Us white males must defend the country from those annoying brown skinned people who are taking OUR JOBS WE HAVE FAMILIES TO FEED DAMNIT /s
This is the way many of this demographic sees it. And, to be fair, why shouldn't they, at a certain level? These are folks who do not have college educations, but whose jobs were eliminated and shipped overseas (many of them, anyway), and many who ARE employed have jobs that are not what anyone would consider a "good job"; they are jobs with lesser benefits and salary, and often jobs that require "flexible schedules". This demographic is an older demographic. Sure, we can send a 53 year old white male "back to school". How much age discrimination will such a person encounter in the real-world job market when they emerge with an A. A. or A. S. degree?
I'm in my late 50s, and I am faced with having to work longer than I ever anticipated. Why would I be enthusiastic over the possibility of allowing new immigrants to come to America and compete for my job? There is enough competition from Americans; why should we import more from people who don't have a RIGHT to come here? These folks don't see immigrants as seeking a place at the table; they see immigrants as wanting to evict them from THEIR seat at the table, and they aren't entirely wrong in holding that view. If these folks seem indifferent to the plight of immigrants, many immigrants are indifferent as to the effect their presence in the job market has on folks who believe they have "played by the rules" for decades.
