Sometimes it appears as though the mainstream media is locked in a competition to see who can produce the dumbest article in the history of American journalism. CNBC recently published a piece that could claim the prize. Titled “US Retailers Hit as Immigration Worries Weigh on Hispanic Spending,” it waxes hysterical about the allegedly negative effects of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
CNBC asserts that, “Many U.S. Hispanics are venturing out only to buy essential goods and are cutting back on discretionary spending, worried about possible harassment by immigration or law enforcement officials since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump….” It then, bizarrely, goes out of its way to note that apparel and footwear sales have been particularly hard hit. (Which is surprising, because well-dressed illegal aliens sporting designer footwear and custom-printed “Undocumented and Unafraid” t-shirts have been all over the news lately, protesting immigration enforcement everywhere from city council meetings to state legislative sessions. They don’t seem all that worried about cutting back on discretionary spending or hiding from ICE.)
And have you ever noticed that the allegedly “inclusive” media always lumps Hispanics into one monolithic bloc? This is intentional. The newsies don’t want to acknowledge that “Hispanic” is a broad term describing ethnic background, not immigration status. If they did, their false narrative that immigration laws are “racist,” and that immigration enforcement is “harassment,” would fall apart. Once the “profiling” fantasy breaks down, enforcing immigration laws is just standard police work.
In fact, the whole argument advanced by CNBC is pretty moronic. No one is publishing any articles kvetching about how cops writing speeding tickets are killing the gasoline industry. And the notion that we should be alarmed because lawbreakers are afraid of getting caught is insane. One of the reasons people obey laws is the deterrent effect achieved by visible law enforcement. State troopers can’t give every speeder a ticket but most of us ease up on the gas because we don’t want to be one of the few they do write-up.
Of course, this is just the typical alarmist invective that has become a standard part of the news organizations’ ongoing temper tantrum about the election of Donald Trump. Walmart isn’t going to fail because we’re enforcing our immigration laws and securing our borders. However, if we deport enough immigration violators, the underground market for cheap illegal alien labor might just fall apart. In that case, wages should rise, and working Americans should have plenty of money to spend on new clothes and shoes. One thing is certain, however, the vast majority of everyday Americans are not buying CNBC’s tired line on immigration enforcement.