Introduction
Dominated, authoritarian, provocative, and narcissistic, Donald Trump has demonstrated a unique ability: to bring the logic of spectacle to the most complex challenges of contemporary politics. His approach seems less about problem-solving and more about emotionally captivating narratives.
Migratory Policy as a Central Theme
Trump has made migratory policy one of the most visible aspects of his administration, transforming the U.S.-Mexico border into a powerful tool for control and deterrence. This sends a clear message: “Here, fear reigns!”
The Narrative of Perpetual Threat
Through his narrative, a complex phenomenon like human migration is reduced to constant threats and promises of imminent victory through drastic, often unfulfilled solutions. This fuels the sensation of a constant crisis and impending danger.
From Political Drama to Border Spectacle
In the theater of power, Trump assumes the role of a nation’s savior perceived as threatened by imaginary invaders: migrants, turned into ideal antagonists or “necessary enemies” to sustain the narrative of fear.
Concrete Consequences for Migrants
This mechanism, though primarily rhetorical, has had concrete consequences for migrant populations. Despite many extreme measures not yet implemented, Trump has driven one of the largest technological expansions in border surveillance using drones, motion sensors, biometric techniques, and AI platforms. Under the watchful eye of the state, every migrant body becomes a suspect in need of discipline.
Control and Selective Discipline
Control, for this administration, involves not just stopping migratory flow but shaping it through selective criteria acting as a moral and economic filter, discarding those deemed threats to national sovereignty and identity.
The Climax: Expulsion
Under the Obama era, a highly efficient deportation machinery was established: more immigration judges, expedited processes, raids, mass detentions, and bilateral agreements to curb migration from origin countries. Trump has turned this structure into a media spectacle, reinforcing the symbolic power of the state by showcasing deportations.
Trump’s Migratory Approach: A Punitive Spectacle
Trump’s migratory approach has become a punitive spectacle, instrumentalizing fear and racism as political capital. In polarized times, migrant bodies embody the threat, justify violence, mobilize voters, and normalize the erosion of their rights, legitimizing exclusion as a governing strategy.
About the Author
The author is an internationalist specializing in migration issues, holding a Ph.D. in Latin American Studies from UNAM and serving as a full-time professor-researcher at the University of the Caribbean (Mexico). She is part of the National System of Researchers under SECIHTI, an expert member of the UN Migration Network’s Red, and an associate of the Mexican Council on International Affairs. She has presented at national and international forums and participated in high-level academic stays at institutions like CEPAL and El Colegio de México. Her career combines research, teaching, and advising on human mobility from a multidisciplinary perspective, focusing on human rights and psychosocial aspects.
Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s sole responsibility.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What is the main focus of Trump’s administration regarding migration? A: Trump has made migratory policy a central theme, transforming the U.S.-Mexico border into a tool for control and deterrence.
- Q: How does Trump’s narrative impact human migration? A: Through constant threats and unfulfilled drastic solutions, Trump fuels the sensation of a constant crisis and impending danger.
- Q: What are the concrete consequences of Trump’s migratory approach? A: Migrants face increased surveillance, with drones, motion sensors, biometric techniques, and AI platforms used to discipline bodies deemed suspects.
- Q: How does Trump’s administration control migratory flow? A: By implementing selective criteria that act as a moral and economic filter, discarding those deemed threats to national sovereignty and identity.
- Q: What has Trump turned deportation into? A: A media spectacle that reinforces the symbolic power of the state by showcasing deportations.