There has been a lot of confusion about immigration following President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. He is merely enforcing the standing immigration law.

Previously, immigration law was disregarded by “immigration advocates,” Democratic presidents and the illegal immigrants themselves. For example, under the Biden administration, four million illegals entered the United States. 

It is regrettable that because of partisan politics, we live in some kind of “meta reality” that is very distant from the issues at hand. For instance, it has become unacceptable in some circles to use the term “illegal,” and instead “undocumented immigrant” must be used.

We hear those heartbreaking stories of illegal immigrants with tales of terrible life in their home countries, so they sometimes resolve to just wade across the Rio Grande or hop on a plane and overstay their visitors’ visas. Allegedly, they do it because it is difficult to immigrate to the United States legally. So they seem to come and say, “We are here; take care of us.”

In all this confusion, it is frequently forgotten that the United States is a country of immigrants, and the number of legal immigrants is huge every year.

In the year 2023, there was the largest influx of legal immigrants into the United States—1.6 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Thus, 47.8 million of those legally residing in the U.S. are immigrants. 

This is 14.3 percent of the total population of 334 million, nearly the largest percentage of immigrants in history. This was exceeded only by 14.8 percent in 1890, but the population of the U.S. was only 63 million at the time. The lowest percentage of immigrants in the U.S. was in 1970—4.7 percent—when the population was 202 million.

The government estimates that 25 percent of the 47.8 million immigrants are here illegally, according to Pew Research—this would be 12 million. But some estimates are as high as 20 million illegals, as the illegals are reluctant to respond to the census. 

The total number of residents in the U.S. is sometimes reported as 338 million or even more.

Most of the legal residents were admitted to the U.S. because of family ties. This includes those who stayed in the U.S. illegally and their status in the U.S. was “adjusted” (our son did for his wife on the internet!) and those who applied abroad.

I sympathize with those illegals who have been here for 30 years, bought houses and had children who are American citizens by birth. The “adjustment” of the illegal status of the parents by the citizen children has not been sufficiently utilized by illegal immigrants, possibly because of a current belief that the U.S. Immigration Law does not matter.

I am a former refugee from a communist country and so is my whole family. We were “paroled” into the United States, same as any other refugee from communism.

There is an annual “green card lottery” whereby 50,000 green cards are awarded to eligible applicants by lottery. I am familiar with two cases, one of whom we sponsored.

Then there is the H1 visa for professionals—I am familiar with it as well, as I sponsored a Chinese employee.

I find it dishonest when “immigration advocates” point out that the First Lady is an immigrant. The problem with that reasoning is that the First Lady is a legal immigrant, whereas some are advocating illegal immigration because they say our immigration law does not matter. Some claim that the law is invalid because it was concocted by men, whereas illegals have their natural right to share in our wealth.

Even President Trump’s grandpa was a German immigrant named Strumpf.

Countries increase their wealth by two means:

1. By increasing productivity and 
2. By increasing the number of people working productively in the national economy.

The United States has made good use of both for the past 250 years to its benefit.

Thus, we do need immigrants as they benefit our economy, and any anti-immigrant feelings are at variance with our best interests.

The fact remains that every country must take control of its border and immigration. This is even more important in the case of the United States because, as I found during my travels, half of the world would like to live in the United States. This, of course, would be neither possible nor feasible at this time.

Lastly, President Trump wants to end “birthright citizenship.” This is again misunderstood as his proposal has nothing to do with “birthright citizenship” for the children of legal residents. The president’s proposal has to do with two issues not envisioned in the Constitution of the United States:

1. Birthright citizenship for the children of illegal residents and 
2. Birthright citizenship tourism, whereby agencies fly pregnant, newly wealthy women to the U.S., house them in hotels and the women then give birth in an American hospital on American soil, thus assuring the prized American citizenship for the offspring.

Ivan Orisek lives in Forestburgh, NY.