Trump's preference for Europeans and ban vs. Asian and African immigrants is pure racism

As difficult as Donald Trump's Asian American supporters hate to admit, but Trump is a full-blown racist. He doesn't even try to hide it anymore.

Proving that he learned precisely nothing from the 2018 firestorm. Reeling from polls saying most Americans say Donald Trump is the worst US President in history. He had to shore up his base, his hardcore MAGA cultists, so at a rally on December 10, 2025, the Trump, doubled down on his latest immigration demands by resorting to the well of xenophobia and racism.

When a supporter helpfully fed him his favorite derogatory phrase, Trump gleefully repeated his infamous 2018 comments: "Why is it that we only take people from s---hole countries? Why can't we have some people from Norway, Sweden, just a few, let us have a few, from Denmark ... send us some nice people, do you mind?"

He wasn't done, either. He then called Somalia "filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime," continuing his pattern of conflating entire nations and their people with societal ills.

His comments came as the administration implements an effective freeze on all immigration applications from 19 nations, several of which are in Asia: Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Turkmenistan. 

Turkmenistan? What did Turksenistan, one of least touristy nor visited countries in the world, do to offend Trump and get on list of banned immigrants?

Notice a pattern here? The countries Trump wants fewer people from are overwhelmingly Black and brown nations, while those he name-drops as "nice" are predominantly white.

Trump's behavior is nothing new. He has a long history of actions and speech that many have described as racist or sympathetic to white supremacist tropes, including"

• Accusations include a 1973 lawsuit alleging housing discrimination against Black renters, 

• His promotion of the "birther" conspiracy theory about President Obama, and his statement during his 2016 campaign launch about immigrants from Mexico being criminals and rapists.

• Following a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, Trump stated there was "blame on both sides" and "very fine people" among the protesters.

• In 2019, he told congresswomen of color to "go back" to their countries, which the House of Representatives condemned as racist.

• He also used racialized language like "Chinese virus" for COVID-19, which critics argued fueled xenophobia and attacks against Asian Americans.

These instances contribute to ongoing public and academic discussion about Trump's views on race and their effect on American politics and race relations.

 A shift back to the left

A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that 19 percent of non-white Trump voters regretted their decision in late 2025, a significantly higher percentage than the 5 percent of white Trump voters who expressed regret. This suggests a notable portion of Asian American voters may be included in this group.

The same poll noted that many minority voters had mixed feelings, with some still hoping for promised economic benefits and others being alienated by Trump's racist rhetoric or actions.

Some Asian Americans who supported Trump's general immigration crackdown were surprised or dismayed to learn that his plans included restrictions on legal immigration pathways like H-1B visas and family reunification policies, which many in their communities rely on.

Some voters expressed general disappointment with Trump's job performance, even if they did not fully regret their initial vote, often feeling he did not deliver on economic promises.

It's racism, plain and simple

Let's not mince words: Trump's rhetoric is a classic example of using racially coded language to advocate for a white-centric immigration policy. By framing a preference for Norwegians and Danes over Afghanis, Laotians, Somalis and Haitians, Trump is clearly promoting a race-based, white-supremacist view of who is "worthy" of coming to America.

As an Asian American, and technically a first-generation immigrant to boot, it hits close to home. The "model minority" myth often shields us from the crude public slurs directed at Black or Latinx communities, but policies like these — and the underlying sentiment that only certain (read: white) immigrants are "nice people" — remind us that our status is conditional. Our families came here seeking a better life, contributing greatly to this country, just as immigrants from these 19 nations have been doing for generations.

To suggest that people from these countries are inherently lesser than those from Scandinavia isn't just "frustration over security issues," as some defenders claim; it's a deeply troubling display of racism and xenophobia. The international community called out the original comments as racist in 2018, and they are no less racist today.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Who is impacted or exempt from Trump's new immigration ban?

Agricultural workers are considered "essential" and are exempt from the immigration ban.

The executive order temporarily curtailing the issuance of certain immigrant visas affecting thousands of would-be immigrants was signed by Donald Trump Wednesday (April 22) as details were revealed by the White House. 

The 60-day "pause" for immigrants was spurred by huge spike of unemployed workers caused by the shelter-in-place mandates to battling the cornavirus pandemic that has taken 40,000 lives in the US.

Trump's immigration order is being seen as another attempt to further attempt  to implement his restrictive immigration reform policies, mostly aimed at slowing immigration from Latin America, Africa and Asia. Asian countries such as China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam provide the most immigrants to the US. Some immigrant applicants have to wait up to two decades for a visa.

“While the order is limited in scope, President Trump’s transparent attempt to distract from his own failures with this unwarranted suspension will cause real pain for families and employers across the country," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project.

Attorneys at Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus and the Council on Arab-Israli Relations (CAIR)-San Francisco Bay Area, issued an advisory on who the new mandate will affect.

