US-based Irish businessman funds anti-Trump video

A US-based Irish businessman has released a video denouncing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s policy on undocumented immigrants.

The professionally shot ‘Trump’s America’ video depicts a dystopian version of the future where, under a Trump presidency, foreign families are rounded up in deportation centres before being forcibly removed from the country.

The hypothetical narrative envisages a situation where families are torn apart by armed guards, and ends with an on-screen line saying: “Shame on you if you vote for this.”

Created with the backing of Ballaghaderreen businessman Seán McGarry, who spent $26,000 putting it together, the video has been viewed thousands of times on YouTube and Facebook.

The Roscommon native said he received some voluntary support from friends for the “low-budget” production, which he felt compelled to finance because of Trump’s “repulsive” remarks over recent months.

"I just felt his whole attitude in terms of [immigration] was something that I found repulsive, honestly, and then his attitude later in relation to a variety of other groups of people, I find very difficult to live with," said Mr McGarry, who is a member of the Democratic Party.

Immigrants’ plight

He came to the US legally around six years ago, but says he is motivated by the plight of Irish and indeed other illegal immigrants who become “trapped” in the country and cannot return to their state of origin even for family events and funerals for fear of being denied re-entry.

Current US president Barack Obama has initiated some progressive steps towards naturalising undocumented immigrants during his two-term tenure - in contrast to Mr Trump, who has repeatedly made disparaging remarks about ethnic minorities, Mexicans and Muslims in particular.

The video was released shortly after the first televised presidential debate between Mr Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton last month, and although the GOP hopeful has nosedived in opinion polls since then, Mr McGarry says nothing can be taken for granted.

“You never know, a week is a long time in politics,” he told The Irish Times.

Mr McGarry (62) is the owner of Franchise Direct, which employs eight people across Atlanta, where he now lives, and Denver, as well as 35 staff in its Dublin headquarters.