'Non-compatible with Western Civilization' is about as vague and jingoistic as it gets and Trump saying this gives full license to his acolytes to go full throttle on making life as difficult and scary as possible for as many non-white people as possible,' notes Sree Sreenivasan.
The most significant changes to US immigration are on the horizon, challenging a century-long tradition of law, customs, and precedents.
On Thanksgiving, President Trump unveiled a vision for America that further aligns with Stephen Miller's aspirations of eliminating immigration of non-white folks.
Even those who accuse Trump's critics of crying wolf can now see the fangs and claws.
Candidate Trump promised to go after the worst of the worst, the killers and career criminals.
Instead, as of September 2025, 71.5% of individuals in ICE detention had no criminal convictions. Only approximately 5% had violent criminal convictions.
Notably, many of those with convictions committed only minor offences, such as traffic violations. Raise your hand if you've had one yourself; on second thought, don't!
Over the last several weeks, the rhetoric against legal immigration pathways such as the H-1B and J-1 for professionals and F-1 for students has hit fever pitch.
And in his tweet last week, Trump spelled out the next steps of his plan:
'I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden's Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.'
There's so much to unpack and get upset about, but I want to focus on two items.
'...denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.'
This is the scariest part, saying aloud what the worst bigots could only dream about. This means going after naturalized citizens on the flimsiest of excuses to try to cancel their citizenship. Thankfully, it's not in a president's power to denaturalize anyone.
The Department of Justice can attempt to denaturalize a citizen only through a judicial order in either civil or criminal proceedings. But it will have a chilling effect on dissent, lawful speech and more.
This is the language of fascism, straight from the president of the United States.
Trump uses a sort of language that I would call 'Soviet' (I should know as I lived in Moscow as a kid, at the height of the Soviet Union) when he talks about stuff like this.
'Non-compatible with Western Civilization' is about as vague and jingoistic as it gets --just as 'Undesirable' is the strictest sanction the Russian government bestows -- and his saying this gives full license to his acolytes to go full-throttle on making life as difficult and scary as possible for as many non-white people as possible.
Here's Stephen Miller:
Here's an op-ed from Stephen Miller's uncle (external link) that will tell you all you need to know about the depths of Miller's hypocrisy on human migration.
Not to be outdone, the Department of Homeland Security, a cabinet-level agency, hit the 'Otherize these people immediately' button on X:
'Remigration' is a new word for most of us, but unlike its supposedly-benign-but-not-benign cousin, 'self-deporation', it is widely known among those who study the European far right (external link):
Meanwhile, I'm also digesting the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, DC, by an Afghan national.
The shooter (now charged with first-degree murder), Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had worked with a paramilitary unit in Afghanistan that worked with US forces (external link), and had been allowed to resettle in the US when the Taliban came back to power in 2021.
Now, the spotlight is on Afghans specifically. but also on anyone and everyone trying to make a life for themselves in America.
Remember, when Trump talks about what he wants to do, believe him -- this is the lesson of the last decade of US politics.
Trump's immediate reaction to the shooting does not bode well for immigrants, both documented (external link) and otherwise.
Don't just take it from me. We spoke to an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicant currently living in Pakistan. We will call him Abdul for his own safety.
Abdul was born in Khost province, Afghanistan, in 1996. He grew up in the heart of the US invasion of the country, and started working on projects with the US Army Corp of Engineers when he was 18.
Here's Abdul, in his own words:
'My family was actively engaged in multiple sectors supporting the international mission in Afghanistan including construction work, educational development projects, and direct support to US military operations.
'From a young age, I witnessed both the risks and the responsibilities that came with partnering with the United States.
'When I reached adulthood, I followed in my family's footsteps. In 2014, at the age of 18, I began working with a construction company contracted on projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
'These projects were essential to the US mission, improving infrastructure, security facilities, and operational capacity.
'This work required daily contact with US service members, and it placed me in direct danger from insurgent groups who labeled anyone cooperating with American forces as an enemy.
'Because of this service, my identity became widely known within my community. Insurgent groups issued threats against people like us, considering us traitors and American loyalists.
'Remaining in Afghanistan after the collapse of the government was not an option not for me, and not for my family.
'I wish to express my deepest and heartfelt condolences for the tragic and inhumane killing of the young National Guard hero in the recent attack.
'The loss of such a dedicated American service member is a tragedy for the entire humanity, and my family and I stand with the victim's loved ones in prayer and solidarity.
'This crime was cruel, senseless, and without justification. We condemn it wholeheartedly.
'However, since this incident, public discussion and political reactions have caused deep fear and confusion among Afghan SIV applicants and immigrants who served the United States with honesty and loyalty.
'There are suggestions of suspending or restricting immigration pathways for Afghan allies, including the SIV program.
'These developing circumstances have shaken the hope of thousands of people who believed the United States would honor its commitments.
'We stood shoulder to shoulder with the US Army for years often in front-line situations, often risking our lives, and often facing threats that continue to this day.
'The idea that we might be abandoned or judged because of a single unrelated criminal action is heartbreaking and terrifying
'When the United States and its allies left Afghanistan, Afghan partners were promised safety and resettlement.
'Many of us sold our homes, land, cars, and belongings based on the belief that the United States would fulfill that promise.
'My family and I spent everything we had trying to escape immediate danger.
'To survive in Pakistan, we borrowed money, sold every valuable we owned, and have been living in constant fear of deportation.
'Pakistan does not provide long term security for Afghan refugees. Afghan citizens living here face police raids, detentions, extortion, and the constant threat of forced removal.
'If we are deported back to Afghanistan: We will be identified as former US allies; we will be considered traitors by extremist groups; we will be persecuted, tortured, or killed; there will be no legal protection and no possibility to hide; and our families, including women and children, will face severe retaliation.
'The SIV program is not a privilege -- it is a lifeline for thousands of people who risked everything to support US missions.
'America has always stood as a symbol of hope, justice, and protection for those who defend freedom alongside it.
'We, the Afghan SIV applicants, believed in those values when we chose to work with American forces.
'Many of us saved American lives. Many lost family members because of their service.
'Many of us continue to live with trauma, threats, and uncertainty.
'It pains me that we would disregard people who risked everything to help the US. However misbegotten and awful the invasion was, that's something we all, as Americans, need to own.
'We are responsible for what happened in Afghanistan, the good and the bad.'
Abdul's closing lines really hit hard:
'We love the United States. We consider it our future and our home because we earned that hope through our service. We ask not for privilege, but for justice and protection, values America has always represented to the world.'
In November 2021, I hosted an episode of my global Covid show on Scroll.in about the 20 Afghans who worked for the New York Times and had been resettled in the US as refugees.
And in September 2020, I did an entire show on 'Stephen Miller, Hate Monger', interviewing Jean Guerrero, author of Hate Monger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda. You can't say you weren't warned.
Sree Sreenivasan is a leading tech expert based in New York City. He is the co-founder of SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association. You can find him on Twitter at x.com/sree
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com