Rich, Black celebs who push conservative, anti-immigrant talking points seem to be shaping up as a disturbing trend in the Black pop culture space ahead of this year’s elections. Specifically, talking points that portray migrants as grifters who suck up tax dollars that might otherwise go to poor Americans.
Comedian Katt Williams — who, you may remember, made a half-hearted apology for telling an audience member to “go back to Mexico” in 2011 — is just the most recent example. On a recent episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast, Williams asked, “How are we allowed to have a foreign policy when we are violating the policies here?” He added, “What do you mean the immigrants are getting a check and we’re putting them up in places?”
Rapper 50 Cent expressed dismay that New York City was supplying immigrants with debit cards to help them buy food. And ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, who is a frequent guest on Fox News, has also criticized the city’s humanitarian efforts.
Here’s the thing: No matter how many times the claim gets undermined by the facts, scapegoating migrants for receiving resources that might otherwise be used to benefit poor people — particularly less-wealthy Black people and other minority communities — is a well-known tactic used by conservatives to engender xenophobia among those groups.
As today’s Republican Party looks to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of this year’s elections, the conservative movement seems elated that Black celebs are adopting anti-immigrant talking points for their audiences (note the praise from Fox News for 50 Cent’s rhetoric.)
But it’s not even that hard to see how dubious the “immigrant vs. American poor” argument is — and it’s even easier when it’s rich folks who are pushing it. Consider that each of the wealthy Black dudes who is railing against government aid for migrants is somebody who likely benefited from the Trump-era tax cuts. If those tax cuts are extended next year, that’s projected to cost…
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