"I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!"
The President of the United States, 29 July 2018.
I studied American immigration back at Kent State. The general trend was that there was always a backlash against the most recent wave of immigrants. In the 1840s for example many Americans were upset about the Irish who came to America and nativists were casting dire warnings about all sorts of things that were going to happen, such as reduction in wages, a rise in Catholicism, etc.
Same thing happened in the last part of the 19th Century when immigrants began coming from Italy and other parts of Southern and Southeastern Europe. People born here upset about possible loss in wages, etc but their was a racist element in that many of these latter 19th century immigrants
were darker in complexion.
https://history.state.gov/milestones...mmigration-act
It is easy to see where The President wants to put take immigration back a century. And of course why.