Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and their Democratic supporters have argued that we must accept millions of immigrants from Latin America and the Middle East because it is the "American Way."  While it is true that we are a country of immigrants, the current situation is different from anything we have faced in the past.

Historically, immigrants did not arrive on our shores with the stated intention of destroying our values and our civilization.  On the contrary, they wanted to become Americanized.  They wanted to speak English and to "fit in."  They wanted their children to be Americans – not Italians or Irish or Germans.  They could retain elements of their home culture, but their primary identification was American.  And they expected to work hard to achieve that.  They did not rely on entitlements and handouts from the government, because there weren't any.

Instead of assimilating and adopting American values as past immigrants did, today's immigrants want to impose their values on us.  They want us to assimilate.  Millions of Spanish-speaking immigrants want to flaunt the flags of their native countries.  They identify as Mexican or Salvadoran or Guatemalan.  They expect everything to be translated for them into Spanish.  They feel entitled to receive a treasure trove of benefits, while sending much of it back to the old country.

There is great irony when immigrants from south of the border take American citizenship as their right.  As soon as the Trump administration announced plans to deport illegals, the Mexican government reacted defensively.  "I want to say clearly and emphatically," said Mexican foreign minister Luís Videgaray, "that the government of Mexico and the Mexican people do not have to accept provisions that one government unilaterally wants to impose on the other."  One would think Mexico has liberal immigration laws.  On the contrary, Mexico's draconian laws make ours seem indulgent.

Mexico deems illegal immigration a felony punishable by up to two years in prison.  Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be jailed for up to ten years.  Visa-violators can get six years.  A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner to live in Mexico can get five years.  In fact, Mexico has deported more illegal aliens than we have.  From January to December 2014, Mexico deported 107,199 Central American immigrants, while the U.S. deported 104,688 illegals.  When a corrupt country like Mexico has the good sense to insist on the rule of law for its borders, why aren't we doing the same?

Muslim immigration takes the problem one step farther.  Muslim migrants want to supplant our democratic values with the murderous worldview of sharia.  Wherever Islam gains a following, Muslims demand an end to human rights and the freedoms that are taken for granted in the West.  All we have to do is look at what is happening right now in Europe.  As a result of Muslim immigration in Europe, said British commentator Pat Condell, "our society is now measurably less safe and less civilized and the rights of women are effectively negotiable."

We cannot expect people from the Stone-Age culture of the Middle East to be transported to New York or Chicago and automatically be assimilated.  But that is the unreasonable expectation of the left.  Millions of Muslim immigrants in France, Belgium, Germany, the U.K., Holland, and Sweden refuse to integrate or accept Western values.  "The experience of Western European countries which have ghettos and excluded localities shows that the integration of the Muslim community is practically impossible," said Czech president Miloš Zeman.  "Those coming here have no intention of adapting to our lifestyle," agreed Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.

Under Obama, the U.S. lost sight of a basic truth in international relations: every country has the right to protect its culture and its borders.  Trump's intention is plain.  He wants to enforce our existing immigration laws for the sake of law and order and to protect the homeland from terrorist incursions.

We are a country of laws.  When one law can be broken without consequences, it encourages disrespect for all laws.  The left, it seems, wants to suspend the rule of law when it suits the left's purpose.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the left supports mass immigration because the assumption is that most of the migrants will vote Democratic.  "If Americans won't vote for Democrats, then we'll import people who will."

Author and political commentator Monica Crowley reminds us that no foreigner has an inherent right to live in the U.S.  When it comes to immigration, the needs of our citizens must come first.  Washington's first responsibility is to Americans – our government is under no legal or moral obligation to anyone else.

Ed Brodow (USMC, retired) is author of the book Tyranny of the Minority: How The Left is Destroying America and CEO of Negotiation Boot Camp.  A true "Renaissance Man," Ed has been a U.S. Marine Corps officer, Fortune 500 sales executive (IBM, Litton Industries), novelist, and Hollywood movie actor with starring roles opposite Jessica Lange, Ron Howard, and Christopher Reeve.