Trump might pick leader of hate group to run immigration office
A former executive director of an anti-immigrant hate group may soon lead the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Julie Kirchner used to run an anti-immigrant hate group. Now Trump may nominate her to one of the highest positions in the U.S. government, running the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency.
On Wednesday, Politico reported that Kirchner, former executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), is being considered by Trump to take over USCIS. She currently serves within the agency as its ombudsman.
If she is selected, Kirchner would face a Senate confirmation battle, and her time at FAIR would likely come up.
The Southern Poverty Law Center designated FAIR a hate group because of their anti-immigrant rhetoric.
During the time Kirchner served as FAIR’s executive director, the Southern Poverty Law Center criticized the organization for “defending racism, encouraging xenophobia and nativism, and giving its all to efforts to keep America white.” FAIR also has close ties to white supremacist groups and individuals, including failed Kansas gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach.
Trump’s embrace of hate groups is nothing new. In the aftermath of the 2017 deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Trump defended neo-Nazis and white supremacists as “very fine people.”
Trump’s immigration agenda, one of the centerpieces of his administration, has been defined by racism and bigotry. He kicked off his presidential campaign by calling Mexicans “rapists,” and one of his first acts as president was to institute a Muslim Ban.
He once described immigrants as “animals” and even mocked people coming to America from “shithole” (nonwhite) countries.
He once made the false allegation that South Africa was engaged in “white genocide.”
Kirchner’s potential elevation is part of Trump’s recent purge of the Department of Homeland Security. Trump recently ousted Kirstjen Nielsen from the top DHS post for being insufficiently cruel to immigrant children, despite Nielsen’s willingness to throw babies in cages after ripping them away from their parents.
Other personnel changes are happening as Trump seeks to implement even harsher immigration policies.
It seems like the former head of an anti-immigrant hate group is just what Trump is looking for.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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