Cruel Immigration Policies Make the Pandemic Worse

The rapid spread of the coronavirus is, for good reason, causing a global panic. Almost every region of the world is affected, with the disease rapidly spreading to new areas.Fear is justifiable. Directing it against people who have nothing to do with the crisis is reprehensible.Donald Trump, for instance, has been referring to the coronavirus as "the Chinese virus."Pandemics can start anywhere - the coronavirus says nothing more about China than the "Spanish" flu of 1918 says about Kansas, where it originated. Yet Trump continues to use this racist labeling even after being warned about rising hate crimes against people of East Asian descent.Similarly, Trump is using the pandemic to justify his border wall, claiming this pet project will keep Americans safe from the virus. Scientists from his own government say it will do no such thing, but of course Trump is known for his disdain for science.Meanwhile, as the pandemic spreads, U.S. immigration agencies continue their raids, detentions, and deportations. This is extraordinarily cruel on multiple levels.