The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media
“During this time of fear and division in the United States, it is heartening to see an example of courage and unity, especially as it pertains to one of our most contentious issues: immigration.
“Donald Trump seized on fears related to immigration in the 2024 presidential campaign to help win a second term in office, but he has shown no interest in developing a plan to actually solve the nation’s immigration challenges or unite the country. His way remains that of the clenched fist, not the welcoming hand or the warm embrace. He seems unmoved by the uplifting poetry of Emma Lazarus that graces the Statue of Liberty: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’
“Thankfully, over 20 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are willing to work together to create a functioning American immigration policy. Led by Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida and Democratic U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar from Texas, these lawmakers have developed a serious proposal to tackle our immigration challenges.
“This bipartisan effort comes at a time when treating a member of the other party with decency and respect can generate not only scorn from your political base but also quite possibly a primary opponent. However, Escobar, Salazar and their colleagues have chosen to honor their constitutional responsibilities and use their positions for the greater good. Their legislation was first introduced in 2023 and has been updated this year. . . .
“The Salazar-Escobar bill, called The Dignity Act of 2025, seeks to strengthen border security, provide immigrants with an opportunity to obtain legal status if they meet certain requirements and overhaul the country’s asylum system.” — Congresswomen Unite for Immigration Reform and Show Us the Statesmanship That’s Possible, Chicago Tribune, John Shaw, 10/8/25 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: According to this article, President Trump was pandering to “fears” when he cracked down on illegal immigration. The implication is that these fears were baseless, but in reality, they were not. During the Biden Administration Americans watched in horror as masses of foreigners swarmed across our border, while President Biden showed no interest in stopping this lawless surge.
The author of this article, John Shaw, claims that since Trump has been in office he has shown “no interest” in trying to solve “the nation’s immigration challenges.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Pretty quickly after entering the White House, Trump imposed order on our broken border.
Shaw doesn’t see this change as a solution because it is not “welcoming”—as if we should give a hearty welcome to people who have no respect for our laws. The author then goes on to play the Emma Lazarus card, which serves to neutralize reasonable discussion about immigration with sappy emotionalism about “huddled masses.” Never mind that Lazarus’ refers to legal immigration, not illegal aliens. Furthermore, the sentiment of the poem gives us no guidance as to how many huddled masses we can accept before our Melting Pot melts down.
The author hails the so-called Dignity Act as a path to a “functioning” immigration policy. In reality, it would undermine immigration law enforcement by granting mass amnesty to illegal aliens. Rewarding bad behavior only encourages more of it. This isn’t statesmanship. It’s pandering to the “conservative” interests that want illegal immigration for cheap labor and to the “progressives” that want it for cheap votes.