Exporting Deportation
Even before Trump, the US had begun outsourcing key elements of immigration enforcement to Mexico.
Immigrants’ rights activists are under pressure to quickly find the way forward in the Trump era. Although the Obama years were hardly easy for activists, a liberal administration presented opportunities for a vibrant grassroots movement, particularly among undocumented youth, to grow and achieve concrete victories.
The way forward in the Trump era will require activists to take stock of the lessons of the recent past, overcome the failed strategies of liberal power-brokers, and at times look beyond national boundaries for paths to long-term victory.
New Frontiers
Despite anti-Mexico rhetoric or diplomatic flare-ups between Enrique Peña Nieto and Trump, Mexico is a stalwart ally against asylum-seekers headed for the United States. The rise of right-wing parties in Europe, along with Trump’s election, teach us one lesson about global political trends. Our partnership with Mexico to deter asylum-seekers from Central America teaches us another.
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