Legal Immigration Loses Meaning as Illegal Border Crossings Go Unpunished

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Key Takeaways

An estimated 8.7 million illegal entries occurred during President Biden’s term, with deportations reaching historic lows under weakened enforcement policies.
The lifetime fiscal cost of each illegal immigrant is $68,000, with public schools spending $68.1 billion annually on their children.
Critics argue mass amnesty would worsen illegal immigration, citing failure of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act to reduce undocumented populations.

Legal immigration in the United States is meant to be an orderly process governed by law, a system where individuals from across the world can aspire to live and work in America under clearly defined rules. However, this system is increasingly undermined by the lack of consequences for illegal immigration and undocumented status. As of 2025, the border crisis has reached historic proportions, with an estimated 8.7 million individuals entering the country illegally during President Biden’s term. This widespread illegal entry, coupled with weak enforcement policies, paints a troubling picture: the benefits and fairness of legal immigration are being eroded, leaving many to wonder if the system is worth respecting at all.

Currently, legal immigration is an arduous process. Individuals wishing to enter the United States legally face endless challenges. They must deal with complicated paperwork, pay significant fees, and endure years or even decades of waiting to obtain approval. The process is subject to quotas, rigorous background checks, and often favors those with specialized skillsets or close family ties already in the U.S. While legal immigrants go through this exhausting and costly journey, illegal immigrants bypass these hurdles entirely. Many enter by simply crossing the border or overstaying visas, with little concern about being penalized. This disparity highlights a glaring flaw: those abiding by the rules are subjected to a grueling process while those who circumvent the system often face no meaningful deterrence.

Legal Immigration Loses Meaning as Illegal Border Crossings Go Unpunished

The lack of enforcement against illegal immigration has created a system of perverse incentives. For instance, why would someone spend tens of thousands of dollars and wait a decade or more to obtain permanent residency legally when illegally entering the U.S. is a far simpler path? With weak border controls and minimal deportations, the message being sent is that illegal entry carries few, if any, substantial risks. This approach deeply undermines the principles of fairness and respect for the rule of law, which are supposed to underpin the immigration system.

The reality faced by legal immigrants is particularly frustrating. Many sacrificed time, resources, and opportunities in their home countries to follow lawful procedures. Yet their efforts are overshadowed by the perception that illegal immigration offers a faster, cheaper, and equally viable way of residing in the U.S. For these individuals, it feels like the value of legal immigration has been entirely dismissed—a slap in the face for those who tried to honor the process.

This disparity also impacts American taxpayers, who shoulder the monetary burden of illegal immigration. According to data from the National Academies, the lifetime fiscal cost of each illegal immigrant is estimated at $68,000. Households headed by illegal immigrants are disproportionately more likely to use welfare programs, with a staggering $42 billion in costs. Public schools spend $68.1 billion annually to educate the children of illegal immigrants, many of whom are U.S.-born. These costs strain already overburdened community resources, affecting legal immigrants, citizens, and taxpayers alike.

Another ripple effect is felt in the labor market. By increasing the supply of low-wage labor, illegal immigration depresses wages and reduces job opportunities for American workers and legal immigrants. Those who followed the rules to get work permits or green cards often find themselves in fierce competition with undocumented workers willing to work at lower wages under exploitative conditions. This not only harms legal immigrants but also erodes job conditions for all workers.

Critics of stricter immigration policies often argue that many illegal immigrants come to America simply to seek a better life. While this may be true for a significant number, it misses key points. First, it completely disregards the deep injustice faced by legal immigrants who worked toward the same goal through legitimate channels. Second, it ignores how lax immigration policies risk national security by creating virtually open borders with no oversight of who is entering. Public safety concerns are similarly dismissed when crimes committed by illegal immigrants are overshadowed by rhetoric comparing crime rates between undocumented and native-born populations. The fact remains: any crime committed by someone who entered illegally is a crime that could have been prevented with better enforcement.

Furthermore, decades of experience show that amnesty and so-called pathways to citizenship have consistently failed to address the issue. The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, for example, provided amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Yet here we are, decades later, with an even larger undocumented population. Proposals for mass amnesty today would only exacerbate the issue by reinforcing the notion that illegal entry will eventually lead to legalization.

One of the most glaring failures lies in enforcement—or the lack thereof. Deportations and border security have become largely symbolic gestures. While more stringent measures were implemented after the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, their effectiveness has waned over time. A patchwork of “sanctuary” jurisdictions actively impedes immigration enforcement, and the Biden administration has dropped deportations to their lowest levels in decades. Considering these circumstances, illegal immigration is becoming less a violation of law and more a challenge to be outwaited.

The cumulative result of these failures is a system that punishes those who follow the rules while rewarding those who do not. When laws are ignored with impunity, the very foundation of legal immigration crumbles. It creates a dynamic where the concept of sovereignty and adhering to laws becomes a joke—a dangerous precedent for any country to set.

Clearly, the current situation demands serious action. To restore fairness and functionality to the immigration system, a multi-faceted approach is needed:

Strengthen border security, including physical barriers and advanced technology, to reduce illegal crossings.
Require employers to use E-Verify to ensure their workers are legally authorized, taking away incentives for undocumented migrants to come for jobs.
Implement consistent interior enforcement, making deportation a viable consequence for overstaying visas or living undocumented.
Eliminate sanctuary policies that allow local jurisdictions to thwart immigration enforcement.
Reform the legal immigration system to prioritize merit, skills, and contributions while making it less cumbersome for legitimate immigrants.
Limit public benefits available to illegal immigrants to deter long-term dependency on taxpayer resources.

Each of these measures is essential to a functioning immigration system that rewards law-abiding individuals while deterring violations. Without such reforms, illegal immigration will continue to surge, creating an unmanageable strain on resources, unjust competition in labor markets, and a feeling of betrayal for those who played by the rules.

The truth is, legal immigration matters only if its principles are upheld. Without serious enforcement and consequences for breaking immigration laws, the system loses its meaning. For legal immigrants, taxpayers, and American workers, the lack of accountability represents an insult to their hard work and dedication to the rule of law.

The time has come to decide whether the United States will persist as a nation of rules and regulated immigration or continue down the path of de facto open borders. Illegal immigration with no meaningful penalties undermines everything legal immigrants aspire to achieve. Unless a commitment is made to restore order and fairness, the value of legal immigration will continue to erode, leaving those who abide by the rules wondering why they ever bothered. For further details on the nation’s immigration laws and processes, you can visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) official page.

Learn Today

Legal Immigration → The lawful process of entering and residing in a country, governed by established rules and eligibility criteria.
Undocumented Status → The condition of residing in a country without legal authorization, often due to illegal entry or overstayed visas.
Perverse Incentives → Rewards or benefits that unintentionally encourage undesirable or harmful behaviors, such as bypassing legal immigration processes.
Sanctuary Jurisdiction → Cities or regions where local policies limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, protecting undocumented individuals from deportation.
E-Verify → A U.S. government system used by employers to confirm the employment eligibility of workers based on their legal status.

This Article in a Nutshell

Legal immigration embodies fairness, discipline, and opportunity—a system designed to reward law-abiding individuals. Yet, rampant illegal immigration erodes these principles, punishing those who follow the rules. Enforcing border security, streamlining legal pathways, and discouraging illegal entry are essential steps. Without meaningful reform, the integrity of America’s immigration system risks collapsing entirely.
— By VisaVerge.com