Trump’s Disingenuous Conundrum: Blocking Legal Immigration While Obsessing Over Illegals

Donald Trump often shouts, “Come in legally!” whenever illegal immigrants are coming across the border. But during his presidency, he made legal immigration much harder. During his first term, legal immigration hit historic lows, with policies that choked off pathways for workers from countries like Mexico and India. According to the Migration Policy Institute, legal permanent resident admissions (green cards) fell from 1.18 million in 2016 to 707,000 in 2020, the lowest in decades.

The U.S. immigration system is already a mess of red tape. Trump didn’t fix it—he made it worse, limiting legal pathways by increasing vetting and restrictions on H-1B visas. Policies like “Remain in Mexico” and Title 42 didn’t just target illegal immigration; they clogged up legal channels too.

Here’s the irony: the U.S. needs workers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 8.8 million job openings in 2023, with industries like construction, healthcare, and tech facing persistent shortages. The Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh has argued that expanding legal immigration, like increasing H-2B or H-1B visas, would fill these jobs and reduce illegal crossings by providing lawful alternatives. A 2019 Cato study estimated that a more open legal system could cut illegal border crossings by 25–40%.

People don’t risk crossing the border illegally for fun—they come because there are jobs, and legal options are nearly impossible. Immigrants, legal or not, are crucial to the economy. Undocumented workers alone pay $79 billion in taxes annually.

So why block legal immigration while complaining about illegal immigration? It’s a blatant contradiction—and it hurts everyone. If legal paths were easier, employers wouldn’t have to rely on undocumented workers, and border pressure would ease.

Trump’s claim that people should “come in legally” is absolutely disingenuous when his policies made it nearly impossible. It’s time to call out this hypocrisy and push for a system that’s fair, open, and actually works for America’s needs.