When is an unlawful immigrant not an unlawful immigrant? After they’re a privileged white particular person, in fact. In that case the proper classification is “enterprising expat” working in a “authorized gray space”.
No prizes for guessing who I’m referencing right here. Yep, it’s America’s most irritating immigrant: Elon Musk. Over time, the South African-born multibillionaire has amplified quite a few anti-immigrant conspiracy theories and declared: “We must also not be permitting folks within the nation in the event that they’re breaking the regulation.” Which is attention-grabbing, as a result of the Washington Submit reported on Saturday that Musk virtually actually labored within the US with out right authorisation in 1995 after he dropped out of Stanford to launch a startup referred to as Zip2.
This isn’t completely new information: Kimbal Musk, the billionaire’s youthful brother, has been very open about working within the US with out correct authorized standing. Throughout an interview at a convention in 2013, for instance, Kimbal bluntly said that the brothers have been “unlawful immigrants” once they began Zip2. Elon interjected that it was a “gray space” and the gang laughed. Breaking the regulation could be very humorous if you’re a sure sort of particular person.
Musk isn’t the one huge title in Maga circles with a doubtful work historical past. In response to a 2016 investigation by the Related Press, Melania Trump (America’s second-most irritating immigrant) was paid for 10 modelling jobs within the US that occurred shortly earlier than she had authorized permission to work there. Which hasn’t stopped her husband raging about immigrants “invading” the nation.
Whereas he won’t be within the Magasphere, the Duke of Sussex is one other instance of how immigration legal guidelines are black and white for some folks and moderately extra “gray” for others. In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry talked brazenly about taking unlawful medicine reminiscent of cocaine. Whether or not he was fairly so open about his drug use in his US visa software is one other story. If he lied, it might be grounds for deportation. A latest lawsuit from a rightwing assume tank tried to get Harry’s immigration information launched however was unsuccessful. We’ll in all probability by no means know the reality, however one factor is obvious: immigration guidelines don’t apply to everybody equally. Borders are all the time open for the wealthy.
Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
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