>They did nothing wrong, but are the targets of a population primed to take their economic woes and anger out on people simply living their life peacefully.
If you check out history books, you'll be surprised(or not) by how often that happens.
>What I find so sad about this is the lack of empathy for people that worked hard to build a life here, paid their taxes, and followed the law.
Economic hardships and scarcity will turn everyone into animals. Every society, even the most kind, peaceful and orderly is only 3 missing meals away from killing each other for the last piece of bread. Except before killing each other, they'll first kill foreigners. Story as old as time.