There has been no shortage of commentators pointing out these facts—for years, even decades—but by definition, even if their audiences were in the millions they were “fringe.” Back in late 2014, immigration reform—a “path to citizenship,” de facto amnesty, and meaningless promises of tighter border security—was the prevailing mantra, chanted by both parties’ candidates, endorsed by all right-thinking pundits as necessary to secure the increasingly important Latino vote (support from Republicans was paradoxical—most immigrants vote for Democrats). There would be no immigration issue because dissenting views were marginalized or suppressed, and the “solution” to the problem was a done deal regardless of who was elected.

Then Donald Trump called Mexican immigrants rapists and proposed building a wall at the border, funded by Mexico. The epithet and proposal were outrageous, but the concerns of millions of Americans had been ignored or dismissed as racist and xenophobic. It took something outrageous to get those concerns on the table and force the Cloud People to pay attention. They did so not out of any solicitude for the unwashed, the Dirt People, but because Trump jumped to the top of the polls. Immigration will be a front burner issue through the general election, and attacks on Trump supporters by Mexican-flag-waving thugs will only help his cause. He doesn’t even have to say: “What did I tell you?” It’s implied.

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