蜜桃影视

The roars of dissent radiated out for blocks in every direction from the White House Tuesday. Hundreds 鈥� perhaps more 鈥� of angry Americans cycled through an almost-constant protest in response to the Trump administration鈥檚 decision to end the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Meanwhile, Jeff Sessions his way through announcing that he was . Naturally, the angry chorus wasn鈥檛 audible in Washington, D.C.鈥檚 plethora of acoustically insulated news soundstages, where pundits were hard at work the political winners and losers in the new world framed by Trump鈥檚 decision.

Outside, the calculations were somewhat different. It was a disastrous day for America鈥檚 present 鈥� and somehow, an even worse one for its long-term future. of DACA recipients are employed. They are , , and . Nearly half of DACA recipients are enrolled in some level of further education. Their contributions to the United States economy are estimated to be over the next decade.

Meanwhile, it was a bewildering day for those conservatives who insisted in November 鈥� and especially those who have maintained 鈥� that Trump 鈥渨ouldn鈥檛 be so bad鈥� as all that, that his advisers would inexplicably rein him in, that his administration could be useful and effective on a few pet issues (usually things like school choice, large tax cuts for the already-prosperous, and 鈥� inauspiciously 鈥� , back when Trump was promising to deal with these young people with 鈥渉eart鈥�).

Tuesday was also an astonishing setback for the God of Abraham and His son, the Prince of Peace. It was a challenging day for his followers here on Earth. For He once led migrants out of Egypt and sheltered them en route to their new haven. He called upon humans to love one another above all, and warned that He will someday judge each of us based on how we have treated the weak, the powerless, the strangers, and 鈥� especially 鈥� the children.

Above all, it was a terrible day for young Americans. I鈥檝e written before about the effect Trump is having on . They are , legitimately of him and his party, who seem jointly determined to persecute them through public prosecution of their families. These fears are sadly easy to understand 鈥� and, naturally, are central to understanding the full depths of cruelty of the Trump administration鈥檚 persistent attacks on American diversity, multiculturalism, and multilingualism.

()

But somehow, there were still other losers from Tuesday鈥檚 DACA decision. What of America鈥檚 other children? What is Trump teaching the children of native-born Americans?

They are hearing that diverse languages, cultures, and skin tones are dangerous threats to their communities. They are learning that the United States is weak, that it cannot possibly 鈥渨in鈥� at anything unless others lose. They are learning that American exceptionalism is not defined by our peaceful, plural democratic society. Nor are we exceptional in our bootstrapping, meritocratic economic competitiveness.

No, we are now teaching our children that we are simply another country animated by protectionism. We are afraid that our culture is growing and changing. We are nervous that it might change too much. We are worried that new workers in our country might 鈥渟teal鈥� something from us, rather than help us grow the economic pie for everyone.

This is not the America I grew up in. That country viewed immigrants through a complicated mix of magnanimity and self-interest. It knew itself to be to take in the world鈥檚 weak and persecuted. It was proud to be a shelter for the refugee and a training ground for democracy. In those years, America also recognized that immigrants and their children were assets that made our economy more robust and our culture more interesting.

The country was neither perfect nor unanimous in these things, naturally. The country鈥檚 anxieties about its diversity have deep roots running back centuries. Then, as now, anti-immigrant voices were part of our national conversation.

And yet, the contrast with Trump鈥檚 America is stark. Under this man鈥檚 leadership, America is . This America is myopic and selfish 鈥� and it鈥檚 certainly not becoming 鈥済reat.鈥�

Still, it was a good day for the angry. It was a soothing day for the fearful. It was a satisfying day for the vengeful, who slake their own anxieties on harming others.

Their validation carries a steep price for the rest of us. What will be the long-term costs to our national wealth, pride, and dignity as our children grow up? Will it be worth it? Whatever the short-term political fallout, it鈥檚 hard to imagine any accounting that winds up looking like a win for the United States.

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 蜜桃影视鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.