This week, news emerged that the Trump administration has been setting new standards with regard to incoming immigrants. According to Axios, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will now take into account the “positive attributes” of migrants entering the country; such attributes can include community involvement and educational level. Instead of simply seeking to rule out those with records of misconduct, the new system seeks to screen for better immigrants — immigrants who will enrich America.
Along the same lines, the CIS will now disqualify applicants who engage in or support “anti-American activity.” As USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser explained, “America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies. … Immigration benefits — including to live and work in the United States — remain a privilege, not a right.” Metrics for anti-Americanism include “circumstances where an alien has endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused the views of a terrorist organization or group, including aliens who support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities, antisemitic terrorism and antisemitic terrorist organizations, or who promote antisemitic ideologies.”
Shockingly, there are those who are concerned about such standards. Presumably, America can’t be truly free unless we allow in those who support terrorist groups; one day, if we’re lucky, they can even run for mayor of New York or Congresswoman of Michigan. Such are the supposed blessings of liberty bestowed on foreigners by the free speech clause of our Constitution.
Professor of sociology Jane Lilly Lopez of Brigham Young University told the Associated Press, “For me, the really big story is they are opening the door for stereotypes and prejudice and implicit bias to take the wheel in these decisions. That’s really worrisome.” This, of course, ignores that there are evidentiary standards for any allegations of anti-Americanism; skin color or country of origin wouldn’t presumably be enough to bar someone on grounds of anti-Americanism. But for the left, the only excuse for a pro-American ideology must be some form of subtle racism.
Meanwhile, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, objected that the new standards were reminiscent of McCarthyism. This ignores the fact that during the Cold War, America did in fact screen for membership in the Communist Party under the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, and that refugees and immigrants were screened by American law enforcement agencies to ensure that they were not agents of a foreign power or sympathetic to America’s enemies.
Undergirding all of these objections is a simple and ugly proposition: that becoming an American requires no actual investment in America, and that America ought to be a gigantic agglomeration of disassociated populations. Such a proposition would have been de facto impossible before the rise of the welfare state; people immigrating to the United States generally left places with greater security for an America without security but with grand opportunity, which meant that new immigrants had to learn English, learn a trade, and embrace the Anglo-American cultural and legal traditions of the country in order to succeed. With the rise of an enormous and durable social safety net, the math suddenly changed: People could immigrate to the United States without assimilating in any serious way, and could maintain their pre-American cultures in toto. Multiculturalism, as a philosophy, can only survive if effectuated by a state that subsidizes fragmentation.
That process must now be reversed. And that can only be done by raising the bar to admission. Good immigrants make America stronger. Bad immigrants make it weaker. Treating all immigrants similarly isn’t just foolish; it’s dangerous. And the Trump administration is right for recognizing that root reality.
Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author. To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website.
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i still favor shutting it down completely until all the illegals are out of here and those that caused it too….and no more being born here means it is auto citizenship for anyone including the child and parents as they must leave for a number of months and then apply to re-enter this country…..all muslims can not become citizens and can only visit a number of days at a time and then have to leave….and only a few number of muslims can be in this country at any one time……no citizenship for a muslims period….they hate america and are not a religion except for hate and terror as they are a cult otherwise they would have after hundreds of years rid the world of the terrorist in their countries.
Times have changed. It is time people realize that many of the people who come here, especially illegally are out to use we, the people. They no longer wish to join us, they wish to rob us, kill us, rape us, sell drugs to us and have no intention of assimilating into our society. What the Biden cabal did to us is horrendous….and all for votes!! We need to revise many of our laws to keep us from harm. Immigrants from terrorist countries should not be able to become citizens let alone take public office. They can wield a lot of damage by becoming mayors, governors and other officials. Every person who wants to stay here should be fully vetted long before the citizenship program is introduced to them. It is too late now to remove the ones who are already in official positions but we can make sure we don’t allow more criminals and those who come from terrorist countries have political clout. And, the visa program needs to be closely monitored to make sure those people do not overstay their visa.
Assimilate, and follow the laws of this country. To seek a better life through hard work. Not to mooch off of the free services like welfare, food stamps, and section 8 housing. We have enough low life “Americans” who milk the system as it is.
