Donald Trump’s Immigration Policy or The Roots for a New Nativism?

Abstract

This dissertation studies Donald Trump’s unorthodox policies in different sections. This study sheds light on stated aims which were proposed as an attempt to reform the economy starting with withdrawals and cancellations of different agreements as well as fighting terrorism abroad and providing security and stability of the country. These plans however, labeled as ignorant and dangerous. On one hand, this work focuses on new immigration reforms. These reforms however, were put to reduce the overall number of immigrants while boosting the number of educated immigrants. Trump has provided nothing less than a racist view nearly to every part of the government. These reforms also hold nativist themes which were practiced in the nineteenth century to the present. It compares a recent surge in nativism like earlier periods. There are many similarities between nativism of the late 19 th century period and today, particularly the focus on the purported inability of specific immigrant groups to assimilate, the misconception that they may therefore be dangerous to the native-born. There are also key differences between these two eras, most apparently in the targets of nativism and in president Trump’s consistent and disseminated appeals to nativist sentiments.