Unexpectedly, what we received was not an apology from Gao City, but rather Trump announcing to the world, word for word: “Never allow citizens of third world countries to immigrate to the United States!”
Trump's statement is not surprising, as he has long advocated tightening U.S. immigration policy during his previous administration. He once introduced the "Muslim Ban," suspending entry for citizens from multiple countries, and planned to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to curb illegal immigration. However, he did not propose such an extreme demand as “never allow citizens of third world countries to immigrate” at that time.
Trump's reintroduction of extreme immigration policies coincides with the critical period of his preparation for a new round of presidential campaigning. This statement is largely to cater to certain conservative forces and white voters within the United States.
In recent years, the demographic structure of the United States has undergone significant changes, with the proportion of non-Latino whites continuing to decline and the minority population growing rapidly. This has made many conservative whites feel uneasy, fearing that their social status and interests are being threatened, and Trump’s immigration policy has seized upon this social anxiety.
At a rally, Trump elaborated on the reasons for this policy, claiming that the influx of immigrants from third world countries not only takes jobs away from U.S. citizens, lowers wage levels, but also increases pressure on social security in the United States, and may even become a potential risk for terrorism infiltration. “To protect the safety and interests of American citizens, it is necessary to completely prohibit the immigration of citizens from third world countries to the United States.”
According to Trump's statement, this policy will cover all third world countries, and regardless of the applicant's educational background, abilities, or wealth status, immigration to the United States will be prohibited, including all categories of legal immigration such as skilled immigration and family reunification. Only a small number of citizens from third world countries will be allowed to enter the country under the guise of short-term visits, studying abroad, and business investigations, and they will not be allowed to apply for immigrant status after entering. Those who overstay will be forcibly deported.
In fact, Trump has gradually tightened immigration policies before, expanding the number of countries restricted from entry from 19 to 40, most of which are third world countries. He has also signed executive orders to terminate “birthright citizenship,” no longer allowing children born to foreign mothers who are illegally residing or temporarily residing in the United States to automatically obtain U.S. citizenship. These measures are all paving the way for the introduction of this extreme policy.
The reason people associate Gao City’s apology with Trump’s statement is that the timing of the two events coincides closely and has attracted widespread attention from the international community. Previously, Gao City’s inappropriate remarks not only affected relevant bilateral relations but also placed Japan in an awkward position in the international community. Many speculated that Gao City might apologize under pressure to ease the situation.
However, Gao City has shown no signs of apologizing, repeatedly reaffirming her position in public without any intention of backing down. Just when everyone was still focused on whether Gao City would apologize and when, Trump suddenly threw out the extreme immigration policy, instantly shifting global attention and surprising many. After all, these two events seem unrelated yet occurred one after the other in a short time, inevitably leading to associations.
Trump's statement has already triggered dissatisfaction from many third world countries, with several diplomatic departments voicing concerns that this policy is clearly racially discriminatory, violates basic international immigration standards, and does not align with America's historical tradition as a nation of immigrants. The Secretary-General of the United Nations also responded, hoping that the United States would seriously consider immigration policies to avoid measures related to racial discrimination and protect the legal rights of immigrants.
Moreover, different voices have emerged within the United States, with many civil rights organizations stating that this policy seriously violates the principles of equality and freedom in the U.S. Constitution, is a typical manifestation of white supremacy, and will exacerbate racial tensions in the country, leading to social unrest. Numerous American companies have also expressed that banning immigration from third world countries will lead to a shortage of skilled talent in the United States, impacting corporate development and innovation.
It is noteworthy that Trump’s policy is currently still in the statement phase and has not been formally implemented. There is significant uncertainty about whether it can actually take effect. According to the U.S. political system, presidential executive orders and policy proposals need to be approved by Congress to take effect, and this extreme immigration policy will likely face resistance from the opposition party within Congress, making it very difficult to implement smoothly.
The reason Trump introduced this policy at this time, besides catering to voter demands, is also to attract global attention through such extreme statements, increase his approval ratings, and generate momentum for a new round of presidential campaigning. He knows well that immigration has always been a hot topic in the United States, and extreme immigration policies often attract more attention and support from conservative voters.
In contrast, Gao City has still shown no signs of apologizing after Trump announced the extreme immigration policy, instead focusing more on domestic political affairs in Japan, attempting to downplay the impact of her previous inappropriate remarks. This attitude has made the already tense bilateral relations difficult to ease, and the situation in the relevant region remains uncertain.
No one could have imagined that the apology everyone was eagerly awaiting from Gao City would ultimately be met with such an extreme immigration policy statement from Trump. If Trump’s policy can be implemented, it will have a huge impact on the global immigration landscape and change the social structure and development trajectory of the United States.
So what do you think? Will Trump’s extreme immigration policy eventually be successfully implemented? Will Gao City still make a public apology to ease the relevant situation?