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The “Golden Age” Starts With American Exclusion
Trump’s promises raise the same question the United States has asked many times before: Who gets left behind?
Julio Ricardo Varela
January 20, 2025
In partnership with
(Public Domain)
Opinion for The Latino Newsletter
Today was the first day of a United States that feels far too familiar. About five minutes after President Donald Trump ended his inauguration speech, Washington Post reporter Arelis R. Hernández tweeted a video from Ciudad Juárez that, as of tonight, has been viewed more than 20 million times (and growing) on Twitter (X).
Migrants in Ciudad Juárez who were waiting for their 1 pm CBP1 parole appointments learned 20 minutes ago that the app has shut down & those appointments are no longer valid.
— Arelis R. Hernández (@arelisrhdz)
5:45 PM • Jan 20, 2025
Like the thorough reporter she is, Arelis provided crucial context about an hour later: “For clarification, everyone of these folks submitted biometric, biographical & other ID info to the U.S. govt via app in order to enter the country LEGALLY through this Biden admin program that sought to cut illegal entries. They had DHS-sanctioned appointments set for today.”
Soon enough, media reported that the CBP1 app was shut down.
Although not a perfect solution from a former Biden administration that failed Democrats and the left on immigration policy, the contrast between the Trump speech and Arelis’ reporting was sobering. Maybe because it was so immediate and sudden.
At first, such a contrast was a bit hidden. although we all knew it was coming.
“As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society: young and old, men and women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, urban, suburban, rural. And very importantly, we had a powerful win in all seven swing states—and the popular vote, we won by millions of people.
To the Black and Hispanic communities, I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote. We set records, and I will not forget it. I’ve heard your voices in the campaign, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come.
Today is Martin Luther King Day. And in his honor—this will be a great honor. But in his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true.”
Until it wasn’t.
“The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation — one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons. And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”
“Manifest destiny.” How did that work out?
And then it just continued.
Trump declared that the country would rise to new heights of power, prosperity, and success, claiming that his re-election marked the start of a “golden age,” along with the most divisive rhetoric we’ve heard in any presidential inauguration speech (even more divisive than his last one). Trump portrayed immigrants as faceless threats, claiming his administration would protect America from an "invasion" by cartels, gangs, and criminals:
“Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency... We have a government that fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions, that have illegally entered our country from all over the world.”
He went on to outline a sweeping agenda to secure the border and combat crime, including reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, designating cartels as terrorist organizations (Americans still love drugs), invoking the Alien Enemies Act, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. His words laid the groundwork for a presidency focused on strict enforcement, dramatic shifts in immigration policy, and a reassertion of what he perceives to be American dominance.
For communities long excluded from the promise of “manifest destiny,” today is a reminder that the fight for dignity and justice continues. Trump’s golden age may be celebrated by some, but for others, it raises a pressing question: who truly belongs in this vision of America and who gets to define that?
This is why The Latino Newsletter will do our best with what we have to always put our community first in the journalism, commentary, and multimedia we produce. We will define who we are and will not let anyone tell us otherwise.
Our communities deserve it.
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What We’re Reading
Rubio Confirmed as Secretary of State: On Monday night, former Florida senator Marco Rubio was confirmed the next Secretary of State. The vote tally was 99-0.
Senate Passes Laken Reilly Act: Also on Monday night, the Senate passed the Laken Reilly Act, 64-35, “with 12 Democrats joining Republicans to approve it.”
Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and publisher of The Latino Newsletter.
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The Latino Newsletter welcomes opinion pieces in English and/or Spanish from community voices. You can email our publisher, Julio Ricardo Varela. The views expressed by outside opinion contributors do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of this outlet.
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