“Nobody is illegal on stolen land” has been a quote that’s resonated with me a lot, especially in today’s conditions with immigration.

We are so quick to deport those who came here for a better life, but let’s remember our history for a second. 

See, we have always been taught that Christopher Columbus was the one who “found America,” but what was shushed is the fact that America was populated entirely by Indigenous people for thousands of years before Columbus came.

And what did we do with them? We pushed them off. Even though the indigenous were willing to share the land with us, we weren’t, so we exiled them.

So when other people come and do the exact same thing to us, why are we so quick to not allow them into our country? After all, America is the land of opportunity, right?

The only difference between modern-day immigrants and the colonists in the 1600s is that the immigrants are willing to share the land with the people who were here first.

It is often assumed that since they committed one crime by living here illegally, they will continue to commit more crimes in America. 

Let’s look at the facts, though.

According to the National Institute of Justice, as of 2023, the crime rates were actually higher for native-born Americans than for undocumented immigrants. Every 1,221 per 100,000 crimes were committed by native-born Americans, while every 613 per 100,000 were committed by undocumented immigrants. Based on this information, 0.6% of crimes in America are committed by undocumented immigrants. 

I hate to be the one to say this, but that 0.6% isn’t the problem in America. This is just proving the point that immigrants don’t come to America to cause problems; they come to have a better life for themselves and their families.

America is appealing to immigrants for many different reasons: more employment opportunities, better school systems, safety and many others. 

Coming here legally is unappealing for one reason: the wait is next to impossible.

To even be considered to come to America, you must have a green card. In America, only 675,000 green cards are given out, and for high-demand places like Mexico, there are per-country limits. It can take a few months up to several years just to get a green card.

Getting approved to come to America is another 3-5 years in itself.

Most people can’t wait five years to be approved.

Imagine you’re stopped at a red light, and after five minutes, the light still hasn’t changed. With no cars coming on either side, are you going to run it because it’s not going to hurt anyone, or are you going to continue waiting for a light that may never change just because it’s the right thing to do? 

This is a similar choice immigrants have to make when they decide to come to America illegally. However, they aren’t waiting minutes; they are waiting years.

It is often argued that immigrants coming here illegally hurt our society; however, there is no real answer to this. Naturally, there are detrimental factors, but in my opinion, the positive outweigh the negative by a long shot. 

Immigrants come here willing to do jobs that many people don’t know how to do, like construction. They come here and pay their taxes, which overall benefits society, and they help out agriculturally as well.

The biggest harm coming from immigration is the way ICE is treating them. 

Based on current laws, ICE has the power to arrest anyone they believe is an immigrant just by looking at them, even if they have lived in America their entire life. This is absolutely devastating.

In just 12 days, ICE confirmed the third death of an immigrant in their facilities. 

These lives mattered, and their deaths were preventable.

I am proud of my life here in America: I have made friends, joined many clubs and made memories that will last a lifetime. This is a life that everyone should be able to live. 

If you are a white native-born who has lived in America your whole life, I want you to ask yourself this: “What did I do to deserve the life I have that children in Mexico, or any other country, didn’t do?” 

The answer is absolutely nothing. Everyone deserves the best life possible, no matter the color of their skin or the land they were born in.