The media’s coverage of the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has largely revolved around President Trump, but we may need to take him and his rhetoric out of the equation in order to have a rational, fact-based discussion of appropriate steps to secure our border.

The simple truth is that unless we are prepared to cede the right to control who immigrates into the U.S., we cannot permit members of “the caravan” — the group of thousands originating in Central America — to enter. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton did not take a contrary position on this when faced with similar threats, and I don’t believe they would today. If we allow this caravan of migrants in, there will be many more caravans to follow.