I Pledge My Loyalty to the Flag…

Back in 1976, as a first-year student at Riverside Elementary School, I was newly arrived in America with my family. I encountered these unfamiliar words for the first time. Sure, I picked up the pronunciation quickly, but grasping their significance took me a bit longer.

Like Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington, I was born speaking English but chose to embrace my identity as an American. I pursued history throughout middle and high school, earned a degree in it, and later shared my passion for American history while teaching 8th and 11th graders.

Yet, knowing names and dates didn’t cultivate my love for this country. In my 23 years as a diplomat in Africa, Asia, and Europe, I realized the unique complexity of American freedom and opportunity is often best highlighted through comparison.

Like many other Americans, particularly those who came here legally and earned their citizenship, nothing frustrates me more than seeing rudeness or even violence from individuals who, despite being given the chance to live here, show blatant disrespect for our rules, culture, and values.

It feels, well, disheartening. One would think they would want to follow our laws and appreciate our way of life.

Scanning the landscapes of institutions like Columbia University, I see environments rife with radical protests and support for anti-Semitism, which is quite disheartening. It’s troubling enough that uninformed young people are influenced in their own homes. But when foreign students with visas lead such movements? That’s incredibly concerning.

So, we shouldn’t – and frankly, we don’t need to.

Secretary Marco Rubio recently announced his intention to interpret our visa laws more stringently, aiming to bar those who would steal our secrets, undermine democracy, or meddle in foreign policy.

He’s not suggesting anything groundbreaking; our immigration laws are already riddled with inconsistencies—both statutory and discretionary—that allow for action.

This crisis isn’t just an American issue; it’s a challenge throughout the Western world. Who gets to decide who enters and who remains? Is our citizenship truly valuable? Shouldn’t we be asking these questions?

The global left seems to reject the notion of borders entirely. I find it perplexing; they argue that anyone should be allowed to settle wherever they choose. And once there? They expect those individuals to receive all the rights—healthcare, education, welfare—even voting, as if they were citizens. For them, under no circumstances should a foreigner be sent back, regardless of their background or actions.

This outlook feels like a recipe for national decline. It’s a choice we simply cannot accept.

Recently, an incident shook Boulder, Colorado, when illegal Egyptian immigrants attempted to harm American Jews in a horrific attack. Reports show that the attacker entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022 and remained after seeking asylum, a path that many others pursue successfully each year. He was granted a work permit while his case languished in the immigration system.

This “defensive” asylum claim appears to be a common tactic for those trying to remain, even without a solid case. There are millions in the queue, many with questionable claims. Under the Biden administration, thousands were allowed to enter illegally, encouraged to seek asylum irrespective of their circumstances.

This behavior, evident in various incidents, raises alarms about the potential ramifications of keeping out those who might pose dangers to our society.

A year ago, the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Border Security and Immigration launched a visual map detailing some of these preventable crimes. What began as isolated instances has morphed into concerning trends, particularly in regions like Massachusetts, where local leadership often seems more concerned about the rights of illegal aliens than the well-being of their constituents.

Let’s be clear: foreigners do not possess inherent rights to U.S. visas. Every visitor must adhere to the purpose of their entry and abide by our laws. Some will genuinely develop an appreciation for this country, with many finding paths to citizenship—something we should encourage.

However, for the sake of maintaining our unique societal structure, we must prioritize the values that truly define us as a nation.