The United States has always been seen as a country where people can go to live a better life. It often sells a false image of some sort of dream, a paradise where the economy is stable, the government is not authoritarian, and people find jobs. A land that sells the idea of freedom and liberties. But those immigrants might be disappointed when they find out, this is in fact, just a dream.
Walking blindly into a trap
According to some journalists on site following the caravan, these families have little to no idea of the situation in the country. The most unstable thing in the country, president Trump, has a strict and xenophobic policy regarding immigration and border walls. A policy that the people heading for the controversial border aren’t aware of. Many are families, fleeing with their children, yet do not seem to know how families are torn apart when arriving at the border and that even if they finally arrive there it will not be the end of the worries.
A desperate cry for help seen as an invasion
Probably after watching Fox News, Trump has declared that these immigrants, travelling in terrible conditions and risking everything they have, are « invading » the country. Why poor, exhausted, immigrants fleeing economic crises, violence, corruption and authoritarian regimes would want to invade a country they know has much more man power and means is just completely illogical.
How can one even imagine that children and their parents, walking all the way from Honduras would have the will to invade a country? Especially knowing that they are just a couple thousand trying to get asylum. Would a group invading a country, seek asylum and prevent the ones they are trying to attack that they are coming in a few weeks? How Trump and his fellow friends at Fox reason is beyond me.
How should one fight off immigrants? The same way one does with ISIS
Though Donald Trump is convinced that these immigrants are only here to do harm. That is why he has decided to send over 5.000 soldiers to the border adding up to the 2.000 officers already on site, out numbering the migrants approaching. According to some, it’s the equivalent number of soldiers that have been sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The president has even said he could send up to 15.000 soldiers, the same number that are in Afghanistan right now.
The soldiers are normally there to help the border police, to procure medical supplies and to reinforce the border. But now, Trump has declared that the soldiers deployed will be able to open fire on the immigrants.
So, to sum up, Trump sees these families, walking in hopes to achieve a better life, the same why he sees those extremists killing and attacking others. We have reached the highest form of xenophobia.
The American dream, turning into a nightmare
What is sad is that these 4.000 people don’t know the coverage their journey is getting in foreign countries by the media. They don’t know how some see they are courageous and find their path to be a subtle form of protest. They don’t know that some see them as invaders, ready to attack « the great America ». And they have no idea that reaching their goal, arriving to the border, is just the beginning for them. Families will be separated, people will be sent back to their countries and others may, just may, be able to get in.
The image of a welcoming, free, tolerant « melting pot » of a country is fading more and more. And with this current administration the dream is shattering for all, with no ideals or values of inclusiveness, tolerance or solidarity.