I spent all of 2015 interviewing and observing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across Arizona, California and Texas. My goal: to understand how the once predominantly white institution of immigration law enforcement, established and maintained historically as a tool of white supremacy, had come to be disproportionately made up of Latinos. In fact, Latinos make up more than 50% of Border Patrol agents and 24% of ICE agents, the most recent publicly available numbers I found.
Don’t forget the fact there’s a population desperate for work, benefits, and just be part of “America.” There’s no loyalty to their heritage when it comes to that. If yesterday they’ve jumped the border and somehow became legalized tomorrow they’ll be against border jumping.
It’s a phenomena not just limited to colored people. Older German immigrants had issues with newer German immigrants, often called them uncivilized, uneducated, and even criminals. The founding forefathers of America also did the same and wrote literature belittling new immigrants. Most of these older attitudes can have parallels to Trump today.
Is it racism, xenophobia, even if it’s done by their own race? It’s a pretty interesting look at the human condition.
•/i/altright•3yI asked Latinos why they joined immigration law enforcement. Now I'm urging them to leave. (text)4 comments