President Trump on Independence Day 2025. (Photo: White House)

On Constitution Day, President Trump addressed new American citizens in an official video message. “No matter where you come from, you now share a home and a heritage with some of the most exceptional heroes, legends, and patriots to ever walk the face of the Earth,” he said.

While past presidents often emphasized how immigrants enrich the nation by bringing diversity, Trump highlighted what new citizens inherit by joining the American family. He reminded them that they now share in more than two hundred and fifty years of freedom, federal republicanism, and a tradition that both respects states’ rights and protects individual liberties. Trump also pointed out that citizenship carries responsibilities: to uphold American law, respect cultural norms, and honor the nation’s heroes, from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.

The president’s message resonated personally with many, including families like my own grandparents, aunts, and uncles who came from Sicily. They too inherited the same freedoms and responsibilities that Trump described. Between 1900 and 1914, three million Italians arrived in the United States. More than 1.5 million Italian-American soldiers went on to serve in World War II, accounting for 10 percent of the armed forces, and 14 of them earned the Medal of Honor.

And it wasn’t just Italians, also Irish Americans, Jewish Americans, Armenians, Indians, Vietnamese, and countless others came legally, assimilated, worked hard, and moved up the ladder until they became some of the most successful Americans. Many of them achieved this long before the civil rights movement, affirmative action, or welfare programs that are now destroying certain demographic groups.

The media and liberal Democrats often portray Trump as anti-immigration, but the reality is that he is opposed to illegal immigration. Most legal immigrants also reject illegal immigration, recognizing that it cheapens their own sacrifices to enter through lawful channels. Trump’s January 20, 2025 presidential order, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, made that distinction clear. The order revoked Biden-era directives that had relaxed enforcement and restored the government’s obligation to faithfully execute immigration law.

It prioritized removing criminal aliens, dismantling cartels and smuggling networks, penalizing sanctuary jurisdictions, and ensuring that taxpayer money is not spent subsidizing illegal immigration. It also called for expanding detention facilities, increasing enforcement personnel, and reestablishing services for victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens. Far from being an attack on immigration itself, the order underscored that America welcomes lawful newcomers but will no longer tolerate the costs and dangers imposed by unlawful entry.

In addition to his video address, President Donald Trump issued a letter to newly naturalized citizens, congratulating them and urging them to “safeguard, honor, and respect” the U.S. Constitution. He emphasized that citizenship is a sacred trust, offering freedom and opportunity in return for loyalty to America. “The United States is now your homeland, and you stand as part of one Nation under God,” Trump wrote. “You have pledged your heart to America, and in return she offers the boundless promise of freedom and opportunity.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will distribute this letter at all naturalization ceremonies.

The Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Kristi Noem, has tightened the naturalization process to restore integrity to the system. Reforms include enhanced vetting for anti-American activity or terrorism support, reinstated neighborhood interviews, evaluation of good moral character, and stricter checks against unlawful voting. USCIS has also revamped the citizenship test to ensure only those truly committed to American values and traditions become citizens. DHS officials said these changes end years of abuse under the Biden administration and reaffirm citizenship as a privilege tied to responsibility and allegiance to the nation.

Trump’s 2025 message to immigrants was similar to the one he released in 2017. That year, he introduced a video message for naturalization ceremonies, welcoming new Americans into the “American family” and urging them to uphold traditions, remain loyal to their new country, and help newcomers assimilate. The video was played for thousands of new citizens in Los Angeles.

At the same time, Los Angeles designated itself a sanctuary city, and California is believed to be harboring more than 2 million illegal immigrants. The mayor instructed the police force not to cooperate with ICE, while elected officials went so far as to urge citizens to resist federal enforcement.

President Trump’s video message and letter to new immigrants represent a return to a better time in American history, when children, and especially immigrants, were taught to love their country. Unfortunately, he is still fighting against liberal headwinds, as Democrats dishonor the sacrifices of legal immigrants by supporting illegal immigration.