Tensions Rise Between Minorities and Migrants

What’s happening: Growing tensions between minorities and illegal migrants led to a deadly encounter on the New York City subway last week.

• The incident: Aboard a Brooklyn subway, the black male aggressor can be heard saying, “F*ck you, f*ck your kind, f*ck your race” to a Hispanic man he believed to be an illegal migrant. The two exchanged punches before the Hispanic man took the aggressor’s gun and shot him with it.

Why it matters: New York City and cities across the country have seen an unprecedented influx of illegal migrants shipped in from the southern border. Their accommodation in American cities is exacerbating many existing issues including crime, homelessness, housing shortages, and competition for city resources.

Shrinking representation: Black Americans have voiced feeling politically short-changed as their percentage of the population shrinks with the arrival of illegal migrants in their communities, which diminishes black political power both locally and nationally.

• For example: The Chicago city council last year voted to spend over $100 million on the nearly 5,000 illegal migrants who had recently arrived from the Texas border.

• Divestment: There was heated debate over this decision coming from black and Hispanic Chicagoans whose needs were being overlooked in favor of individuals who were not American citizens.

Following the trend: As millions of illegal migrants make their way into the U.S., more will continue to settle in densely populated centers. The rapidly changing demographics of America's cities may very well increase conflict between the existing populace and the newly settling migrants.