Mirroring Restrictive Immigration Policies
Upon close examination of United States immigration policies there is no denying that many of those policies discriminate against racialized migrants and asylum seekers. Institutionalized racism is evident in both United States and the Dominican Republic.
Todays undocumented population faces strong immigration enforcement. In the 1930’s and 1940’s tens of thousands of European immigrants were given amnesty or protected by statues of limitations and were rarely deported. However, that has not been the case for racialized migrants and asylum seekers.
Immigration laws became stronger with the increase of migrants coming from Mexico and other racialized countries. In 1971, California Proposition 187 – sought to deny state services to undocumented individuals. Congress enacted federal laws that prevented Latinos from receiving green cards (Kamasaki. Charles, 2019). Immigrants are required to have a green card to legally be hired. Employers can be fined if they are found to be employing undocumented workers. In the Dominican Republic to receive state services, and work legally migrants must have a Cedula. Cedulas must always be in your possession. Throughout the Dominican Republic the police will stop individuals, and they must produce a valid Cedula.
Between 1981-1991 the U.S. Coast Guard detained and deported 25,000 Haitians attempting to arrive by sea into the United States.
In 2013 DR Constitutional Tribunal Ruling – in which birthright citizenship of Dominicans of Haitian descent was revoked.
In 2021 US Government held a mass deportation of 12,000 Haitians from Del Rio Texas.
In 2023 DR Government announced the indefinite suspension of visas for Haitians.
Closure of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic to migration.
In 2023 DR Government reported that 250,000 Haitians were collectively expelled from the Dominican Republic.
In 2023 the Trump Administration and the Biden Administration used pandemic era policy Title 42 to expel migrants at the border under the auspices of public health and safety.
Contemporary Immigration Policies
Nationalism and Dominicazation
In 1937 Trujilo’s Anti Haitian Policy led to the Parsley Massacre, where thousands of Haitians lost their lives. The state sponsored massacre helped fuel anti- immigrant, Antihaitianism sentiment.
In 2013 the Dominican Republic highlighted its disdain for individuals of Haitian descent. Historically the two countries have resented each other. Economic events, colonialism and racism are the source of the resentment between the two countries that share space on the island of Hispaniola.
Antihaitianism is the term used to describe prejudice and discrimination against Haitians in the Dominican Republic.
Dominicazation and Nationalism – the vision calls for erasing Haitian culture and presence in the Dominican Republic. This campaign began following the genocide of the Parsley Massacre. The policy is aimed at promoting the national identity of who and what it means to be Dominican. The policy has resulted in the racial discrimination of Haitians. The state or government has promoted Dominicazation by rendering Haitians born in the Dominican Republic as stateless. The consequence of depriving Haitians born in the Dominican Republic citizenship is a result of racism. Being denied a nationality means you are denied the basic human rights including the right to work, education and the right to healthcare.
Dominicazation is systematically marginalizing Haitians and promoting an anti-Blackness racist ideology which is designed to harm Haitians.
Nationalism and Make America Great
As part of his effort to Make America Great again President Donald Trump has made more than twenty-one actions to the US immigration system. He made campaign promises to remove and deport migrants in his first week in office. He promised mass deportations and arrests and tightened border restrictions. Active-duty troops have been deployed to help the Border Patrol to stop migrants from coming into the US.
Trump has issued several executive orders to suspend the entry of all undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. The “Remain in Mexico” policy was reinstated. Appointments for entry into the United States has been cancelled. Increasing a backlog of immigrant of migrants who often wait for years for their cases to be heard. Many of the migrants are fleeing their country to avoid criminal violence and persecution in their home countries. Ice raids are on the rise in many cities throughout the US.
Trumps anti-immigration rhetoric cast migrants as dangerous criminals “poisoning the blood of America”. In September 2024 claimed illegal immigrants from Haiti were eating cats and dogs. The amplified anti-immigration sentiment that President Donald Trump has been expressing is racist and troublesome. It does nothing to Make America Great.
