Over the past few weeks, hurricanes have constantly wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States. Throughout these struggles and mass destruction, political propaganda has been rampant, with blatant misinformation coming from former President Donald J. Trump. He and other active Republicans have been spreading many dangerous lies about use of emergency funds by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Trump has claimed that Americans affected by Hurricane Helene are losing out on relief money because it was being spent on housing for migrants. This was in reference to the $640 million budget that Congress granted to FEMA to be specifically used for housing for immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship. This money was not allocated to FEMA’s disaster relief program, and was actually a separate program called the Shelters and Services Program. While we are at the height of election season, this kind of misinformation runs rampant in order to villainize the other side. We are seeing this very frequently with Republicans attacking the Biden administration in order to discredit Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans are just doing this for their personal agenda on the topic of immigration, weaponizing this serious situation and placing the blame on a vulnerable group that can do little to safely defend themselves in this country. We cannot chalk this up to the simple spread of accidental misinformation because of miscommunication; this is the intentional spread of disinformation for political gain.
Anti-immigration rhetoric based on misinformation is becoming increasingly common in the United States, but it is incredibly dangerous. We have already seen the extreme effects of this in Springfield, Ohio, after Trump lied in the presidential debate by saying that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating dogs and cats from the neighborhoods. Since his debate, people in Springfield, Ohio, have experienced an incredible influx of threats to their community, including bomb threats that have led to evacuations from many schools and government buildings in the area. Immigrants all across the country suffer when this kind of misinformation is spread. When these stereotypes are perpetuated, they create negative perceptions of immigrants that prevent them from getting jobs, housing and the resources they need to succeed in this country. This also makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship and the attached benefits and rights of citizenship. If the goal of Republicans is fewer illegal immigrants in this country, why do they make it so hard for them to become legal citizens? Another danger of these claims is the distraction from the real issues at hand. Those who are focused on whether or not FEMA is incorrectly spending their money on non-U.S. citizens are turning their heads away from FEMA’s real response to the hurricane and the important issues that the victims are facing.
As a country, we have not done enough to prepare for hurricanes, nor have we done enough to help victims in the aftermath. People in Louisiana are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina almost 20 years later. This time around, over 230 people have died recently from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with some of those deaths being absolutely preventable. There needs to be more accessible evacuation paths for people to get away from the storms. This is needed in Florida where there is only one direction that everyone has to evacuate, it makes it a much more difficult process and many choose to stay home and put their lives at risk. Additionally, some airlines unfairly gouge their prices so it costs $1,000 or more for any flight out of the dangerous area. This should not be legal for the airlines, and the government should have a much more active role in helping citizens evacuate to a safe zone. In general, it should not be a class war trying to escape a natural disaster. When we allow this to happen, we value the lives of the rich more than those of the poor. Even after these disasters, it’s the underprivileged communities that are left alone to deal with the destruction that they cannot handle.
As a whole, the government needs to better prepare for, and respond to, hurricane destruction. However, this is not an excuse to spread misinformation on the reason why, especially when it targets a marginalized group. Immigrants face enough difficulties in this country as it is. When we continue to emphasize negative stereotypes and falsely claim that the government prioritizes them over U.S. citizens, it puts them in significant danger. As a country, we cannot allow politicians and radical conservatives to get away with this blatant disinformation for their own political gain. We must always fight to know the truth to protect all Americans and prioritize the real issues that need to be addressed in this country.
Molly O’Connor, FCRH ’28, is a journalism major from Weymouth, Mass.
