A deal regarding DACA by February 8? About as likely as evangelicals repenting of their moral blindness and support of Donald Trump.
It’s really anybody’s guess as to how it will all turn out, but I’m betting Chuck Schumer will do no better this time around than he did with the government shutdown.
That said, reliable information can help debunk all the immigration false claims Trump Republicans (including evangelicals) persist in repeating.
False Claim #1: A large percentage of immigrants are criminals.
“Roughly 1.6 percent of immigrant males 18-39 are incarcerated, compared to 3.3 percent of people born here, something that has been true for years.
Unfortunately, Fix News is as bad as Trump in using propaganda rather than facts about immigrant crime. In a recent report Fix News stated that a study it did “revealed a wildly disproportionate number of murderers, rapists and drug dealers are crossing into the U.S. amid the wave of hard-working families seeking a better life. The explosive figures show illegal immigrants are three times as likely to be convicted of murder as members of the general population and account for far more crimes than their 3.5-percent share of the U.S. population would suggest.”
They also accused local, state, and federal officials of “keeping these figures under wraps.”
But here’s the deal: It was all a lie. The report was debunked for conclusions based on manipulated data that gave a distorted and inaccurate account of crime rates, just as the recent report did that Trump officials cited when they testified before Congress last week.
False Claim #2: Most immigrants are poor and uneducated, especially from countries Trump called “s$$tholes.”
Of adults ages 25 or older born in Africa and living here, 41.7 have a bachelor’s degree or more, contrasted with 28.1 percent for native born Americans.
Two-thirds of all immigrants have a high school diploma, and 88% of African-born immigrants do.
False Claim #3: Our government spends billions of dollars on welfare for undocumented immigrants.
Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive any “welfare” benefits and even legal immigrants are severely restricted in the benefits they can receive.
What is more, in 2016 immigrants made up 17% of the workforce, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Not quite half of those workers were Hispanic, and the majority of them were in the service industry doing jobs native born Americans won’t do.
False Claim #4: Building Trump’s wall on our Southern border will help stop illegal immigration.
The border patrol says a fence like the one built in 2006 makes more sense, but even that is not likely to make much of an impact. The current fence runs 650 miles and cost $7 billion to construct. The border is 2000 miles long. A wall will cost upwards of $65 billion and certainly won’t be paid for by the Mexican government.
False Claim #5: Chain Migration creates crime.
“Chain Migration” is another name for allowing family members from other countries to join their family that is already here. It has been a core part of US immigration policy for decades and there is no evidence of it creating a crime problem. Quite the opposite. It helps stabilize immigrant families. Also, the same vetting process is used for those wanting to join their families as everyone else goes through.
False Claim #6: The current immigration program has no serious vetting.
This is pure propaganda. It takes at least two years for most people to be admitted, with many having to wait three or more years. The truth is, by any standard, it is not easy for someone to immigrate to the United States.
That Trump Republicans and Fix News hosts deliberately repeat these false claims for political gain is unconscionable.
We can’t stop them, but we can know the facts to dispute what they say. I hope this helps.
linnposts.com 
Jan,
Shame on you for confusing evangelicals and other Trump supporters with facts and truth!
How can they navigate their rigid-mindset worlds when such realities are shared with them?
You may very well be responsible for great soul-searching among these folks.
Nah, not to worry, the Bible and Shawn Hannity are all they need……
Bill Blackwell
You are exactly right, Bill, I shouldn’t have offered facts for fiction. Thank God for Hannity and the evangelical view of the Bible.
Thanks Jan. Nothing quite as powerful as the truth. If only people would listen, and think.
Wilbur, I haven’t given up on the truth yet, and also have to believe in the end it will prevail.
Jan, thanks for this excellent blog. I wish I had time to tell you what people are going through here in the borderland, but recovering from flu and behind the eight ball on huge editing job. The facts you share about the myths are so correct. I am deep into this topic here in NM and know whereof I speak. Like you say we must share these facts far and wide to inform the un-informed. Jane Asche
Thank you so much, Jane, for adding your experience re this issue to what I wrote. We simply cannot allow propaganda to win the day. (Also, I know you grieve Wally’s passing as I do. It’s hard to believe he is gone. Take care.
Oh, Jan, Yes, Wally’s passing is so sad. He was such a good person. I hope to be able to travel to the twin cities for the memorial service in April. Jane
The date I have is May 10th, Jane.
Jan, thanks for the date. I think my brother and sister-in-law were not real clear as my brother was done with the flu. That gives me a date to plan for in case it looks like I can come. Jane
I am officiating at the service. Look forward to seeing you again, Jane, though we both wish it were going to be under different circumstances.
Jan,
Well done! Somehow, we need to use the Propagandist’s technique of constantly repeating the Big Lie, ut do it with the Big Truth!
Cheerz!
Gene
Repeating the truth when we hear or read the big lie is the only weapon we have against propaganda, Gene. Thanks.
False Claim # 4 — “The Wall” (of all kinds of materials, whether concrete or electronic survellience style, is expected to be 722 miles. Remainder of miles are geographic impossibilities. $20 Billion, not $65 Billion. Factoid !!
I hope you realize that your $20 billion figure is less than the $25 billion Schumer offered Trump last week as initial money for the wall in exchange for a DACA deal.So your saying Schumer was willing to pay for Trump’s wall completely with $5 billion to boot. Surely you don’t believe that. Also,Trump proposed a precast concrete wall that would rise 35 to 40 feet, or 50 feet, or higher. Fencing is not a “wall,” and was never mentioned when he first made the proposal on the campaign trail. The reason he didn’t is that we already have that. He had to have an idea that was original with him and that was the wall. Beyond all of that is the ultimate worth of spending anything on this boondoggle of an idea. If we did it would be government waste at its worst. The wall itself makes as much sense as Trump insisting Mexico is going to pay for it. Get your facts straight before trying to justify something you should be against.
Watching Schumer interviewed following the WH meeting, Schumer refused to give any number that he may have offered. NOWHERE did I ever hear $25 Billion; where did you hear that? Later a reporter said that the offer was $1.5 (or $1.2 ??) Billion. I never have seen any proposal of precast concrete; as far as I understand it, no decision at all has been made on details. It has been acknowledged that fencing needs repair–it has been there a while and not in good shape at this time. The term “border security” can be very inclusive of methods and materials; how seriously should people take semantics? Crossing borders in some nations means that you pay “entrance fees”; I believe that the “Mexico pays” means that trade deals will “pay” in that kind of crossfire. Both Dems and Reps know that there is a bit of bs around Trump’s mouth; the Dems think it is very serious and get angry, and the Reps just laugh and understand that actions speak louder than words.
The figure $25 billion was all over the news, except perhaps Fix News. You might want to widen your horizons. The rest of your tripe is not worth a response. Once again you’ve said enough so don’t bother to reply. It will be deleted.