Historical Pattern: Recession = Deportation
🟤 1930s – The Great Depression
- Mass “Repatriation” of Mexicans (many were U.S. citizens)
- Over 1 million Mexicans and Mexican Americans were forcibly removed.
- No due process. Motivation: Jobs for “real Americans” during massive unemployment.
🟠 1954 – Post-War Economic Anxiety
- Operation Wetback deported over 1 million Mexican nationals.
- The operation used military-style sweeps with little regard for civil rights.
- Official reasoning: curb “illegal labor,” but the real driver was economic and racial tension.
🔴 2008–2009 – Great Recession
- Increased rhetoric about “illegals taking jobs.”
- Deportations under Obama reached record levels, partly due to Secure Communities program.
- Target: Mexicans, who made up the largest undocumented group.
🔴 2020–2025 – Pandemic Recovery and Inflation
- As inflation, housing shortages, and wage stagnation return, immigration is again blamed.
- Trump’s 2025 crackdown is framed as national security and “law & order,” but the deeper narrative is economic fear.
💡 Why Mexicans Are Easy Scapegoats
- Visible Labor Presence
- Found in agriculture, construction, food service all industries hard-hit in recessions.
- Proximity = Numbers
- Largest undocumented population makes them the easiest target.
- Stereotypes & Media
- Longstanding stereotypes about crime, dependency, or job theft are politically useful.
- No Political Power
- Undocumented immigrants can’t vote, making them vulnerable to policies without backlash.
- Deflection Strategy
- Politicians redirect blame for economic pain from Wall Street or government policy to immigrants.
