On Feb. 2, thousands of protesters waving Mexican, Guatemalan and Salvadoran flags marched through downtown Los Angeles, shutting down the freeway in protest of Trump’s deportation plans. In Phoenix, Arizona, protesters rallied at the state capitol and outside federal immigration offices.
Similar grassroots demonstrations are unfolding across the country in the early weeks of Trump’s second administration against deportation and a wide range of executive actions.
Watch the video above as Straight Arrow News contributor Tim Carney argues that these protesters are reinforcing the very points made by the most vocal anti-immigration advocates. He contends that the real lesson from this chaotic scene isn’t just about who is being deported, but about who should be welcomed into the country.
The following is an excerpt from the above video:
President Trump and Congress have an opportunity to reprioritize our immigration policy and to build it around welcoming in people who want to be Americans. We should expand the number of immigrant visas and prioritize young couples. If you just got married and you want to raise your children in America, so that they will be Americans—we want you here. Again, pride in the mother country is great, but one’s ultimate loyalty and national identity should be as Americans.
There are hundreds of millions of people around the world who want to be Americans—not merely to live in the United States or work in the United States, but to immerse themselves in our culture and our history. We want immigrants who love this country, serve this country, and get totally pumped up when they watch “Rocky IV.” The folks we welcome here will, when the World Cup rolls around, root for their country of origin, but they should root even harder for the underdog USA, and they should call Team America “we.”
And when these new Americans protest in favor of or against our president or in favor of or against our laws, there shouldn’t be any question which flag they wave.
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