There is a new sheriff in town!

All Americans, not only in the States most heavily affected but in every place in this country, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. - Bill Clinton, 1995

It is simply amazing that the number of illegal immigrants entering our nation each month has fallen from thousands to a small handful. As a matter of fact, our current President is finding ways to return the most dangerous of them to their country of origin.

The problem of undocumented people entering our nation is one of long standing. President Bill Clinton recognized this problem. He was unable (or unwilling) to remedy this issue. President Obama made many statements outlining how he had no power to legalize the influx of undocumented non-citizens.

President Trump in his first term began to build a wall on our southern border and otherwise improve our system to exclude the illegal entry of noncitizens.

President Biden did his very best to ignore the issue of noncitizens entering our nation without proper permission. During President Biden’s term of office, several millions of undocumented immigrants were allowed to enter our nation. They were allowed to disperse throughout our nation. Most of them claimed to be victims of persecution in their native lands.

They were given permission to enter our nation with the promise that they would appear before an immigration judge sometime in the next few years. There was literally no screening done, and several millions of unidentified immigrants were allowed to remain unidentified. Many of them simply disappeared.

Since being elected for a second term, President Trump has nearly sealed the border. Almost no one is being allowed to enter without proper identification and reason. President Trump has begun to return many illegal immigrants to their native countries.

The United States of America continues to be a beacon of hope for the oppressed and downtrodden from all over the earth. Our Constitution and open system of government is the envy of many people all over the world. We have created many legal ways and opportunities for people to immigrate into the United States and become citizens.

My own family is an example of this. Even before we became a nation, my mother’s ancestors came to the United States on the Mayflower with many other people who were suffering from religious persecution in England. They remained in this land to prosper and to help create and build this great nation.

My father’s ancestors came from Germany in the middle 1800s. They fled from Germany to find a better land in the United States. They came to the United States legally, under the laws current of the time and became citizens. They remained in this land to prosper and to help expand and build this great nation.

Many readers of this column have similar stories about their ancestors.

Our nation has been built on immigrants. Over the years, millions of people have left their native lands to come to the United States legally to find a better life for themselves and their children. While here, they became law-abiding and contributed to the growth and development of our nation.

We are, however, a nation of laws. The Congress has established many laws governing the entrance and settlement of people from all over the world as immigrants to the United States. Many of these immigrants have made astonishing contributions to the United States.

Our history has been to allow newcomers to immigrate into the United States. Recognizing the gifts many of these people bring with them, Congress has passed laws to encourage immigration. They have created methods for immigrants to become citizens of the United States. We recognize and even need the gifts that controlled immigration brings to our nation.

But, this is a nation of laws. Immigration must be done according to our laws. It’s a shame that some people violate our laws in order to take advantage of our freedoms. It has long been recognized that our newest citizens must, like their predecessors, be law-abiding.

Just as President Clinton said in 1995, many citizens of the United States of America are disturbed by the large number of people entering our nation illegally. We welcome new citizens, but they must enter our nation and become citizens according to the law.

Mike Lang, Chairman, Union County Republican Central Committee