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Breaking Down the Language in President Trump’s Immigration Policies

An immigration expert explains how the language used in the policies allows the president to carry out immigration enforcement operations more quickly.

Breaking Down the Language in President Trump’s Immigration Policies

An immigration expert explains how the language used in the policies allows the president to carry out immigration enforcement operations more quickly.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS LAUNCHED A RAPID PACED IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN. DENVER, CHICAGO, NEW YORK, MIAMI THE LIST OF CITIES WHERE FEDERAL AGENTS ARE CARRYING OUT RAIDS GROWS NEARLY EVERY DAY. THE IMAGES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND BODY ARMOR ESCORTING HANDCUFFED PEOPLE, FLOODING SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT WHAT’S PERHAPS MOST CONSEQUENTIAL IS LANGUAGE IN THE ADMINISTRATION’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS. IT’S VERY INTENTIONAL USE OF SPECIFIC WORDS THAT CARRY GREAT POWER AND AUTHORITY FOR THE PRESIDENT. ERNESTO CASTANEDA IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDIES AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. IT’S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK, SIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SOLEDAD. WHEN YOU LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS PROTECTING THE UNITED STATES FROM FOREIGN TERRORISTS AND OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS, WHAT’S THE IMPACT OF THE WORD TERROR AND TERRORIST? SO TERRORISM IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW BY EXPERIENCE. WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS VERY WELL. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT ORGANIZED CRIME BASED IN IN MEXICO AND LATIN AMERICA ARE DOING. PEOPLE DO LOSE THEIR LIVES. BUT THE AIM OF THE ORGANIZED CRIME IS NOT TO TAKE OVER ANY ONE GOVERNMENT HERE OR THERE. SO THEREFORE IT’S A MISNOMER TO CALL THIS HORRIBLE ORGANIZATIONS TO CALL THEM TERRORISTS. BUT FOR PEOPLE ALREADY HERE WITH THIS DESIGNATION OF PEOPLE AS COMING OR COMING FROM PLACES WHERE THERE’S TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, THEN IT’S EASIER TO DETAIN, TO STOP, TO IMPRISON AND TO DEPORT PEOPLE WITHOUT THE REGULAR DUE PROCESS THAT EVEN FOREIGNERS ARE ENTITLED TO. SO THIS MAKES THESE MASS DEPORTATIONS THAT HE WANTS TO DO SO MUCH EASIER TO CARRY OUT IN THIS NEW LEGAL FRAMEWORK. EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE DUE PROCESS WAS BEFORE THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS. PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED IN THE US FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, EVEN WITHOUT UNDOCUMENTED STATUS, THEY CANNOT JUST BE A GRAB AND DEPORTED. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO TO IMMIGRATION COURT TO PRESENT THE CASE. NOT THAT THEY’RE GOING TO WIN IT. MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE DEPORTED ANYWAY, BUT THERE IS A SYSTEM OF LAWS THAT REGULATES HOW DEPORTATIONS HAPPEN. SO THAT IS WHAT TRUMP IS LOOKING TO DO AWAY WITH, WITH THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT TREAT THEM NOW AS ENEMY COMBATANTS SO THAT THEY CAN BE DEPORTED MUCH FASTER. THE OTHER WORD THAT I HAVE FOUND INTERESTING IS INVASION. WHY DOES FRAMING THIS AS AN INVASION IN A WAY, CHANGE THE IMPACT AND THE IMPORT OF THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS, BECAUSE HE SAYS THERE’S AN INVASION NOW, HE CAN SAY THAT THERE’S A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND DEPLOY ACTIVE TROOPS TO THE US-MEXICO BORDER. AND NOW USING AIRPLANES FROM THE MILITARY FOR REMOVALS AND DEPORTATIONS. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT TRUE. ASYLUM SEEKERS, IMMIGRANTS, UNACCOMPANIED MINORS ARRIVING AT THE US-MEXICO BORDER, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DO NOT COME BEARING ARMS. THEY ARE NOT HERE TO TAKE OVER A TERRITORY AND DECLARE INDEPENDENCE. SO AGAIN, IT’S A MISNOMER. BUT AGAIN, IT OPENS ALL THESE AVENUES FOR DONALD TRUMP TO USE. FOR EXAMPLE, BUDGET FROM THE PENTAGON, FROM DEFENSE TO ENGAGE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS ABOUT WHERE THIS GOES? TRUMP ALSO INVOKED THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT OF 1798, WHICH SAYS THAT DURING WARTIME, ONLY THE US THEN HAS THE RIGHT TO DETAIN AND IMPRISON AND DEPORT THE FOREIGN BORN. BUT HE HAS NOT FORMALLY DECLARED WAR ON ANY OTHER NATION. SO WE ARE NOT AT WAR TIME. SO HE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO THIS. BUT HE’S ALREADY USING THE LANGUAGE OF WAR AND SHOWING THE IMAGES OF THE US BEING AT WAR. HE’S TRYING TO INVOKE THE FEELING THAT WE HAD AFTER NINE OVER 11 WHEN WE WERE ATTACKED, AND THAT THERE WAS A RALLY AROUND THE FLAG AND WHERE THE MILITARY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SOCIETY. HE’S TRYING TO GO TO GO BACK TO THAT, TO GARNER SUPPORT FOR HIS CAUSE. BUT WE ARE LIVING IN A DIFFERENT REALITY TODAY. EARNESTO CASTANEDA IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDIES AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. TH
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Breaking Down the Language in President Trump’s Immigration Policies

An immigration expert explains how the language used in the policies allows the president to carry out immigration enforcement operations more quickly.

As promised during his campaign, President Donald Trump immediately launched an immigration crackdown – signing several executive orders related to border security, citizenship and refugees during his first days back in office. In those orders, the administration uses words like “invasion” and “terrorist.” Ernesto Castañeda is the director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University. He joins Soledad O’Brien to explain how the language used in those policies allows the president to tap into the military's budget and carry out immigration enforcement operations more quickly.

As promised during his campaign, President Donald Trump immediately launched an immigration crackdown – signing several executive orders related to border security, citizenship and refugees during his first days back in office. In those orders, the administration uses words like “invasion” and “terrorist.” Ernesto Castañeda is the director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University. He joins Soledad O’Brien to explain how the language used in those policies allows the president to tap into the military's budget and carry out immigration enforcement operations more quickly.

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