Throughout most of my life, one of America’s shared beliefs was that immigration was a good thing, maybe because so many of my generation had grandparents or great grandparents who were born elsewhere. They came here following the existing laws.
They came to America to build a better life, and in doing so, built a better America.
To be honest, there were earlier periods when immigrants were not so welcome, especially when they did not come from “white Europe.”
Those attitudes softened, reversed even, after World War II, and in 1965, immigration quotas were redrawn to be less racist favorable to western and northern Europe.
Immigration, generally, was seen as positive.
But in the latest Gallup poll on the subject, 41% of Americans want immigration decreased, 31% want levels to remain the same, and only 26% want it increased.
I think, but can’t prove, that the reason 4 out of 10 Americans want less immigration is because they — thanks to the media — conflate illegal immigration with legal immigration. It has become one and the same. Immigration has become synonymous with unlawful behavior to many Americans.
And since many Americans feel America is being “invaded” by illegals, they want it stopped.
So many Americans want it stopped that President Joe Biden was forced by the weight of politics to reluctantly issue a presidential executive order to help stem the flood.
This is proof that as we trudge toward our national election, immigration has assumed a commanding position as an issue, surpassing even inflation and crime, according to Gallup.
In my mind, the issue is not actually “immigration.”
The troublesome issue is illegal immigration, which is a term the Left doesn’t like. “No person is illegal,” I can hear them whine.
“Is any person a criminal?,” I ask in return.
Illegal immigration was forcibly morphed into “immigration” by the Left, led by Open Border types, and supported by a left-oriented compliant media. Because of the Left’s obscuring of language, all migrants acquired a criminal tint.
And Open Borders — which could lead to 100 million arriving here — is nothing less than national suicide.
I remember when Democratic leaders opposed Open Borders, and they may be forced backed to that common sense stance after breaking away from enforcing immigration law.
I first noted, and reported in 2010, the word “Illegal” had disappeared in news reporting. It was made to seem that all immigration — legal and illegal — was the same.
But it is not. It is no more the same than a doctor writing a prescription for a painkiller, and some guy selling you crack on the street.
Legal versus illegal.
Since Joe Biden became president, nearly 10 million people have illegally breached our borders.
(Illegal can be a little tricky, with several variations, such as people who sneak across the border (gotaways), visitors who arrive on a visa which they overstay, people requesting asylum between authorized points of entry.)
Total number of illegals is estimated at more than 16 million.
The numbers skyrocketed under Biden because in 2019 the well-intended fool thoughtlessly invited asylum seekers to surge the border. One of his first acts as President was to dismantle the policies put in place by President Donald J. Trump that had reduced illegal entry to near historic lows. Biden became the Great Liberator of the Illegals, who even wore T-shirts aimed right at his soft heart.
So now, too little and too late, Biden has acted.
Predictably, Republicans said it was too weak, and the ACLU said it was too strong, and will take the government to court, because the ACLU has turned from protecting American Civil Liberties to wrapping its arms around uncivil foreigners.
This mess will continue until the election, and perhaps beyond, and, I fear, will result in even more Americans turning their backs on even legal migrants, which is a goddamn shame, and the Left is to blame.
I believe in immigration but legal immigration. Unfortunately since all this mass illegal action I find myself wondering every time I see a foreigner if they are here legally or not. I am ashamed to admit it. Biden and the Democrats have caused this problem I believe because they expect these people to one day vote for them. It also helps their census counting for representation.
Bingo! Up here in Somerton, we’re seemingly inundated with folks speaking every language you can possibly imagine. You’ll call me a racist, but I’m an American first. Many of these cats are here for maybe 15 minutes and already looking for handouts! The place is starting to look like North Broad Street around here with the trash in the streets. The Left, aka Democratic Party, are 99% responsible for what our beloved country has sunk to. Period.
Unfortunately, politi s follows the laws of physics as they apply to pundulums,, always swinging from one extreme to the other.
