America had open borders until 1924. Racism and corporate greed changed that

‘We as taxpayers pay increasingly absurd sums of money for the violent border security measures that keep this system in place.’ Photograph: Giovanna Dell’Orto/AP

The US immigration system is a scam that dehumanizes people for profit. Communities across the country have had enough.

The protests in Los Angeles have invited a long overdue conversation about the true nature of the US immigration system. While the immediate catalysts for the protests were ramped up Ice raids attempting to meet Donald Trump’s arbitrary deportation quotas, the protests spring from a deeper history.