The ongoing caravan from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador and our lax asylum laws are the very reason why President Trump has insisted on building a border wall and implementing a merit-based immigration system. He knows that all someone has to do is get to the southern border, say the magic word “asylum,” and they will essentially be given a free pass to the promised land. He also knows that with the way our court system treats asylum applicants once they are here, the odds are high that law enforcement and immigration personnel will never see that person again. The recent investigation of an asylum mill gives the public a stunning glimpse of the massive abuses of our asylum laws.

The first thing to understand about the caravan is this: It is far easier to arrive illegally at our southern border, claim asylum, and enter the country with certain legal protections in place than it is to legally immigrate here with a visa. Look at how differently we treat legal immigrants versus asylum applicants.