FAQ: Immigration & Border Security

Legal immigration: Following the established process—applying for visas, waiting your turn, passing background checks, paying fees, and entering with permission.

Illegal immigration: Entering without permission (crossing the border illegally), overstaying a visa, or violating the terms of your legal entry.

Simple analogy: Legal immigration is like getting tickets to a concert. Illegal immigration is like sneaking in through the back door. One respects the rules, the other doesn't.

It matters because:

• Fairness — Millions wait years and pay thousands to immigrate legally. Illegal immigration cuts the line.
• Safety — No background checks means we don't know who's entering (criminals, gang members, terrorists).
• Rule of law — If we don't enforce immigration law, why should anyone follow any law?
• Resources — Schools, hospitals, and social services have limited capacity.
• National security — Countries need to know who's crossing their borders.

Yes, America is a nation of immigrants — but legal immigrants who followed the process.

Having immigration laws doesn't mean we're against immigrants. Every country on Earth has immigration laws. Here's why:

• Capacity — Infrastructure (schools, hospitals, housing) has limits
• Security — Need to screen who enters
• Economic integration — Controlled immigration allows time for newcomers to integrate
• Respect for legal immigrants — Those who followed the rules deserve better than having others cut the line

Supporting legal immigration + opposing illegal immigration = not contradictory.

ICE = Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE has two main jobs:

1. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI):

• Fights human trafficking and child exploitation
• Combats drug trafficking (especially fentanyl)
• Stops weapons smuggling
• Investigates terrorism and national security threats
• Fights cybercrime with international components

2. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO):

• Removes people who entered illegally
• Removes convicted criminals who are here illegally
• Enforces court-ordered deportations
• Removes gang members and public safety threats

Without ICE, who would:

• Remove criminals convicted of violent crimes who are here illegally?
• Stop cartels from trafficking children across the border?
• Prevent terrorists on watchlists from staying in the country?
• Enforce court-ordered deportations?
• Combat the flow of fentanyl killing Americans?
• Rescue victims of human trafficking?

Simple answer: Every country needs immigration enforcement. Canada has CBSA. The UK has Immigration Enforcement. Australia has Border Force. This isn't controversial—it's how countries function.

The U.S. without ICE = Immigration laws become suggestions. Court orders become meaningless. Criminals remain in communities. Chaos.

No. Here's why:

Who benefits from abolishing ICE?

• ❌ NOT legal immigrants (they benefit from enforcement)
• ❌ NOT crime victims (many victims of crimes by illegal immigrants)
• ❌ NOT American workers (competing with illegal labor)
• ❌ NOT trafficked children (ICE rescues them)

Who DOES benefit?

• ✓ Cartels (making billions from human smuggling)
• ✓ Criminal aliens (avoiding deportation after crimes)
• ✓ Employers exploiting illegal labor (paying below minimum wage)
• ✓ Politicians (seeing illegal immigrants as future voters via amnesty)

Ask yourself: If the people pushing to abolish ICE don't want immigration laws enforced, do they actually want immigration laws at all?

No. Absolutely not.

ICE does NOT target:

• U.S. citizens
• Legal permanent residents (green card holders)
• Valid visa holders (students, workers, tourists)
• Asylum applicants with pending cases
• Anyone with legal authorization to be in the U.S.

The facts: Over 90% of ICE arrests are of individuals with criminal convictions or pending charges. ICE focuses on public safety threats and those with final deportation orders.

Bottom line: If you're here legally, ICE is not looking for you. Period.

Yes, in specific sectors:

• Construction — Illegal workers undercut wages for legal workers
• Agriculture — Below-minimum-wage illegal labor suppresses wages
• Service industries — Restaurants, hotels, cleaning services
• Manufacturing — Some factories exploit illegal labor

The mechanism: Employers can pay illegal workers below minimum wage with no benefits and no legal recourse. This undercuts wages for Americans in those industries.

Who it hurts most: Lower-income Americans without college degrees competing for these jobs.

This is misleading.

More accurate: "Jobs Americans won't do at the wages employers want to pay when they can hire illegal workers for less."