I live & work in Somerton and you’re full of crap. I see a lot of these ‘cats’ and they’re hustling to make a buck and support their families everyday. It’s the old, white drunks in the Squire Tavern looking for ‘handouts’. My former employer was from Ukraine. He just sold his businesses & moved to Fort Lauderdale.
My new employer is Russian and just gave me a raise. Many of our customers are hard workers from India. Even have a few Kyrgyzstani customers, too. Oh, we also have old white guys like Stude who complain about ‘the other’.
Thanks for that admission. Your feeling is what I was talking about, even among good Americans, like me, who welcome legal immigrants.
Your not a good American because you endorsed Biden for president.
That is your most moronic comment.
Biden is destroying the country and you endorse him. People with common sense know this. You can see it from the post here. We are losing are country because of assholes like you.
Daniel is one of the reasons they never should have closed Byberry (former Phila State Hospital)
What disappoints me about the immigration debate is that there is a great opportunity for each side to get half a loaf. Build the wall and require e verify to get illegal immigration under control and greatly (more than double) increase the number of legal immigrants we allow. A win win. Both sides behave as though they would rather have nothing than concede even a little. That’s a shame.
🎯
There is a legal way into the USA, why are illegals above the law? Congress needs to close the asylum loophole and birthright that is being abused but democrats would never allow it as long as they are the majority (hint)
The communist party WFP is taking hold progressive democrats in wolf’s clothing
Stu
As always you offer salient points. And, opinion columns by definition aren’t required to be balanced. They aren’t research papers.
I think your thoughts would be better served in the context of decades of legislative inaction on the immigration issue.
My opinion is that inaction is at the root of the issue.
Congressional inaction is a given, that is the foundation of the problem.
I address what we must do NOW. Like him or not, Trump was successful in stopping the flow. And he followed many of the policies of Obama, sometimes called the Great Deporter. (See the chart) The problem EXPLODED because of Biden’s actions. That is indisputable.
Kind of screwed now, there is no fix, we just have to live with 16 million plus people, all for political gain. This is more than the Population of the State of Pennslylvania. Sad. Plus Stupid.
There is a cure. STOP ADMITTING THEM. That stops the flow. Do NOT naturalize those already here. No voting rights. Let them stay as legal aliens, and contribute to economy.
Deportation is not a smart option. It will cost too much and make USA look like a police state.
One caveat — deport any who commit a crime while here, including DUI
I agree 100% , but rounding them up and seperating them is a major issue with the ACLU. I have a close friend working with ICE, as fast as they get deported, they are back! Contributing to the economy is a great idea, but what if they don’t want to? It’s give them welfare or deport them. If we look like a Police State ,so be it, we need to do something, SOON!
Your right Stu, the Chinese Exclusion Act was a shining example of how America was the home of the free. Or during the 1930′, 1940’s, and 1950″s when Jews fleeing Europe were openly prevented from coming to America. But not to worry, you got yours, so everyone else can suffer.
I guess you missed this paragraph, asshat: “ To be honest, there were earlier periods when immigrants were not so welcome, especially when they did not come from “white Europe.”
You forgot that you wrote this; “Do NOT naturalize those already here. No voting rights. No voting rights. Let them stay as legal aliens, and contribute to economy.” So you are willing to allow immigrants who will be nothing more than slave labor with no rights. Sounds more like you want to bring back the days when we did not welcome immigrants who were not from White Europe. Which would have included Jews, like the members of your family who immigrated here.
Is this REALLY the most important issue in the country? Or is this simply something the Republicans can use to gain political favor? Why again was the bi-partisan immigration law not passed this year? Please remind me who stopped that. If Congress would come to some agreement and pass an actual, ya know, LAW, something might happen. But the Republican Congress does not want to solve this problem, Stu. They simply want to bitch and moan about it to curry favor. If this really is the big matzo ball you guys claim it is, how about imploring YOUR representatives to pass meaningful legislation to fucking fix it? Hiring more judges to deal with all the asylum seekers would be a start. The system was never designed to handle this many people, which is why these cases take years to get through the system. But of course, the Republicans consistently refuse to spend money on any of these things. Solutions require money, money requires the government to tax more. And of course, the rich folks in this country have not been paying their fair share of taxes thanks to laws passed by REPUBLICANS. Hence, the middle class suffers. If Congress really wanted to fix this, they would do that. But they don’t.
