Since he was elected the American President, Donald Trump has proposed or
implemented changes on several immigration policies. Immigration policies like Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), security for temporary workers (H-1B), deportation and refugee
resettlement makes part of his proposal for changes (Scaggs 1453). Arguably, the Marxian Class
theory must have influenced Trump's immigration policies.
Class theory, a theory structured by the production process and need for profit
maximization must have influenced Trump’s immigration policies. The class theory assumes
consciousness among individuals who share, engage in, and safeguard a common economic
interest through collective actions for their prosperity. Besides, the theory assumes profit
maximization among groups with different intrinsic tendencies and interests. Thorough scrutiny
of the class theory reveals a lot on Trump's immigration policies. For instance, its take on
policies ranging from the public charge, H1-B, and DACA speaks volumes. Besides, its position
on deportation, less family reunification visa and refugees reduction policies show a lot.
The United States’ H-1B is an immigrant visa. H-1B has been the country’s primary
source of nonimmigrant employment, especially for specialized graduates. The country issued
nearly 1.6 million H-1B visas in the fiscal year 2007-2017. Before Trump’s inauguration as the
president, H-1B received a quarter (23%) of all temporary visas for employment (Kaba 327).
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However, the trend changed under Trump’s administration, making immigrants with US masters
as beneficiaries of the H-1B.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) is the American immigration policy
created by President Obama through an executive order of the year 2002 (Waslin 61). The policy
gives undocumented immigrants, particularly those who arrived in the country at underage a
renewable two year period of deferred action from deportation. DACA assigns undocumented
immigrants to work permit. It also grants them chances to pay taxes, obtain social security
number, and integrate to the mainstream society. During President Obama’s administration, the
policy permitted about 700 000 immigrants to stay and work in the country. However, President
Donald Trump’s administration altered the policy, quoting its adverse effects on the labor market
of the natives (Kaba 334).
Since the creation of modern refugee programs in 1980, the US has always been a home
to many refugees. For instance, the country received 84995 and 53716 refugees in the year 2016
and 2017, respectively. Kaba (329) alludes that freezing of refugee admission triggered lower
admission cap. For example, Trump’s administration only registered 22491 fugitives 1n 2018.
Application of the class theory to the immigration policies in question (DACA, H-1B
refugees) is one of the most exciting things for any rigorous thinker. As a theory of production,
its application on the three policies would mean bundling a group with shared states into one
entity. For instance, its application on DACA puts undocumented persons who contribute less to
society in one group. By applying the theory to the H-1B, a group of people with the potential for
work is grouped, forming a class of its own. Consequently, application of the class theory on the
policy of refugees implies their categorization as a group of people pushed by the need for help.
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Whereas the implementation of the immigration policies through the class theory may
vary, some factors remain conspicuous. By implementation of the DACA and H-1B policies, the
American society would remain with a class of people viewed of less economic burden.
However, the trend may hurt the country’s economy because the group forms a larger part of the
American economy. Like the first two, implementation of the refugee’s policy would live the
country with a group of people with the shared economic standard. The policy would have a
long-lasting effect due to accumulation of resources used to support them. Besides, it would give
the natives chances to venture into the job market.
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Works Cited
Kaba, Amadu J. Kaba, A. J. (2019). “United States Immigration Policies in the Trump Era.”
Sociology Mind, vol. 9, 2019, pp. 316-349.
Scaggs, Madison J. "How Nationwide Injunctions have Thwarted Recent Immigration
Policy." Iowa Law Review, vol. 105, no. 3, 2020, pp. 1447-1473.
Waslin, Michele. "The use of Executive Orders and Proclamations to Create Immigration Policy:
Trump in Historical Perspective." Journal on Migration