If you think that the latest U.S. government shutdown was just another shutdown, think again. Or if you think the ongoing budget battle is just a fight over immigration, look harder. This is about the nature of American democracy, America’s role in the world and the future of liberal democracies everywhere.
At its core, this shutdown was about President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress wanting to transform America into a less-welcoming place. Kicking out Dreamers (people who were brought to the country as children who have grown up in America and know nothing else), building a wall along the border with Mexico, drastically changing the legal immigration system, and keeping out refugees are Trump’s attempts to prevent people who want a chance at the American dream from coming to this country.