The immigration policies of the current Trump administration warrant the support of all residents of the United States. In return, the administration needs to address the humanitarian and economic impact of zero tolerance for illegal immigration. Here’s why.

About 2.09% of our population are Native Americans. Therefore, most United States residents are immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants who came here willingly or by force. At this time, there are 25 million people who have applied to enter legally as immigrants.

There is no shortage of would-be immigrants to this country. We are a nation of immigrants. So what is the immigration debate really about?

It is a debate about the immigration process itself. The open-borders policy of the Biden administration was unfair, unsafe and unlawful. A vote for Trump in the last election was a vote for an immigration process that is fair, safe and lawful.

Countries in Europe are now experiencing the disastrous results of indiscriminate immigration. Two-thirds (67%) of lawful immigrants eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship had applied for and obtained citizenship by 2015. Those becoming citizens take an oath to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

This writer is a legal immigrant who became a U.S. citizen 58 years ago. By contrast, illegal immigrants largely remain in the shadows of society, and do not achieve their full potential. However, illegal immigrants are integral to the economy, and end up performing the most dangerous, menial and laborious jobs, for example, in agriculture.

They mostly fill jobs that Americans aren't willing to do. These workers deserve a path to citizenship. The immigration question is multi-faceted and requires a thoughtful, humanitarian approach which benefits all U.S. residents.

John D. Wyndham Peterborough