In his latest tirade against immigrants in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado, on October 5, 2024, Trump vowed to “rescue America” from what he described as “rapists,” “bloodthirsty criminals,” and the “most violent people on earth,” claiming they are destroying the fabric of the country and its culture.

This rhetoric is yet another example of his xenophobic and racist attacks on migrants and minority groups, whom he portrayed as genetically predisposed to criminal behavior. He positioned himself as the only one capable of saving the country from these individuals, whom he labeled as “animals,” “stone-cold killers,” “the worst people,” and “the enemy from within.”

He is no longer just discussing keeping immigrants out of the country, building a wall, or banning Muslims from entering the United States. Now, he warns that migrants have already “invaded,” destroying the country from within its borders. He uses this narrative to justify a second-term policy agenda that includes constructing massive detention camps and carrying out mass deportations.

During his inflammatory speech, which resonated well with his supporters who endorse white supremacist views, Trump launched a broadside against thousands of Venezuelan migrants in Aurora. He declared that he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act, which allows a president to authorize the roundup or removal of individuals from enemy nations during times of war, to target migrant gangs and criminal networks.

He also blamed Kamala Harris for “importing an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world,” claiming that she had resettled individuals from prisons, jails, insane asylums, and mental institutions into American communities to prey on innocent citizens.

Since the September 10 presidential debate, Trump has increasingly used dark, graphic language to demonize minority groups, particularly migrants, in his speeches. His rhetoric can be described as political fear mongering, echoing authoritarianism and even elements of Nazi ideology.

This consistent vilification of both legal and illegal immigrants has instilled a widespread sense of fear, uncertainty, and insecurity within immigrant communities across the country.

Qamar Bashir

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024