Celebrity Selena Gomez recently posted, and then quickly deleted, a video of herself sobbing uncontrollably over the treatment of illegal immigrants being expelled by the Trump administration.
Gomez was, of course, mercilessly mocked by conservatives across social media. And there’s really nothing wrong with sympathizing with those trying to escape the deprivation and tyranny of the Third World. Most of us, I assume, would do the same for our families.
The frustration, though, is misplaced.
While I’m also a fan of immigration for economic and patriotic reasons, dismissing the negative cultural externalities — including violent crimes — that can accompany chaotic mass immigration, illegal or not, does the cause no favors.
The fact is we could build a giant bubble around the entire country right now, and the United States would still reign as the most welcoming place for foreigners that’s ever existed. And if we want that title to remain, championing legal avenues and decrying mass criminality and anarchy is the way to go. Because what’s happening now is only going to turn decent people against legal immigration.
In recent years, American citizenship has been transformed from a sacred privilege bestowed on the lucky, gracious newcomer into a right that’s demanded of us by people who break or circumvent the law.
Moreover, illegal immigration is inhumane — and not only to those swept up in the human trafficking and dangers of the southern border.
Democrats talk about people living in the shadows. It’s true. Those here illegally will never be integrated into society. Even if they don’t benefit from welfare programs, they inevitably end up relying on taxpayers. This, too, causes resentment.
The left acts as if we have a sacred oath to accept every refugee, but they have done virtually everything possible to destroy the public’s trust in the system. In 2021, Democrats scrapped the “Remain in Mexico” policy that compelled migrants to wait in that country while their claims were being adjudicated in court (until finally, the administration was forced by a court to reinstate the policy).
As Europe has shown us, accepting unlimited numbers of refugees from the same area at the same time with the same ideas and the same problems leads to ethnic enclaves, poor integration and reactionary nativist politics.
Though it’s not just refugees or illegal immigrants who can give immigrants a bad name.
Take the student visa problem. Just because your Gulf State petro-daddy or Chicom apparatchik parents can pay your way doesn’t mean we have any responsibility to host you. Colleges love foreign students because they pay cash for the whole ride, but too many of them are flying terrorist flags and creating havoc on our campuses. The spectacle almost surely makes normies less inclined to see immigration as a societal positive. Understandably so.
Leftists and civil libertarians had a breakdown when President Donald Trump signed an executive order to revoke student visas from noncitizen college students who participate in pro-Hamas protests. Listen, I’m a staunch supporter of unfettered speech rights of pro-terrorist noncitizens in their own countries. Everyone has an inalienable right to speak freely, but foreigners do not have an inalienable right to gin up hatred against Americans on the Upper West Side. Protest in Tiananmen Square or in front of the royal residence in Riyadh. A nation has the right to dictate the parameters visitors must follow and then expel those who engage in civil unrest.
When my parents defected from Hungary and came here, they were asked if they were members of the Communist Party because its ideology conflicts with American values. We can’t bore into the souls of would-be citizens or visa seekers. But we chuck them out if they don’t behave.
People often like to virtue-signal, insisting that the United States is a “nation of immigrants” or a nation of “ideas” rather than one of blood and soil. Those are both true statements to some extent. One of the “ideas” we had, though, was to be a sovereign nation that houses a set of norms, traditions, civic institutions, culture, laws, rights and virtues. We’ve been astoundingly successful at absorbing immigrants on a massive scale because the expectation was everyone would embrace our values.
Does anyone think we’re getting better at assimilating immigrants?
In the end, there are tons of laws we dislike, but the government upholds them anyway. Democrats say we’re a nation of laws, and yet when it comes to illegal aliens, they’re horrified that anyone might uphold them. If they truly cared about the future of immigration, they’d demand order, not feed chaos.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books — the most recent, “The Rise of Blue Anon,” available now. His work has appeared in National Review, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reason, New York Post and numerous other publications. Follow him on X @davidharsanyi.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
In the 50s my mom was naturalized after attending night school to learn the english language and take classes on American government. She was required to take the state department citizen test and was eventually sworn in as an American citizen. There wasn’t a free pass then and there shouldn’t be one now.
