President Trump reposted one of our charts today, saying Cato “hates TRUMP” but “can’t hide the facts.” To be clear, we routinely praise him when he deserves it, as Trump has recognized, but criticize him when he undermines individual liberty—like we do with all presidents. But he’s right. We do publish the facts, regardless of what they show, because that’s what intellectual honesty requires.
The chart the president shared shows legal entries by asylum seekers at southwest ports of entry down 99.9 percent. He captioned it as evidence that “Democrats were a DISASTER on the Border.” His followers liked it thousands of times. Here’s what he didn’t emphasize for them: that chart shows legal entries. Not illegal ones.
The people in that chart were going to official ports of entry, declaring themselves, applying for asylum—doing exactly what the law says they’re supposed to do. They were following the rules. That’s what he cut by 99.9 percent—not illegal entries. The legal entries weren’t the “disaster.” They were a good solution to the “disaster” of illegal immigration.
Poll after poll shows that Americans who are frustrated with immigration are frustrated with illegal immigration—with people crossing between ports of entry illegally. Very few Americans say the problem was people coming in legally. If he really wants his followers to have all the facts, we invite him to share the other charts in the piece as well, which show how decimated legal immigration has become under his administration.
He could share the one showing refugee admissions—people entering legally, with full government vetting and authorization—down 90 percent. He could share the one showing immigrant visas for the spouses and minor children of American citizens down by half. He could share the one showing student visas down 40 percent, H‑1B visas down 25 percent, and fiancé visas down 65 percent.
He could share the final chart showing that of all the cuts to immigration in his second term, 72 percent are cuts to legal immigration. The cut to legal entries is 2.5 times larger than the cut to illegal ones.
President Trump has repeatedly told Americans he wants more legal immigration—that his target is the illegal kind. It’s a useful line. It lets him present mass deportations and visa bans as reluctant law enforcement rather than what they actually are: a broad ideological campaign against immigration of every type. The data make that clear. He cut legal immigration more than illegal immigration. It is not a close call.
He doesn’t want people coming the right way any more than the wrong way.
We believe the government should stop blocking legal immigration because it benefits Americans, increases our prosperity, improves our security, and protects our freedom to associate, contract, and trade with people from other countries. President Trump seems to reject all that, but he shows just how valuable and impactful Cato’s research has become, reaching even those who disagree with us.
If he really doesn’t want to hide any facts, we invite him to share all of them.
You can read the full research here: Trump Has Cut Legal Immigration More Than Illegal Immigration