The Deep Divide: Immigration and Ideological Conflict in America

In the United States, the conflict between California and the Trump administration over immigration appears to be further intensifying. Federal immigration officials are carrying out enforcement activities in California, especially the Los Angeles area, as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy. The raids have been sharply criticized by local officials who say everything in their daily life is being affected by the activities targeting immigrant families. At the center of the clash is the federal government’s decision to order the deployment of National Guard members and Marines to LA after days of protests driven by anger over the raids.

What does the clash tell us about the social and political divisions in the United States? Host Ding Heng is joined by Joseph Siracusa, Professor of Global Futures at Curtin University, and Andy Mok, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.