The Mythical Connection Between Immigrants and Crime
*It’s not true, we know this, but the GOP presidential field is hoping to outlast Donald Trump so they’re scapegoating immigrants for their campaign’s benefit. Meanwhile, the immigrants and crime connection myth gains credibility because Trumps’ own parry doesn’t fight it. VL
By Jason LK. Riley, The Wall Street Journal
Is the conversation that Republicans want to have about immigration any more serious than the one Democrats want to have about race?
The Republican presidential field sports no shortage of individuals capable of speaking intelligently about America’s broken immigration system. Sens. Marco Rubio andLindsey Graham have drafted legislation on the issue. Jeb Bush co-wrote an entire book on the subject. And Rick Perry ran a border state with the nation’s second-largest immigrant population for 14 years. So why is Donald Trump, whose comments about immigrants and crime are as ugly as they are uninformed, doing all the talking?
[pullquote][tweet_dis]The candidates who expect to outlast Mr. Trump in the primaries are no doubt eyeing his supporters.[/tweet_dis] [/pullquote]The candidates who expect to outlast Mr. Trump in the primaries are no doubt eyeing his supporters. But Republicans would do better to focus on swing voters, whom they might lose if Mr. Trump’s position on immigration is perceived as the GOP’s. Mr. Trump is bringing heat to a debate that needs more light, and other candidates have an opportunity to provide it.
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[Photo byVíctor Manuel Espinosa/Flickr]
