BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 10: MAGA and the Making of Modern Immigration PolicyDonald J. Trump: Man of the People or Man of the Populists?7 min read·Sep 30, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 11: Why I Support Open ImmigrationI have attempted in these essays to do a whirlwind through American immigration policy development over the course of hundreds of years. In…12 min read·Sep 29, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 9: Figuring Out Family SeparationMay 2018 — Trump Administration announces prosecution of undocumented parents who cross the border with their children:3 min read·Sep 22, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 8: Battle of the Border WallTrump’s border wall was his showstopper. Since the early days of “Build the Wall!” chants at rallies, Trump’s border wall was a core…5 min read·Sep 18, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 7: Breaking Down DACAWhat’s the Big Deal About DACA?6 min read·Sep 15, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 6: Post-9/11 PolicyThroughout American history, the nation has contended with effectively the same concerns related to immigration. Effectively, most…4 min read·Sep 9, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 5 (1965–1995): Immigration Policy, Affirmative Action, and “Illegal” Aliens.How American Immigration Policy Tried to Attract the “Right” Kind of Immigrants and Worsened the Problem of Undocumented Immigration.7 min read·Sep 2, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing To America Pt. 4: The Dawn of the Modern American Immigration Policy.1920–1960: World Wars, the National Origins Formula, and the Man that Fought Against the Exclusionary American Immigration Policy.8 min read·Aug 25, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 3: 1880–1920 “New” Immigrants, New “Science”, and the Return of the KKK.Ironically, in 1886 it is just as the Statue of Liberty is being erected as an iconic symbol of welcome to those “Tired, poor, huddled…15 min read·Aug 19, 2021----
BenjaminpettusComing to America Pt. 2: Early Frontier, Native Fears, and the Golden Years of Open Immigration.1820–1880s: Who’s Immigrating During This Period?8 min read·Aug 12, 2021----