This is an adapted excerpt from the Sept. 12 episode of "Ana Cabrera Reports."
This week, Donald Trump and his allies have continued to amplify lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, falsely claiming the community is abducting and eating their neighbors’ pets. These lies are ugly and offensive but we have to remember, Trump is doing this for a reason.
The former president is looking to plant the seeds for a second-term immigration agenda, which would include the destructive, divisive and inhumane deportation of millions of people. To do that, he has to establish these beautiful Americans as the "other" — as people who are lesser than.
But let’s just look at the facts here. Haitian immigrants have played an extraordinarily important role in boosting Springfield’s economy. The city’s downtown has been revitalized in recent years, as more Haitians have come in and helped meet the demand for labor. According to officials, Haitians now make up about 15% of the population. Along with adding to the economy, like other immigrant groups, they’re also contributing to the amazing cultural mosaic that is Ohio and the United States of America.
Most Americans can see right through Trump’s lies because, as we all know, immigration is not concentrated in any one community in this country. Across the U.S., we can see the positive contributions immigrants make to their communities.
In New York City, each and every day we witness first-hand the ways immigrants and migrants add to our economy. New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks even said recently that migrants have been a “godsend” to the city’s schools, helping boost a declining student population.
The Democratic Party and all its allies should continue to tell the truth to the American people and call out Trump for these disgusting lies. But we should also never forget that the strategy behind what he’s doing is even scarier.