When President Donald Trump returned to power earlier this year, he inherited an immigration system stretched beyond its limits in every conceivable way. At the heart of this crisis lies a glaring double standard. When migrants enter the country, it’s all about the quantity of decisions — admitting more people, faster — rather than the quality. Many newcomers can legally remain, sometimes permanently. Yet millions are expected to leave once their visas expire or their claims are denied.
At that point, the state suddenly shifts its focus to the quality of each decision, weighing due process and individual circumstances, rather than the quantity. This tension fuels our broken removal system, paralyzes immigration courts, and contributes to a foreign-born population that has now reached at least 50 million people, more than 16% of the United States.