"In a blatant attempt to pit communities of color and immigrants against one another, the Proclamation exploits the record levels of unemployment caused by the pandemic, to restrict immigration under the guise of protecting workers and minorities.," said the two advocacy groups said in a statement. "Targeting immigrants does nothing to achieve economic justice and only further marginalizes and dehumanizes our immigrant communities." 

The Ban is supposed to last for 60 days (until June 22, 2020), after which it may be extended and begins 11:59 p.m. EDT today (April 23).

Following is the joint advisory (Note: Information is subject to change.):

Who is Impacted Under the Ban? 

Any foreign national seeking to obtain an immigrant visa to enter the U.S. who: 

● Is outside the United States at 11:59pm on April 23, 2020; and ● Does not have a valid immigrant visa in their passport as of 11:59pm on April 23, 2020; and ● Does not have another valid official travel document, such as a transportation letter, a boarding foil, or an advance parole document.

This means that nearly all parents and adult children of US citizens, spouses and children of green card holders, and applicants for most employment based immigrant visas will not be able to obtain immigrant visas to enter the US for the duration of this ban.

Workers considered necessary to fight the coronavirus, such as health workers, are exempt from the new rule.

The Ban does not apply to: 

● US Citizens ● US Lawful Permanent Residents (current Green Card holders) ● Individuals entering the US on non-immigrant visas ● Individuals who are present in the US and applying for adjustment of status ● Individuals entering on immigrant visas as medical professionals ● Those seeking entry to the US to do COVID-related work, and their spouses and unmarried children under 21 years old ● Individuals seeking to enter on the EB-5 Immigrant Investors Program ● Spouses and children under 21 years old of US Citizens ● Individuals “whose entry would further important United States law enforcement objectives” ● Members of the US Armed Forces and their spouses and children ● Nationals of Afghanistan and Iraq who are entering the US on Special Immigrant Visas for having served as interpreters for the US Armed Forces, and their spouses and children ● Those seeking asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) ● Anyone whose entry is deemed to be in the “national interest”

The two agencies urges people to contact their Congressional representatives to express their opposition to Trump's orders.

For more information or to seek legal assistance free of charge, contact the organizations:

● CAIR SF Bay Area: 408.986.9874 or online at: bit.ly/cairsfbaimmigration

● Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus: 415.848.7733 or online at: bit.ly/TravelIntake 

Judge issues nationwide stay on Trump's Muslim ban order

Among the first groups protesting Donald Trump's attacks on Muslims were members of the Jewish and 
Japanese American communities who saw the similarities to the orders that detained Japanese Americans 
and the Nazi roundup of Jews during WWII.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP's attempt to restrict Muslims from coming to the U.S. received a setback late Friday when a U.S. District Court judge in Seattle granted a temporary restraining order against the executive order.

“The Constitution prevailed today,” said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “No one is above the law — not even the president.”

Unlike the earlier court-ordered stays by courts in other parts of the country, Judge James Robart went to the core of the executive order, requiring that the travel restrictions be stayed immediately and his decision go into effect nationwide. 

Federal officers are now barred from enforcing the parts of the ban that target immigrants from those seven countries and refugees, and that grant exemptions to refugees on the basis of their religion. 

At the preliminary hearing in response to Washington state's attorney general's lawsuit against the executive order, Judge Robart pointed out that no terror attack has been carried out on U.S. soil by people from any of the countries in question.

AG Ferguson filed the lawsuit Monday, calling Trump's order "illegal."

The White House vowed to appeal the decision immediately.

“At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate,” press secretary Sean Spicer said in a written statement Friday night. “The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.”

Trump’s executive order bars most travelers or refugees from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days, with some exceptions. 

Since Trump signed the executive order last Friday, demonstrations have popped up at airports throughout the country. Judges in Los Angeles, Seattle, Virginia and New York issued temporary stays on the parts of the order that affected some of the impacted travelers but did not affect the the entire order.

The hastily-put together executive order caused confusion among Homeland Security personnel and airport police who apparently were not given guidelines on how to enforce it.

The executive order has been severely criticized by the AAPI community.

“We have been resettling refugees in America safely for decades – and Trump’s claim that refugees will hurt American communities is simply not true," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif. "Welcoming immigrants and refugees – and welcoming people of all backgrounds and faiths – is at the core of who we are as a nation. And this diversity has strengthened, not weakened our country.”

"The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has the responsibility to remind our nation 'never again,' and we have that privilege to speak on behalf of our ancestors who could not come to this country, to our ancestors who were discriminated against, who were interned and who were profiled, and who may not have the opportunity to tell their own story," said Christopher Kang, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). 

"We have to remind people of what refugees bring to this country and why the entire world demands that refugees who are fleeing violence and persecution be accepted and given safe haven,” 

Last Monday, The Council on American-Islamic Relations filed its own lawsuit against the executive order in Virginia. ""Donald Trump’s executive order is not based on evidence, national security or on hard facts. It is based on islamophobia, fear mongering and anti-Muslim prejudice.” said Nihad Awad, CAIR's National Executive Director.