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On November 5th, I joined the world in watching Donald Trump secure his second presidential term. One of the first people I called was my grandmother, a member of the silent generation who became a US citizen in the 80s, and her heartbreak was palpable. Since then, we’ve all been holding our breath to see what rights he would reverse first.
With his inauguration on the 20th of January came a barrage of oppressive executive orders aimed at rolling back hard-won rights in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion, migration, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.
It’s often said, to those of us who care about American politics, that we should care more about the politics that affect us. However, in a world where borders are blurred by globalization and peripheral countries like the Caribbean islands are becoming increasingly dependent on centre countries like the United States, our horse is unfortunately tied to theirs. The reality is that political decisions made in the United States and other nations with significant economic power and influence, do not exist in a vacuum. They have dire consequences for those of us living in the Caribbean even if we don’t fall under their direct jurisdiction.
The ripple effect of the Trump presidency expands far beyond national borders to increase fascist ideology, and xenophobia and to empower the alt-right around the world.
“I live in Tennessee because I moved here with my family after college. Tennessee is a red state and it feels scary that on a state and national level, my rights won’t be protected” - Annlei, 21
The Global Gag Rule
Last week, Trump revived the Global Gag Rule, a policy that cripples reproductive justice NGOs receiving foreign aid from the United States. An article published by Planned Parenthood describes the scope of the policy as follows, “ The global gag rule prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion or advocating for access to abortion services in their country — even with their own money”
Organizations like IPPF and UNFPA which offer services to the Caribbean, will lose more than $60 million in US funding due to these new restrictions. These measures directly impact marginalized communities who rely on the services of NGOs to provide reproductive health care in communities or countries where there is restricted access to this life-saving care.
This new policy accompanies an already growing movement against the expansion of reproductive rights around the world. Even worse, it’s like we’ve taken ten steps back in the fight to legalize abortion in the Caribbean, a region where very few countries have this right.
Additionally, the destruction of USAID worsens the funding landscape for an already severely underfunded region.
The Impact of Mass Deportation
During his first week in office, Trump has implemented numerous executive orders aimed at facilitating the mass deportation of migrants. The new measures that come as a result of this policy include ICE raids, enhanced military presence at the border, mass arrests and deportations. In the United States, 10% of all immigrants come from the Caribbean, a number which represents more than 4 million people.
CARICOM officials are already preparing for an influx of deported nationals with some countries all out rejecting the plans of the Trump administration to make them a port for deported persons who’ve been rejected by their countries of origin. In response to the Trump administration’s plans, Arlington Musgrove, minister for border and immigration for Turks and Caicos stated in a quote via the Miami Herald, “We are deeply concerned about any suggestion of displacing individuals to countries with which they have no connection. Such policies disregard the cultural, social, and economic implication for receiving countries and the humanitarian impact on the individuals affected.”
Enabling Hate
Another impact of the Trump administration on the Caribbean is the enabling of a growing alt-right faction in the region who peddles their messages of hate and disdain for many marginalized groups most notably the LGBTQ+ community.
Former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad Bissessar shared in a recent statement, “The previous administration in the United States has been a disaster for the American people and the world. They focused on pushing a woke, extreme left-wing agenda that offended basic common sense and morality, overturned the norms of civilised public life, disoriented and mutilated children, censored and cancelled dissenting views, disparaged religious and conservative values, fuelled wars around the world, weaponized the judicial system against political opponents and increased nepotism, corruption, crime, poverty, homelessness, and wealth inequality.”
Caribbean politicians reiterating the hateful rhetoric of Trump and the other members of his administration, enable ideologies of hate and allow xenophobic rhetoric to continue. It also perpetuates negative stereotypes about marginalized communities including the LGBTQ+ community, feminists and human rights defenders.
What Now?
So, what do we do now? This is a question that I’ve been grappling with since November 5th and I still fail to find an answer to. Like many, I’ve been carrying with me a deep sense of grief as I continue to see so many communities hit hard by these oppressive policies. My strategy for now is to lean into my community for care and support through these feelings, to continue to pour into grassroots work and to try to effect change in the ways that I can. For me, it’s important to recognize where things are beyond my control and where I still have power. Oppressive regimes like that of the Trump administration capitalize on our individual feelings of powerlessness and they thrive off of division and individualism. Continuing to care, to lean on each other and to mobilize collectively is the greatest power we hold to combat them.
About the Author
Sapphire Alexander (she/her) is an intersectional feminist from the Caribbean twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the founder of Caribbean Feminist.
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