“You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.” This timeless quote captures the very essence of the American ideal. It is a promise that our nation is not defined by bloodlines, a specific language, or a singular cultural heritage, but by a set of shared principles and aspirations.
When I think of America, I don’t think of a look or a culture. I think of that shining city on a hill—a beacon of freedom represented by Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the American Dream itself.
The American Dream is a simple, yet profound notion: that through hard work and determination, anyone can succeed. It is this promise that has drawn millions to our shores, and it is this ideal that makes our country unique. Yet, this foundational principle is threatened. Our government is eroding the concept of what it means to be an American, forcing some to forever don the flag of their ancestry—not by choice—but because they are not recognized as Americans by the Trump administration.
Our constitutional rights are not conditional. Being a member of a certain group does not give rise to reasonable suspicion that someone is unlawfully present in the country. The Fourth Amendment, which protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, applies to everyone on American soil. Similarly, the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on immutable characteristics like race, ethnicity, or national origin. These are not suggestions; they are the bedrock of our republic.
Yet, policies that allow immigration agents to stop and detain individuals based on their outward appearance, the language they speak, what they do for work, and what places they frequent are a direct assault on these rights. These factors, on their own, are not indicators of unlawful presence or any criminal conduct. And taken together, they still fall short of the level of suspicion of criminal activity required to seize an individual. Such policies grant immigration agents unrestricted authority to stop and detain anyone—including US citizens—for purely pretextual reasons. It is a system that opens the door to arbitrary power and unchecked profiling.
This legal erosion has a profound real-world impact. We are witnessing the birth of a Papers, Please society where our Latin American neighbors cower in fear and must carry identification with them at all times. And sometimes, even that’s not enough. This is a stark choice between a constitutional republic and an authoritarian regime. We cannot have a country where the rights of one person matter more than the rights of another, simply because they were born in a different country or are the descendants of someone who was.
This is no abstract legal concept. These are tangible rulings that affect real people. I am privileged to call several first-generation Americans my friends. They are truly some of the best, brightest, and hardest-working people I know. They left everything behind to come here in search of a better life and a brighter future. They have contributed far more to this great nation than those in power ever will. They embody the very spirit of the American ideal—one that we must fight to protect. Their stories remind us that America is not a country of borders and laws alone, but of people and principles.
There are reasons why so many people give up everything to come here. Likewise, there are reasons people would rather be poor in this country than wealthy in another. We must continue to be that beacon of freedom around the world. We must demand that our government’s actions reflect the American ideal enshrined in our founding documents.