I provided a link to Gallup showing it is the #1 issue, which surprised me.
Yes, the GOP bears some responsibilities, but it is the DEMOCRATS who seem to feel obeying the law is a matter of choice, and BIDEN created the current crisis. The graph I provided proves it.
Solving the migration crisis does not have to cost more money. In fact, the opposite is true. If you do not let them in, they will stop coming, and we will no longer have to put them in hotels and feed them.
Mayor Adams says the illegals will cost NYC TWELVE BILLION dollars through fiscal 25. That money should be spent on Americans.
Your absolutely right Stu. But you want to re-elected the guy responsible for this mess.
Yes, ONE MESS. Your guy creates a MASS of messes.
He had 4 years of success and you talk about it all the time. Biden foreign and domestic policies have been a disaster for the country and the world and everyone knows it .
Republicans bear most of the responsibility when they sank a bipartisan bill because TRUMP told them to. TRUMP is more concerned about he benefits from a bill, rather than the country.
It was a lousy bill that did nothing. Just like this stupid executive order. No one should enter the country illegally.
Republicans thought this was a great bill, until Trump decided it wasn’t because it would not benefit him.
If it was a great bill they would have passed it . Trump holds no office and has no vote. Only in your imagination do you think he controls all republicans. Your real good at making shit up and passing off as truth.
Trump and his Maga cult are the Republican party. They do as he commands and attacks anyone who he deems an enemy, including other Republicans. By the way you forgot to tell me what Trump said about why he did not lock up Hillary?
The majority of immigrants to the USA used to come from Europe, and those immigrants had a desire to become Americans — to learn our language and share our love of freedom and adapt themselves to our culture. Now we are flooded with immigrants who just want to come here to bring and keep their own cultures and NOT become Americans. Before too much longer the USA will become a white-minority nation, thus fulfilling the Left’s dream of (as Obama said) “fundamentally changing the United States.”
Was in the Walmart in Audubon about two weeks ago to order some sliced roast beef. The woman behind the counter, a nice woman from what I could tell, smiled at me benignly and made it known to me she did not speak a word of English. I had to show here what roast beef was in the deli cabinet, and with my fingers indicate how much I wanted. How is it a huge company like Walmart would have the balls to hire a non-English speaking person to work a deli counter? I fear our nation is doomed. And when my grandchildren have reached minority status, we they have the same ‘rights’ minorities receive for being nonwhite? If I sound angry, I am. Our nation is being stolen from us and we keep electing the same horrid anti-Americans to office who want to wreck the finest governmental system ever devised. If we lose our nation, we deserve to lose it.
I have no answer for why WalMart would hire a non English speaker… maybe if they paid more, well…
As for non European immigrants, rather than belabor the issue I will say two things: Koreans and Indians.
Each of those groups have melded into American society and have been highly successful.
The success rate from Latin America is less, I believe, because they are not as educated as Koreans and Indians.
But with that said, most are very happy to be here.
The Asian cultures are radically different from the European cultures. America will change, the influx of non-European cultures will assure its happening.
There’s a lot about some Asian cultures you should like. Respect for elders sound good?
I lived in Japan for two years. Loved their culture, although it was so alien to my own. My fear is their culture will overwhelm our culture as the Asian influx increases.
History teaches otherwise. The children or grandchildren of immigrants become Americanized, not the reverse. Just likemyou and I.
“History teaches otherwise. The children or grandchildren of immigrants become Americanized, not the reverse. Just likemyou and I.” And yet you just said that immigrants should not be allowed to become citizens and only provide labor for the economy. Hypocrite.
That was in reference to ILLEGAL immigrants, you illiterate schmuck.
You’re right Stu, that is exactly what we should with illegals. Let them stay but with no rights and not allow their children who are born in America not to become citizens either. That way we can have a cheap labor force with no protection, because that worked so well during the Chinese Exclusion Act, Jim Crow, the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent, during WWII, and the Native Americans.
