Normalization of Discrimination; Trump’s Assault on Legal Immigration

DIDPress: The Guardian newspaper, in an analysis, argued that from the very first day of Trump’s return to the White House, he launched a multi-layered assault on legal immigration through executive orders. These measures include suspending the asylum system at the southern border, canceling temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from crisis-stricken countries such as Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba, imposing severe restrictions on student visas, detaining students and researchers, halting visa interviews at embassies, and implementing social media monitoring programs for visa applicants.

Although Donald Trump’s new travel ban order during his second term did not provoke the immediate backlash seen with his first 2017 ban, it represents a worrying continuation of restrictive U.S. immigration policies. This order, which partially or fully restricts entry from 19 countries, was issued amid an already strained immigration system burdened with hundreds of stringent regulations.

From day one of his return, Trump’s executive orders initiated a layered attack on legal immigration — including the suspension of the asylum system at the southern border, revocation of temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from troubled nations like Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba, harsh limits on student visas, detention of students and researchers, suspension of visa interviews at embassies, and social media surveillance of visa applicants.

Immigrant rights activists describe these policies not as sudden actions but as a “death by a thousand cuts”: gradual, continuous, and deliberately aimed at restricting access to the United States for immigrants, refugees, and Muslims. For example, while the new order exempts green card holders from the ban, the Department of Homeland Security explicitly said that green cards can still be revoked at the government’s discretion.

Unlike the 2017 travel ban—which targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries and caused chaos at airports—the new order was implemented with greater preparation and includes exemptions for valid visa holders, dual nationals, athletes, and eligible Afghan migrants.

Nonetheless, activists and experts warn that this measure will still separate many families, making asylum and visa access more difficult for vulnerable groups.

Critics view the ban as not only a continuation of Trump’s Islamophobic and racist policies but also an effort to suppress voices critical of U.S. policies, including support for the war in Gaza.

Experts further believe that the new executive order, being more precisely crafted than its predecessor, may withstand legal challenges more effectively.

Ultimately, what is more alarming than the order itself is the normalization of harsh and racist immigration policies that, over the years, have shaped public culture and the U.S. legal system.

According to immigrant advocacy groups, many families have been separated from their loved ones for years, with little hope for meaningful reform in sight.