Anyone standing before the Statue of Liberty in New York City sees more than a tourist landmark; they encounter a founding symbol of modern America—freedom, openness, and the embrace of immigrants. The verses engraved at its base, inviting the poor and the weary of the world to seek refuge in a land of opportunity, long defined the essence of the American Dream. Today, however, that symbol is facing serious scrutiny amid increasingly restrictive U.S. immigration policies, particularly with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
For decades, Americans have described their country as a nation of immigrants, shaped by successive waves of newcomers—first from Europe, then from the rest of the world. Yet this narrative has never been free of contradictions. Early European settlement was built on the displacement of Indigenous peoples, accompanied by violence, disease, and systematic exclusion—later romanticized in national memory through symbolic events such as Thanksgiving.
Although political dominance remained largely in the hands of Anglo-Saxon Protestants, other European groups—most notably Irish and Italian Catholics—faced severe discrimination before eventually integrating into American society. Their inclusion was not immediate, but the result of decades of social and political struggle.
Following World War II, the United States entered a new phase of openness to non-European immigration, driven by the civil rights movement and the geopolitical demands of the Cold War. During this period, America gradually evolved into a truly multiethnic society, with growing Arab, Muslim, and Global South communities becoming part of its social fabric.
This trajectory, however, has faced a clear reversal in recent years. Rising undocumented immigration from Latin America transformed the issue into fertile ground for right-wing populism. Trump successfully capitalized on the fears of many white Americans, portraying immigration as a threat to national identity, security, and employment.
Trump’s policies have largely blurred the distinction between legal and illegal immigration. His administration expanded travel bans on Muslim-majority countries, suspended asylum programs, and tightened naturalization procedures—redefining what it means to be a “nation of immigrants.” The paradox is striking: entire sectors of the U.S. economy continue to depend heavily on immigrant labor, particularly in agriculture and service industries.
The role played by Stephen Miller reflects the administration’s deep ideological commitment to these policies. His worldview treats demographic diversity as an existential threat to white majority dominance, even as demographic data suggest that the United States is approaching a historic transformation in which minorities will collectively become the majority. With unprecedented legislative and financial backing, deportation policies have become a broad deterrence tool, fostering widespread fear within immigrant communities.
Trump may have succeeded in reducing unauthorized crossings at the southern border, but this “security achievement” has come at the expense of America’s moral and historical image. A nation built by immigrants, and long a global advocate of freedom, now appears increasingly inward-looking and distrustful of one of its greatest sources of strength.
This year’s Thanksgiving arrives burdened with anxiety for millions of immigrant families who now question their future in a country they once chose as a refuge of safety and opportunity. The fundamental question remains: will America remain faithful to the spirit of the Statue of Liberty, or will that symbol become a relic of a bygone era?
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