Elizabeth Warren supporters in Columbia, S.C., on Friday. Warren’s blend of populism and racial equality has begun to resonate more with voters in the state. Credit…Travis Dove for The New York Times
June 20, 2024 Story by: Editor
The Republican Party is targeting Black communities with their election-year messaging on immigration. North Charleston, a city with a diverse racial makeup, serves as a testing ground for this strategy.
North Charleston, a working-class city of about 120,000 residents, is predominantly Democratic, even more so than its larger neighbor, Charleston. The city’s demographic has traditionally been split between Black and white residents, but immigration is adding a new layer to this dynamic.
In the “neck” of the barbell-shaped city, situated between primarily white northern neighborhoods and predominantly Black southern neighborhoods, Spanish signage dominates the storefronts, and the majority of children alighting from school buses are Latino.
The Hispanic population in North Charleston has grown significantly, from 2.5% in 1990 to about 12% today, although Enrique “Henry” Grace, CFO of the Charleston Hispanic Association, suggests these numbers might be underestimated: “Forget about it. Because Hispanics don’t do the census. Whatever the census says, double it.”
Discussing immigration is challenging within South Carolina’s Black community, as there is reluctance to provide ammunition to white conservatives who often disparage cities as “crime-infested.” This is particularly sensitive during an election year when immigration rhetoric is heightened. However, Black voters are also increasingly demanding action from Democratic leaders. In early June, President Joe Biden announced significant changes to border policy, limiting asylum claims to address political pressures and unresolved immigration policy negotiations.
During a January campaign speech in Columbia, South Carolina, Biden criticized Republicans for blocking border legislation despite their demands being largely met in the proposed bill. He stated, “If that bill were the law today, I’d shut down the border right now and fix it quickly,” to applause from the audience. Michael Butler, mayor of Orangeburg, South Carolina, a Democrat, echoed this sentiment, expressing support for closing the border if Biden is re-elected.
Orangeburg, a predominantly Black, poor, rural, and Democratic city, showed strong support for Biden in the 2020 primary and general elections. However, the immigration issue needs careful messaging to avoid alienating voters. The strategy of shipping border crossers to big cities highlighted border problems but also underscored the challenges faced by Democratic strongholds.
State representative JA Moore, a North Charleston Democrat, proudly represents one of the most diverse districts in the state and refutes the idea of significant tension between Black and Latino communities over housing or jobs. The city’s economic and population growth, partly driven by immigration, complicates the narrative. Moore acknowledges that the rising housing prices and increasing Hispanic population might lead some to mistakenly link the two.
Former President Donald Trump exploits such inferences, using strident immigration rhetoric to claim that Biden’s policies harm Black and Latino workers. Trump falsely claimed that Black workers’ wages had fallen since 2021, despite economic growth in the region driven by international manufacturers hiring skilled labor, according to Eduardo Curry, president of the North Charleston chapter of the Young Democrats of South Carolina.
Job competition between Black workers and recent immigrants for less skilled positions is a growing concern, said Ruby Wallace, a job recruiter in North Charleston. She noted that her staffing agency has lost business as some clients opt for undocumented labor, which is often cheaper.
The influx of undocumented labor has led to a cottage industry of illegal employment practices, skirting federal laws and avoiding tax payments, Wallace reported. She has been reporting these violations to the US Department of Labor without success.
Republican messaging to Black voters often combines job loss fears with immigration and crime issues. However, this strategy has not resonated widely in North Charleston. Despite an increase in violent crime during the pandemic, the city’s immigrant population has not significantly contributed to crime rates.
Reggie Burgess, North Charleston’s first Black mayor and former police chief, counters the false narrative that undocumented immigrants increase crime. He emphasizes that immigrants are often victims rather than perpetrators and highlights efforts to build trust between the police and immigrant communities.
The city has pushed financial institutions to provide banking services to undocumented immigrants to reduce their vulnerability. However, federal policies often fail to protect undocumented victims and witnesses from deportation, hampering law enforcement efforts.
Underlying the immigration issue are broader challenges of poverty and education. Many immigrants in North Charleston live in substandard conditions, and local organizations like Community Impact work to provide essential services without exposing immigrants to immigration authorities.
Biden’s border policies are seen as a temporary fix rather than a long-term solution. Burgess calls for comprehensive immigration reform, likening the current struggle to historical fights for freedom and equality.
As immigration continues to reshape North Charleston, the city’s Black community grapples with complex feelings on the issue, reflecting broader national debates on immigration and its impact on American society. Source: The Guardian
