Hatred of migrants and outsiders is a defining feature of our current political moment. Far-right racists are gaining power by blaming outsiders for deeply rooted social and economic problems, while social media algorithms fuel our divisions to profit off our attention. Budgets for detention, deportation, and surveillance increase year on year, and well-connected companies and political cronies get fat on government contracts.
Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” allocated $170bn towards deportation. This includes $27.7bn – up from $8.7bn – for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an increasingly lawless agency currently terrorising communities across the US. This is more than many countries spend on their militaries. In 2025, the European Union tripled its migration management budget and allocated €12bn to Frontex, its own border guard dog.
Meanwhile, self-appointed vigilantes have been causing chaos from Iceland to India. In South Africa, Operation Dudula has been conducting illegal raids upon local businesses looking for foreign workers. They have repeatedly blocked non-South Africans from accessing public health facilities in direct violation of the South African constitution. "Dudula" means to "force out" or "knock down" in isiZulu, and the party’s next target is preventing non-South African children from attending school.