Who pays for all these illegal aliens? We’re renting out entire hotels in some of our major cities to house these folks, and who pays? The feckless taxpayers who DON’T break the law get stuck paying for millions of illegal aliens. We simply cannot afford to pay for housing, feeding, clothing, educating and medicating 12 million illegal aliens. This isn’t the 19th Century any more, we don’t live in a big empty continent that we need to fill up. So, “Give me your tired, your poor..” doesn’t have the same meaning any more. I’m all for LEGAL immigration, but we cannot afford for endless illegal immigration. Enough!
All male illegal immigrants to be deported should have their scrotum implanted with with a micro ID implant as we do in the dog. Such that they can be easily identified should they attempt to return to the United States.
Yes but there’s nothing “wrong” with taking a good long break on immigration until we get all of the illegals out of Our country! THEY are the ones ruining it for legal Immigration! And it’s not that complicated, The United States is Not their Country.
I came to the USA in 1975 with my parents a Company sponsored us as my dad had job skills that were valuable in his field, I had just finished my apprenticeship with British Leyland, we had to go to the US Embassy in London and be thoroughly vetted by the FBI. The approval took over a year including getting Xray’s and shots before finally being approved. Long story short both my parents are buried here, and I have just retired after working 50 years. For all the problems the US has it’s still the best Country in the World. Thank you, President Trump.
This all just theatre for democrats. Anything that Biden did was gold though democrats couldn’t tell you why. Anything Pres Trump favors, democrats are against. Just listen to the words of Obama and Hillary Clinton just a few years ago when they both had strong positions against illegal immigration, respecting our immigration laws, and deportation for all who violated. It’s just a show for them!
I’m all for legal controlled immigration, this was not that! It’s invasion and unacceptable, and mostly criminals.!
Dems WANT more Chaos from immigration: for delay, deny, diversion
This article accurately describes the imbalance between the expectations and the realities of illegal immigration, and even other things that SHOULD be illegal.
Neither our “democrats”, nor our foreign visitors have any cause to berate our USA for not giving in to, or funding, their most demanding “needs”, however illegal or unreasonable those “needs” may be. This is a sovereign country, that does not exist for the sake of those who would shame us into allowing them to break our laws by murdering, raping, mugging, robbing homes, stealing cars, selling fentanyl, kidnapping and trafficking children, and all the other unworthy things that have been happening here. We’ve had enough, and don’t want to hear from those who want to make it worse.
When I see Democrats freaking out over the deportations of illegal citizens and how they are doing the same over President Trump shutting down waste. I am so glad that I became an ex-registered Democrat after Jimmy Carter’s first term.
I admit that it was stupid to be a registered Democrat then but to be one now is something beyond stupid.
Illegal aliens, not immigrants need to be deported alongside any family member of theirs. Coming into the US illegally is breaking laws and they need to be dealt with the same as stealing or fighting or any other crime by an American. The number of people allowed to become legal immigrants per year is way to high, about a million a yr, 25% of that sounds better and absolutely no government handouts ever. You come here with money and a skill.
Funny how its “impossible” to move 2M Gazans somewhere else but Biden managed to move 20M into the US in less than 4 years?
This country always welcomed people from other countries but they came in legal not come across the border and just come into the country and not caring to become citizens unless they get caught but for now all the those that have committed crimes are being deported it is only right Biden and Harris did not care what came into this country but this president and vice president and all the republicans do care. I think we cannot support all these people they are causing a lot of cities to go bankrupt and our government cannot support these people forever.
I am so sick of these ignorant idiots who don’t know the difference between LEGAL immigrants and ILLEGAL ALIENS. Seriously people??? Are you truly that stupid? Legal immigrants are more than welcome here. It’s the ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS who are NOT welcome and MUST be deported back to their country of origin. These ILLEGALS do NOT assimilate and have no intention of living as Americans. They certainly don’t respect our laws because if they did, they wouldn’t be ILLEGAL ALIENS.
