America has succeeded mostly through what The Heritage Foundation’s Mike Gonzalez has called “patriotic assimilation,” in which immigrants have not just been taught how to adapt to the economy of the U.S., but also the customs and beliefs of larger American culture.
It is this fading notion of assimilation that has been a great strength for America since its founding. But, the extraordinarily welcoming nature of this country can be turned against it; assimilation simply won’t work on those who are expressly opposed to the idea.
U.S. immigration laws have varied over the country’s history, but they have generally evolved to meet internal needs and external threats.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that President Donald Trump’s administration is considering “extreme vetting” of both visitors to the U.S. and potential immigrants to prevent terrorist attacks from occurring within American borders.
This is in line with a campaign speech in which Trump said he wanted to weed out terrorist sympathizers with “hostile attitudes towards our country or its principles” from coming into the country.
