Blind Ambition is a Despicable Immigration Policy

Blind Ambition is a Despicable Immigration Policy, 2018

Donald Trump's signature campaign promise was to build a wall along our border with Mexico, paid for by the Mexican government. That never came to pass, and now American taxpayers are paying for it. In December 2018, an impasse between Congress and the President over his request for $5.7 billion to build his wall led to a partial government shutdown for 35 days, the longest federal worker stoppage in history. Over 800,000 federal workers worked without pay or were furloughed. His administration underestimated the effects of a long-term shutdown and scrambled to find funds for tax refunds and food stamps.

Trump's stance was wildly uneven. First stating he would take the blame for any shutdown, he later blamed the Democrats. Then he said he would sign a short-term government funding bill without money for his wall, only to retract his promise under pressure from conservative hardliners. Disinformation was prevalent. Fox News' Chris Wallace questioned Press Secretary Sarah Sanders' "facts" about thousands of suspected terrorists caught crossing the Mexican border. In fact, Wallace stated, they catch most criminals and suspected terrorists at airports and other ports of entry.

What is Trump's endgame? His administration has taken an inhumane approach to border security, calling those seeking asylum "criminals." Border security is important. And immigration reform is much overdue. Any changes should take into account the humanitarian cost for those coming into our country and those already here. Passage of DACA would go a long way in remedying part of this issue.

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The posters in this series reflect the conflicts the American political system has been experiencing during the turbulent period between 2010-2020. They are meant to encourage an exploration and a dialogue about the cultural minefield we now find ourselves in.