How is Trump winning the US immigration debate? | Anywhere but Washington

With border crossings reaching record highs in recent years, immigration has returned as the US election’s most toxic issue.

As Donald Trump continues to push a policy of mass deportation, and Kamala Harris responds by shifting further to the right, what happens to the people caught in the middle trying to seek a better life? The Guardian’s Oliver Laughland and Tom Silverstone head to Arizona’s southern border with Mexico to investigate

Chapters:
00:00 – Can I see your visa? A checkpoint 20 miles from the Mexico border
01:28 – Calls for mass deportations a pro-Trump rally
02:15 – I'd 'be OK' if my family was deported
03:20 – The white majority
04:18 – 'Death is the policy': in the desert with Humane Borders
06:45 – How Trump blocked a bipartisan border bill
08:42 – Democrats are torn on the border
10:14 – 'We've been dehumanized': the woman helping new migrants

The Guardian on YouTube:

#anywherebutwashington #arizona #immigration #migrants #migrantcrisis #donaldtrump #kamalaharris #uselection2024

[hbbstn]

My experience as a non-permanent immigrant in the U.S.: I studied and worked for almost 10 years in the U.S. I was told by my employer to marry an American when I asked for a green card. I packed up and came to Canada. I got tired of these shenanigans. It's a double standard. If you want to immigrate legally, the U.S. is restrictive. At the same time, the door is wide open for illegal immigration. Just nuts.

[CianMacQuoid]

Many Republicans often say, "Come to the U.S. the legal way" or "Stand at the back of the line for your turn." But the truth is, the legal immigration system has been broken for years, and neither party has made genuine efforts to fix it. In fact, an undocumented immigrant can sometimes secure a green card more quickly than someone who has followed the legal path – like an international student who has studied here, paid tuition, and contributed to the economy through taxes. This flawed system can leave hardworking students without a clear path to residency, despite their significant contributions to our nation, while undocumented immigrants can gain residency by seeking asylum.

What we need is a system that welcomes both skilled and unskilled immigrants to help them realize the American dream. There are countless jobs available across industries, particularly in construction and farming, which is in dire need of labor. By creating a more inclusive immigration framework, we can better address labor shortages while empowering individuals who want to contribute to our society. Unfortunately, our politicians often exploit the immigration debate to polarize their bases and secure re-election, all while avoiding real solutions to the crisis at hand.

[aljosacebokli]

what happens when you get old so that you become so bitter and destructive?

[isaccarvalho]

I am an immigrant and I am in favor of legal immigration the same way I did and other millions.

[fdetalladoautomotriz]

Protecting the border is not an extremist idea, it is common sense. I think the reason why some people support Trump is because some on the left have also gone extremist to the left and there is nothing racist about protecting the border. I say this as the son of an immigrant who has achieved the American dream, immigration has changed and our policies need to as well. Open border policies are just crazy!

[tomsparks]

A have a dear friend who immigrated from Spain with his family when he was 13. He went to school, learned English quickly, got a college degree and yet spent tens of thousands of dollars doing it the legal way to get a green card. The ICE bureau was so uncooperative, nasty untrained, underpaid workers and a lawyer who nickeled and dimed him and after 30 years, still no recourse until he married a US citizen.
I have also worked with many Mexicans and they are honest, hard working and respectful people with family values and deep love. The rhetoric and lies being spewed by Trump and blindly believed by the ignorant, bigoted MAGA movement is despicable. They beat the BIble but forget the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the basic teachings of Jesus Christ.

[PhillCurtis]

She wants her own family deported..? Wow.

[ReasonsWhy]

What is the point of having Rules, Laws, Policies, and Procedures in place, if no one has to follow them?? It seems now that even Politicians don't value these any more.

[nmmll]

Always seems 2 issues are conflated.

1. the plight and struggle of individual immigrants who have no doubt suffered.
2. The ability of a country to support and absorb those in #1.

Saying that a given country is not in a position to help does not mean that those in 1 are invalidated.

It is an incredibly difficult problem that warrants grown up discussion instead of slogans.

[mstberg]

My workplace is like the U. N. I have coworkers, and most of them came from poverty-stricken backgrounds, not unlike those shown in the video, from countries like Vietnam, India, China, Philippine, Afghanistan, Ukraine. I had a chance to listen to their individual stories about their harrowing journey to America. One thing they all had in common though-- no matter how desperate their situations were, they came over legally. What else? They all learned English, graduated college, and made sacrifices, eventually achieving the American Dream. Today, they have professional careers and own their own homes. Every last one of them. They're not a burden to American taxpayers. I guess, there's something to be said about immigrating to America the right way.

[sbkpilot]

you can't walk across the border to another country to chase better economic opportunities, that isn't legal. Asylum is for those who are persecuted by the government not for those who want better job opportunities.

[TS-brbr]

The old man with a baseball cap is talking SENSE

[thesuperflipped]

This lady is really honest!!! She is not selfish at all!!she has a brain that really works 🎉🎉🎉
People need to start doing things the RIGHT WAY 🎉🎉🎉

[rabbit]

He has "green card" which means he has residency either through family or business and since the card was established you have always had to had the card on you if you are outside of your residence. I'm an American living in Japan and if I don't have foreigner's card on me and get stopped by the police it is a 200, 000 yen fine plus arrest and sitting in jail until I can get someone to produce the card. This is not just the US.

[kathleengoward]

Strange, I am a duel American/Canadian citizen. I never cross the border without my passports.

[adamray]

"I've never had that happen to me in this country or any country in the world". Really mate?!?! Either you haven't traveled much or you don't realize the privilege of being from the UK affords you

[josephwallis]

Let's try the counter argument for this host, ' Do you think it is humane to let millions of undocumented to walk into America through the Mexican border?' Let's turn this madness around.

[profitpurpose]

Often people who benefit from immigration don't want people following them to get similar benefits.

[mariede]

according to the federal immigration law, immigrants have to carry their permanent resident card all the time! it is not new.

[As_An_Independant]

Im an Independent and the boarder has to be extensively limited and closer. Current illegal inhabitants of the United States need to be sought out and deported. This is for the safety of a society that seeks to be a "rule of law" nation. That means all people are subject to the same law. Citizens and non citizens. Until that becomes reality there can be no just society.