With the flow of illegal immigration into the U.S. at a 55-year low, the Trump administration is praising the border protection protocols it put in place after President Donald Trump took office in early 2025, but the damage caused by the huge influx of illegal aliens during the Biden administration is unquestionable.
Even with illegal immigration levels having been slashed to an all-time low, Republicans continue to press the narrative that more needs to be done to completely halt illegal immigration into the U.S.
“The correct number of illegal immigrants in the United States is zero. They don't need to commit an additional crime. That's some fallacy that somehow the left and a handful of RINO’s have adopted, that we should only deport illegals that have committed a subsequent crime,” said Keith Gross, a veteran running for Congress in Florida’s 2nd District.
Gross, like many other Republican elected officials and candidates, believes in an “zero” tolerance immigration policy, saying that the initial crime of illegally entering the country is grounds for immediate deportation.
“No, they committed a crime by entering our nation unlawfully, and they commit a new crime every day they remain in our nation unlawfully. Every one of them should be returned home, because America is full,” said Gross in an interview with The Floridian. “
Gross continued, saying that the economic burden that illegal immigration has levied on Americans is evident throughout communities across the nation.
“We've got overburdened infrastructure. Our schools, hospitals, everything is built to handle the number of people that are supposed to be here, and so then you add in 10s of millions of people that should not be here. …Our government is paid for by American taxpayers, and it should put in policy put in policy positions that protect Americans,” he added.
In Florida, Gross is not alone in his views that illegal immigrants are burdening the local economies. Just about every single member of the Republican congressional caucus, except for Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, appears to back his sentiments. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for governor in the state, vowed to end "this scourge of illegal immigration once and for all in the United States of America."
