I was 17 years old when I came to the United States from Russia. When I arrived decades ago, I earnestly wanted to go home — it was difficult to assimilate and learn the language. But I quickly adjusted to all the beauty of living in America and even found myself worried that I’d have to leave.
I fell in love with this country, especially my community in Brooklyn, New York, where I found a diverse array of perspectives, ideas, classes, and ideologies united by the American dream. And I worked day in and day out to support myself and become a U.S. citizen.
It’s wonderful that America is a nation full of immigrants including me. Many people run to America fleeing horrific situations, and we have the opportunity as a country to accept them and give them the opportunity to build a better life here.
This is why I was frustrated with the previous administration’s immigration policies. Brooklyn, my home and a sanctuary city, is now flooded with crime. After an all-male migrant shelter opened up in my community just steps away from my children’s school, I was devastated — not because I didn’t want these migrants to have a place in our country, but because this shelter came at the expense of American citizens’ safety and left the migrants in a state of dependency.
After the shelter began operating, we received an email from our councilwoman, Shahana Hanif, discussing increased waves of sexual assault within the community. As a mother with young children, I was appalled that she couldn’t make the connection between the idle men loitering around the shelter and the new violence in our community.
The Biden administration’s open border policies also fostered a new mentality among migrants, one where handouts are expected.
I remember when I was in college and struggling to get by. Thankfully, I was able to work in retail and obtain a tax ID number, so I paid taxes and worked odd hours and jobs just so I could stay in the U.S. I was told by those around me that I could apply for federal assistance to support my education. However, it made no sense for me to receive such aid because neither I nor my parents had paid our fair share of taxes to get the benefits that we felt should be reserved for American citizens.
Now, in sanctuary cities such as New York, officials hand out benefits such as these to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, most of whom are not even eligible for asylum — funded, of course, by our tax dollars.
The impact on New York has been devastating. Crime has skyrocketed and tourism has plummeted. In Brooklyn, everything is locked up. I can’t go into a drug store and buy basic items without assistance from a clerk because store owners are worried about shoplifters, and rightfully so.
Brooklyn is no longer the family-safe, vibrant community that it used to be, and failed immigration policies are largely to blame. We can be pro-immigration but also understand that it must be done the right way.
US TO REVOKE LEGAL STATUS OF MIGRANTS WHO CAME UNDER FRAUD-RIDDEN BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM
I know this firsthand. Coming to this country has been one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I still believe we should prioritize asylum-seekers, those running from harm, and welcome them with open arms. But open borders are not the way — that’s not immigration but invasion. And it undermines the American dream for honest and hardworking immigrants.
Thankfully, we now have a president who is taking immigration seriously. This is a blessing for communities such as mine, rampaged by crime and disorder. President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies are about restoring national integrity, helping communities such as Brooklyn get back to their roots, and remembering that hard work and perseverance are the values that build the American dream.
Irina Edelstein is a Brooklyn mother and Independent Women’s Network chapter leader dedicated to advocating the safety of local communities, with a special focus on protecting children.