Stop putting your stupid words in my mouth. I did not say NO rights and their children would be citizens, and hopefully smarter than you and able to distinguish between illegal and legal. News flash: NO ONE has a RIGHT to become a U.S. citizen. You must be one of those Open Border clowns who want to America to commit suicide.
“I did not say NO rights and their children would be citizens” No Stu, you only said it after I pointed it out.
“News flash: NO ONE has a RIGHT to become a U.S. citizen”. We have Birthright citizenship as part of the Constitution because of people like you.
“Stop putting your stupid words in my mouth.” Congratulations on becoming the Will Smith of opinion writers. The only person who is putting stupid words in your mouth is you. When you react with anger, instead of thinking things through. No one is forcing you to reply to me, that is a choice you make.
Look up “context” before commenting. You are making Daniel seem like a genius.
Don’t blame others for what you do and do not say.
Walmart pays employees under the minimum wage that allows the employee to receive health care from DHS. Walmart stock values rise because of cheap labor. Those with IRA’s invested in Walmart also benefit thru a rise in value in their portfolio. The employees who work for Walmart are grateful for the job. These legal and illegals working for Walmart had living conditions ascend compared to their prior life. There are several companies following Walmart’s employment practices. The E-verify system is a joke. Stolen ID’s and Social Security Numbers are used to gain lawful employment. This year’s Bull Market can be attributed to cheap labor filled by legal and illegal migrants. The question is who benefits most from illegal immigration. Secondly, the organized drug gangs enveloping our county through immigration policies are a clear and present danger to our country. Our borders needs to close for a period of time until we straighten this mess out
My great grandparents were first generation immigrants, they understood more English than they spoke and their children often translated for them. Immigrants to America have come from all over the world, in the late 1800’s we had a massive influx of Chinese. People like you were so terrified of them that the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. During the 1930’s through the 1950’s Jews fleeing Europe were actively prevented from coming to America. America became a capital of industry because immigrants came from all over the world to create new products, inventions, and lead in scientific development.
We will fail because of people like you, because all you want to do is hold us back.
What’s it going to take for the American people to wake up. All the Trump haters are responsible for this disaster. Biden let everyone know he was going to open the border and told illegals to surge across the border. Yet all of you hateful dummies voted for him anyway. I fear the nation is lost and we will never recover from this disaster. Anyone with half a brain knows Biden is a terrible president yet he still polls well. How can people want to vote for this man when you see him destroying your country right before your very eyes.
The only person I see who is going to destroy America is Trump. Trump has stated that American Jews are disloyal if they don’t vote Republican. He will put his political enemies on trial and if he is elected will shut down any protests against him, a violation of the right to free speech and freedom of assembly. Lets not forget he has stated that he will be a dictator on day one.
Everything you said is complete bullshit. He could have gone after Hillary Clinton but he didn’t. Trump has already spoken on this issue. The only people going after their political enemies are the democrats.
There was nothing Trump legally that Trump could go after Hillary for. Without opening himself up to the same scrutiny.
You really don’t know anything. You just make things up. People can see right thru your bullshit.
You mean like Trump and Jews being disloyal? https://apnews.com/article/1bc3065eb2e4414289ef0ac1ac4ebaf7
Trump led chants of “lock her up”. What did he say about why he did not lock up Hillary?
He didn’t want to divide the country but to unify it.
You’re right he di try to unify the country. That’s why there were good people on both sides at Charlottesville, told the Proud Boys to “stand by and stand back” instead of renouncing him, and had dinner at the Mar-a-Lago with known racists and antisemites Nick Fuentes and Kanye West. How is he uniting the country by telling Jews that if they don’t vote Republican they are disloyal, saying he will be a dictator on day one, and suppressing the Right to free speech and freedom of assembly?
Still waiting for you to show me the quote where Trump stated why he didn’t lock up Hillary. Instead of you channeling Trump.
And Trump was the one pushing the Obama ‘birther’ conspiracy, saying he was born in Kenya. Another Trump lie in a lifetime of lies.