This article explores the intersection of critical race theory with race and gender discourse in the study of nationhood, borders, and sovereignty in the “Age of Trump”. The author’s discussion draws out the impact of populism on race and gender in immigration and rights advocacy. The article argues that two common gendered immigration narratives, the “welfare cheat” and the “criminal”, push the legal construction of North American states and borders inward and outward, respectively. Donald Trump’s stereotyping of Latina mothers as “welfare queens” reflect Ronald Reagan’s decades-old efforts to stereotype black women in the 1980’s, and other attempts to target residents within US borders are reflected in US family separation policy. The article also details how male-violence counterpart narratives have been used to justify legal action taken by Trump at and beyond the border. Similar gendered portrayals of racial groups are evidenced by US political discourse on terrorism.