Right From the Start: Exploiting Illegal Immigration for Political Power

Over the past decade, Democrats have increasingly leaned into a strategy that prioritizes keeping every illegal alien in the United States, not out of compassion, but for raw political gain. Their goal? To inflate population counts in the upcoming census, thereby securing more U.S. House seats and presidential electors in Democratic strongholds. This scheme, rooted in a cynical manipulation of the census process, has evolved from subtle posturing to an overt agenda that disregards the rule of law, taxpayer burdens, and the safety of American citizens.

The mechanics of this plan are straightforward yet insidious. The U.S. Census, conducted every ten years, counts all residents—citizens and non-citizens alike—to apportion congressional seats, affecting electoral votes. States with higher populations gain more representation in the House of Representatives and, by extension, more electors in the Electoral College. 

Democrats, through NGOs, have routed illegal aliens disproportionately to urban, blue-leaning areas like California, New York, and Illinois, and have pushed to codify policies to maximize their presence. By shielding illegal aliens from deportation and incentivizing their stay through sanctuary cities, generous welfare programs, and lax enforcement, Democrats ensure these individuals are counted in the census, boosting their political clout.

This strategy began to take shape in the early 2010s, during the Obama administration. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, introduced in 2012, was an early signal of the Democrats’ intent to normalize the presence of illegal aliens. While pitched as humanitarian, DACA sent a message: come to the U.S., stay, and you’ll be protected. 

By 2016, the push for sanctuary cities intensified, with Democratic mayors and Governors openly defying federal immigration authorities. These cities became magnets for illegal aliens, ensuring their numbers would swell in time for the 2020 census. The first Trump administration threw cold water on this plan, but did not derail it.

The Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census—a logical step to distinguish legal residents from illegal ones—was met with ferocious opposition from Democrats. They argued it would deter participation, but their real fear was exposing the scale of illegal alien populations in their strongholds. The Supreme Court’s 2019 decision to block the question ensured the census would continue counting everyone, legal or not, cementing the Democrats’ advantage.

Then the Biden administration doubled down. Border enforcement was gutted, with millions crossing illegally since 2021. Policies such as catch-and-release and the termination of Title 42 have contributed to mass migration. Democrats have also pushed for federal funding to support illegal aliens, from housing to healthcare, all while knowing these individuals will be counted in the 2030 census. The result? States like California, which lost a House seat after the 2020 census due to population stagnation, are poised to retain or even gain seats by padding their numbers with non-citizens.

The cost of this scheme is staggering, and Democrats don’t care. Taxpayers are footing the bill for billions in services—education, healthcare, housing, and legal aid—for illegal aliens. In 2023 alone, the Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated that illegal immigration costs U.S. taxpayers $150 billion annually. 

Cities like New York and Chicago are buckling under the strain, diverting funds from schools, police, and infrastructure to accommodate migrants. Yet Democratic leaders, from Governor Gavin Newsom to Mayor Eric Adams, shrug off these costs as the price of “diversity.”

Worse still is the human toll. Illegal immigration has fueled a surge in crime, with American citizens paying the ultimate price. From the 2015 murder of Kate Steinle by an illegal alien in San Francisco to more recent cases of violent crimes committed by migrants released into communities, the pattern is clear: Democrat policies prioritize political power over public safety. 

ICE data shows that in 2022, over 56,000 illegal aliens with criminal convictions were released into the U.S. rather than deported. Democratic leaders, insulated in their elite enclaves, dismiss these victims as collateral damage in their quest for electoral dominance. In their minds, the end justifies the means.

This is not compassion; it’s a calculated power grab. By flooding blue states with illegal aliens, Democrats aim to entrench their control over Congress and the presidency. The 2030 census looms as their next opportunity to lock in this advantage, potentially shifting the balance of power for decades. It is much easier for Democrats to game the system, rather than proffer policies that appeal across the electorate, rather than just their base. They’re betting that Americans won’t notice—or won’t care—until it’s too late.

Conservatives must sound the alarm. We must enforce existing immigration law to deport millions of illegal aliens, starting with the criminals first. We need a census that counts only citizens for apportionment, stricter border enforcement, and an end to sanctuary policies. The integrity of our democracy is at stake. 

Democrats may not care about the cost in dollars or lives, or the quality of life in many neighborhoods, but the American people deserve better. We cannot let our nation’s future be hijacked by a party willing to trade sovereignty for perpetual majorities designed to force-feed Americans their poison policies.