Donald Trump has announced plans to declare a national emergency upon becoming President in January, deploying the army to round up and deport up to 20 million migrants. Trump’s victory was partly built on his promise of mass deportations, absurdly claiming that such actions would reduce rent and house prices. This proposal is unprecedented in modern US history, though it echoes the country’s legacy of genocide against Indigenous peoples and the mass forced importation of enslaved Africans.
This inhuman policy targets marginalised people and reflects decades of racist rhetoric around immigration and refugees, now prevalent across the globe. A core feature of modern nationalism is the manufactured crisis over migration, creating the illusion of cities “swarming” with so-called “illegals.” This propaganda is used to blame migrants for a wide range of societal issues, from low wages and high rents to crime and political corruption.
“The idea that cities are swarming with ‘illegals’ is a major propaganda point, used to obscure the real causes of social inequality.”
The far right within the Republican Party has fuelled this narrative by promoting conspiracy theories like the “Great Replacement,” which claims white populations are being deliberately replaced by migrants. Elon Musk, ahead of the presidential election, falsely accused the Democrats of secretly flying in immigrants to sway votes in swing states.
This relentless political attack on migration, a practice as old as humanity itself, has created a climate of fear and panic. In the UK, similar rhetoric surrounds the so-called “boat people,” amplified by far-right agitators and mainstream politicians, including the Tories and parts of the Labour Party.
Borders: A Tool of Capitalism
Borders and nations are capitalist inventions, designed to foster illusions of shared national interests and maintain the power of the ruling class. Before 1905, Britain had no border controls, with the Aliens Act introduced specifically to keep out Jewish refugees. Similarly, the US implemented the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 and established the Border Patrol only in 1924.
“Borders were created to protect capital, enforce divisions, and sustain exploitation – not to serve the needs of ordinary people.”
The modern border security industry is highly lucrative. Since 2004, the US Department of Homeland Security has spent $409 billion on border security, excluding the costs of constructing physical walls and fences. This system perpetuates inequality while profiting the capitalist class at the expense of migrants and workers alike.
Ecosocialists and Migration
Many migrants flee wars, persecution, or economic crises, yet even asylum claims under international law are demonised. The right labels asylum seekers as “bogus,” denying the realities of global conflicts. Economic migrants, meanwhile, face scorn unless their skills align with capitalist demands, such as doctors or engineers, while those deemed “low-skilled” are shunned or deported.
“The idea that anyone is ‘illegal’ is a political fiction – migration is a fundamental human right.”
Ecosocialists reject this dehumanisation. Migrants seeking better lives should not be scapegoated for systemic failures. Migration driven by poverty or lack of jobs is no different from someone moving within their own country to find work. The real culprits behind low wages and high rents are the bosses and landlords, whose profiteering exploits both migrants and native workers.
The far right refuses to address the root causes of mass migration, such as global poverty and wars, which their policies often exacerbate. Ecosocialists highlight these structural crises while defending the rights of people to move freely.
Mass Deportations: A Dystopian Nightmare
Trump’s plan to use the army for mass deportations is a dystopian vision reminiscent of the film Children of Men. It involves soldiers and immigration officers conducting raids on homes, workplaces, and communities, detaining people in centres before deporting them to countries ravaged by colonialism and neoliberalism.
“This dystopian nightmare will embolden far-right movements globally, normalising repression and militarised violence against the marginalised.”
Such actions reflect the far right’s obsession with targeting the most vulnerable while championing billionaires like Elon Musk. Their ideology, rooted in white supremacy and might-makes-right, is devoid of empathy — a trait capitalism systematically erodes. As history shows, the destruction of empathy is essential for sustaining oppressive systems, including those of Nazi Germany.
If Trump succeeds, the global repercussions will be severe, legitimising authoritarian measures elsewhere. Building community solidarity networks, supported by political and trade union resources, is crucial. In Britain, past campaigns to block immigration vans and secure the release of detainees have demonstrated the power of grassroots action.
Fighting the Real Enemy
Migrants are not the cause of falling living standards. Politicians scapegoat them to distract from systemic issues like underfunded public services and tax cuts for the rich. Capitalism’s relentless focus on profit ensures that wealth accumulates among the super-rich while ordinary people struggle to access basic necessities.
“Capitalism creates the scarcity and inequality migrants are blamed for — while the rich profit from division and chaos.”
Anticapitalist Resistance stands for a world built on solidarity and cooperation, not fear and division. Fighting the exploitation at capitalism’s core is essential to dismantling the conditions that lead to mass migration and inequality.
Trump’s dystopian vision must be opposed not just in the US but globally. As ecosystems collapse and economic crises deepen, solidarity will be our most powerful tool against the far right’s agenda of hate. Together, we can build a future that rejects militarised borders and embraces shared humanity.
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