
Nigerians are among the best educated and most successful immigrant communities in the US.
The only reason you did not think so is because you did not read the full article and - let's be honest - because of their race. That is precisely Jamelle Bouie's point.
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@Blaise Descartes "But we do need to shut down immigration almost entirely"
Why do we need to shut it down?
@Blaise Descartes Really?! You're trying to use global warming to justify an immigration ban?! That makes no sense at all. Wouldn't a person have a carbon footprint whether they live in the US or Zimbabwe or anywhere else on the planet?
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Well, what else would we expect from this President, and more importantly from his voters, supporters and enablers. This is, as the author of this piece shows, the essence of our great nation.
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@jrgolden I want immigration laws to be upheld. I want to know that terrorist are not entering our country to try to kill us. I don't know what the president knows about Nigeria and neither do you.
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@Sunny. I can just about guarantee he knows next to nothing, considering his mental image of the city he’s been living in dates from the early 80s or before, he thinks Kansas City is in Kansas and— why go on? His ignorance is well-documented.
This was a political move purely done to whip up Trump's base. His base is strongly anti-immigrant, legal or otherwise. It is rooted in white nationalism. These people are afraid of white people losing majority status. They will tell you that they are not racist. They just don't want any nonwhite, non-christian people moving here. They don't see the contradiction.
The irony of this position is that rural areas are shrinking because of the loss of young people. The older the population, the lower the consumption. The greater the young population, the greater the economic growth. One of the reasons the left coast regions are prospering is because of steady or increasing populations.
They fail to understand that economic growth is not a zero sum game. They view immigration as taking jobs away from them. But increases in population increase economic growth. In fact, the prime driver for low global economic expansion has been declining birthrates in the world's industrialized nations. Two percent growth is now the new normal as a result of these declines.
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@Bruce Rozenblit
5% population growth and 3% GDP growth = shrinking GDP per capita.
0% population growth and 2% GDP growth = growing GDP per capita.
Did I get that right?
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@Bruce Rozenblit "His base is strongly anti-immigrant, legal or otherwise." If Trump is anti-immigrant, what explains the Howdy Modi event in Texas ?
"Howdy Modi: Indian PM appears with Trump at Texas rally" The Guardian, September 23, 2019.
Over the last fifty years, many previously underdeveloped nations have managed to get stable governments and are on the rise both economically and in education. Other nations have lagged behind.
What explains this? I do not know and I do not endorse Trump's prejudices against, say, Haiti. I often have pleasant chats with the Haitian cabbies in Boston who actually speak three languages! They are English, French and Haitian Creole, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Yx_sLr6Vo
But there is a complexity here and allowing unlimited immigration from dysfunctional countries is not exactly wise. We SHOULD help them, but we do not know how. Trump is cruel and Democrats are foolish. No one around is both wise and has a heart.
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@Djt American population growth is now under 1%. As people live longer, they need younger Americans to pay into Social security and continue to fund the tax base. We can't do that without immigration. Look at Japan if you want to see an aging, imploding society and its economic ramifications.
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There probably is a right way to do immigration and ensure that we are getting good people who will contribute, who’s values match ours, and who aren’t going to be a drain on the country.
I’m pretty positive Trump is not doing it the right way.
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@Jane
This ruling is actually a case-in-point that Trump is not doing it the right way.
Banning immigrants from Nigeria would automatically reduce the level of educational attainment and income of immigrants to America.
The only fair way for all immigration to the U.S. is for exactly the same amount (not a percent) of access per country for EVERY country in the world, no matter race nor ethnicity.
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@Tee Jones How did you find out?
@Tee Jones Huh? So we Americans have no right to admit only those who will help our country, add to its prosperity and eventually become good citizens? You do realize no other country in the world does it your way, right?
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@Tee Jones
Vast brain drain that USA has been practicing based on ability to purchase with higher remuneration Chinese, Indians, Europeans and Russians is what keeps "Shitland Inc" innovation afloat to be competitive and so it does a huge number of universities that charge full tuition to these educate people to avoid their insolvency.