Americans WOULD do these jobs if wages were higher. But why would employers raise wages when they can hire illegal workers for less?

Example: Roofing, meatpacking, construction—Americans did these jobs for generations. Wages were good. But when illegal labor flooded in, wages dropped because employers could pay less.

The solution: Enforce immigration law → Labor shortage in these sectors → Employers raise wages → Americans take the jobs.

The problem is real:

• Social Security Trust Fund projected to deplete by 2033
• After 2033, only 77% of benefits can be paid
• Worker-to-retiree ratio dropping: 5.1:1 (1960) → 2.8:1 (today) → 2.2:1 (2040)
• Birth rate: 1.6 children per woman (below replacement rate of 2.1)

The solution: LEGAL immigration

• Working-age legal immigrants pay into Social Security
• They're employed legally, so taxes are collected
• They help support the system

Why illegal immigration doesn't solve this:

• Many work under the table (no taxes paid)
• Some use fraudulent Social Security numbers
• They still use services (schools, healthcare) without paying proportional taxes
• We need legal immigration to get full tax contribution

Bottom line: The answer is increasing LEGAL immigration for workers in needed sectors—not ignoring illegal immigration.

Yes. Here's why:

• Unknown entries — We don't know who's crossing. Could be anyone.
• No background checks — Terrorists, criminals, gang members could enter undetected
• Cartel control — Mexican cartels control the border and profit from smuggling
• Fentanyl crisis — Most fentanyl enters via the southern border
• Human trafficking — Cartels smuggle people (including children) with no oversight
• Watchlists — Individuals on terrorism watchlists have been caught crossing illegally

Think about it: If we don't control who enters, how can we prevent bad actors from entering?

Context matters:

Why separation happens:

• Parents who cross illegally are arrested (like any criminal arrest)
• Children can't be held in adult detention (by law)
• So children are placed in separate facilities while cases are processed

Key facts:

• This isn't unique to immigration—when ANY parent is arrested, they're separated from kids
• Many "families" aren't actually families—smugglers use children to gain entry
• DNA testing has revealed thousands of fake family units
• The alternative is releasing everyone (catch and release), which most never show up for court

The real question: If you don't want families separated, why bring children on an illegal border crossing?

Solution: Apply for asylum at a legal port of entry. Follow the legal process. Don't put your children in danger by crossing illegally.

Asylum seekers: People fleeing persecution (based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group) who apply for asylum at a legal port of entry or present themselves to authorities.

Illegal immigrants: People who cross the border illegally and then claim asylum after being caught—or people who simply enter for economic reasons.

The problem: Many people crossing illegally learned to claim asylum because it delays deportation. Real asylum cases are a small fraction.

Asylum requirements:

• Must show credible fear of persecution in home country
• Economic hardship is NOT grounds for asylum
• Must apply at first safe country (if you pass through Mexico, you should apply there)

They can—and should—at legal ports of entry.

The issue: Many people cross illegally between ports of entry, get caught, and THEN claim asylum. This clogs the system with fraudulent claims.

Legitimate asylum seekers:

• Present themselves at official border crossings
• Wait for their case to be heard
• Provide evidence of persecution
• Accept the court's decision

Asylum abuse:

• Cross illegally, claim asylum when caught
• No real fear of persecution (economic migrants)
• Coached by smugglers on what to say
• Disappear into the country, never show up for hearings

A combination of enforcement and legal pathways:

Enforcement:

• Secure the border (physical barriers where needed)
• Enforce existing immigration law
• End catch-and-release
• Require asylum seekers to wait in Mexico (Remain in Mexico policy)
• Deport those here illegally, starting with criminals
• Penalize employers who hire illegal workers
• End sanctuary city policies

Legal pathways:

• Increase legal immigration for needed workers
• Speed up asylum case processing (hire more judges)
• Create more temporary work visas for agriculture/seasonal work
• Merit-based immigration system (skills, education, English proficiency)
• Expand refugee admissions through proper channels

Both are necessary. Enforcement without legal pathways is cruel. Legal pathways without enforcement is chaos.