Here’s a great quote on immigration and why we all must be American…
“American institutions rest solely on good citizenship. They were created by people who had a background of self-government. New arrivals should be limited to our capacity to absorb them into the ranks of good citizenship. America must be kept American. For this purpose, it is necessary to continue a policy of restricted immigration. It would lie well to make such immigration of a selective nature with some inspection at the source, and based either on a prior census or upon the record of naturalization. Either method would insure the admission of those with the largest capacity and best intention of becoming citizens. I am convinced that our present economic and social conditions warrant a limitation of those to be admitted. We should find additional safety in a law requiring the immediate registration of all aliens. Those who do not want to be partakers of the American spirit ought not to settle in America.” ~ Calvin Coolidge, 30th POTUS (First Message to Congress, December 1923)
My grandparents on both sides came to this Country legally and became Naturalized Citizens. They all learned English, started businesses and raised families. They did not break the law by sneaking in and did not harm anyone once here. They did not take anything from the Taxpayers but rather worked hard and paid their taxes. They wanted to actually be a part of this Great Country, not use this Country.
The illegal immigrants crossing our borders do not care to be a part of this Country. They just want to take all they can get from the taxpayers. They laugh at us who pay the bills for their housing, food, clothing, education and medical care. They call us fools and ridicule us. They do not even attempt to learn or to assimilate themselves. Go to your local Walmart or Target, or any local grocery store and attempt to ask an employee where to find a product you are searching for. They look and you and say “No Englais” and turn and walk away. Some of them laugh when they say it.
Sorry, but until we stick to our own laws, how can we expect them to obey them. For far too long, we have had Democrats telling them that they don’t need to obey our laws.
I am, personally, sick to death of hearing of the protests, the murders, the violence or gangs, the drug trafficking, the child trafficking and all the rest of what goes with all of these illegals who have crossed our borders. I am even more sick of the Democrat Governors, Mayors and Politicians who care nothing about the Military homeless, the homeless families, the US Tax paying Citizens who cannot get access to health care because the ER is overcrowded with illegals.
Nobody in our Democratic States or in Congress cares.
i agree with a lot of what Mr. Harsanyi is saying in his article. I am for legal immigration. If you are immigrating to this Country, you should be willing to follow all laws, have a skill that is required or needed, and be willing and able to support yourself for at least 5 years, while studying to become a citizen.
When I saw how illegal immigrants took over an apartment building, I was more than shocked. I was outraged. Nothing was being done to protect the tenants living there.
Literally, men were forcing residents to move out by force using guns and threats. Then there was the debacle in Springfield, Ohio where illegal immigrants were being supported while their citizens were being ignored. Some of those residents were, rightfully, unhappy about them putting mattresses on their lawns and camping there.
I don’t know if they were doing so, but there also seemed to be pets that disappeared. It was believed that they were being eaten by the illegal immigrants.
Either way, I’m all for sending those back that are criminals or terrorists, who are trying to turn our youth against their own country. But I have a problem with ICE threatening a family and illegal immigrant who has been here for four decades and never caused a problem in that whole time. Admittedly, the man should have gone for citizenship, in that time. But threatening his family does not sit well with me.
When my grandparents came to American it was because they wanted a better life and opportunity. They also assimilated to our country’s ways and ideas without abandoning some of their traditions. But their goal was not to turn our country into the country they came from. Unfortunately, it seems to many crossing into our country illegally don’t want to assimilate, they want all of our benefits but want to bring their laws, rules and ideas with them. That’s just not the way it works; come here through the legal process and laws we have. IMO
These people who are labeled “immigrants” are not immigrants. This is a narrative given by the Democrat fascists and evil media who brought them here and provided them with clothing, food, and housing while they caused harm to real American citizens. In 1965 Senator Edward Kennedy that noble gentlemen and his pirates changed the immigration laws that started this nightmare.
Very excellent and eloquent article! Have you thought about running for political office, please?????
I like what he has to say and how he says it – pls share this article.