Anyone who doesn’t want to assimilate and embrace American culture and values should not be allowed into this country.
I say this as someone who married (and later divorced), a Cuban immigrant.
We?
Have three kids, one of whom is a disabled Marine veteran, one a nurse and one the manager of a jazz club in Old Lyme Connecticut.
We should cut off ALL illegal immigration. Those here will either have to self-deport or we can send them to rural Alaska where they can live in comfortable tents. Legal immigrants shall be limited in number and ONLY open to those from similar, Western European nations. No third-worlders.
Tell that to these insane governors that won’t cooperate with immigration laws!
Praise for you for writing this right to the point, insightful article Ben. The Trump Administration setting new standards for immigration is a great move . Standards are needed for almost everything, from the water we drink,to manufacturing , in law, in medicine . Standards that will help to have the good guys settle here in America and keep the bad guys out is a common sense matter. Men and women of good character entering this Country will help to strengthen the National Character. Incidentally I have been an AMAC member for about five years and choosing the name Rob citizenship for writing the comments to these articles has to do with the idea of citizenship in the sense of civic responsibilities not in the sense of immigration. For example , donating to the local volunteer. fire department and the local ambulance service, that sort of activity. So the title of this article sure enough is appropriate .and being realistic in providing an answer has to do with the matter of the communist element that is loose in a number of government positions. I am in favor of the spirit of looking to the Declaration of Independence for the spirit of contributing to maintaining Liberty. I like the last two words of the article – ” root reality ” – it is a good term !
The Democrat’s are the racist ones, they hate all true American Citizens regardless of color or religion as long as they are Conservatives! And for purely Satanic reasons they hate Jews even when they are not Conservative!
Agree 100%!
Many good people cant grasp the extent of the evil we face. Marxist dems thrive on chaos and death. In order for utopia to arrive the country as founded must be burned down. Bringing in rotten fruit spoils the whole bushel. Thats their idea.
There is not another country on earth that would allow new immigrants in that would espoused anti that country stuff. The laws of our Constitution are for our citizens not those who want to come in and destroy our ways. As noted in the article our forefathers came for opportunities and changed their ways, in hindsight sometimes to much depriving their children of their language and cultures left behind. Some cultural ways such as marrying off very young girls to men in their later twenties and thirties needed to be left behind but it is a shame they list their languages. At the same simulation by learning our language and ways is what makes us a strong country,.if I had my those who are citizens and express anti-American crap should be exiled to some country that supports their views.
Sign of times dictate that we must be alert and not to get involve of prejudice ! At same time of what is going around us! It’s almost like serving in war torn country!
Great discussion by Ben.. One fundamental issue for me is the admission criteria which deals with a right or a privilege—I believe it is a privilege that is granted on the right to apply given screening for criminal, or politically activist background as in treason or a coup.
HISTORICALLY IN THE 20’S TO EARLY 70’S YOU HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COUNTRY OR YOU WERE NOT LET IN THE COUNTRY
It has absolutely NOTHING to do with “bad people”. IT HAS EVERYTTHING TO DO WITTH HOW MANY ILLEAGAL VOTERS THE DEMCRAPS CAN IMPORT INTO THIS COUNTRY! – PERIOD!
Any immigrant should have their entire life scrutinized under a microscope to see if they are indeed a good match to live in the USA. We should set the bar extremely high, and there should be no exceptions.
“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 ensure the admission of those with the largest capacity and best intentions 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)
READING, WRITING, SPEAKING, UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH SHOULD BE MANDATORY. The Melting Pot was a major factor in the former greatness of America. Democrats got rid of it to help them destroy America. Anyone coming to America should HAVE to change old habits if necessary and “melt in” adopt what is American and not try to force Americans to change into some failed country’s way of life. That is what the Dems WOKE BS is all about.
“Why would we want bad people here?” Exactly. Just look at rotten politicians. They are (or are supposed to be) American citizens! We don’t need to add to the list of people playing the system.
We have some illegals that have been here for 10-20 years and are working and productive in our society. They have a track record & if they are not criminals, why cannot the USA give them a path to citizenship? The same goes for Trump wanting to deport Birthers & I say they were born in USA and follow article 14. Trump needs to follow the constitution & quit the end runs with Exec Orders and recognize the judicial branch is a coequal branch .