Who Are the Illegal Migrants in America?

Philipose Vaidyar

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Immigration is making headlines again. Once more, there’s talk of building walls, tightening borders, and deporting people who don’t have official papers.  Some call them “illegal migrants.” They’ve crossed borders, stayed without visas, or entered without permission. Many work quietly, raise families, and strive to make a living. However, they live in fear of being caught, detained, or deported.

America is drawing lines again. But before we judge too quickly, maybe it’s time to pause and look back.

 

A Flashback: The First “Illegal” Migrants?

Let’s rewind the story. Way back.

Long before any presidents or passports, there were people already living here—Native American tribes who called this land home for centuries.

Then came others. Explorers. Traders. Settlers. They came from Europe by ship, not by visa. They didn’t have papers. They didn’t ask for permission. They didn’t follow any local laws.

Who were they?

1.     The Spanish (1500s):
Came to places like Florida and California, claimed land for their king without asking the people who lived there.

2.     The English (1600s):
Settled in Jamestown and Plymouth for wealth or religious freedom, but never got permission to settle on Native land.

3.     The French & Dutch (1600s–1700s):
Built forts and trade routes along rivers and coasts, without treaties or fair deals.

They didn’t ask. They didn’t wait. They just came and stayed.
By today’s terms, many would call them illegal migrants.

They came in, claimed land, and said it belonged to their kings and queens in faraway countries. Treaties were broken. Lands were taken. Entire tribes were pushed off their homes.

These people weren’t called “illegal migrants.” They were called pioneers.

A Voice from the Past: Chief Seattle’s Full Speech (1854)

In 1854, Chief Seattle of the Duwamish tribe gave a speech to Governor Isaac Stevens, who had come to negotiate for Native land. His words—shared orally, then translated—echo through time. Here’s the most widely quoted version of his speech, in full:

“The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The Great Chief also sends us words of friendship and goodwill. This is kind of him, for we know he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer.

It matters little where we pass the rest of our days. There are not many. The Indian’s night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grief shadows our faces.

We will ponder your proposition, and when we decide, we will let you know. But should we sell our land, I must make one condition: The white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers.

I am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffalo on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage, and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive.

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children—that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected, like the blood that unites one family.

Man did not weave the web of life—he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see.

One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover—our God is the same God. You may think you own Him as you wish to own our land, but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.

The whites, too, shall pass—perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Continue to contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.

But in your perishing, you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over it and over the red man. That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with the scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills blotted by talking wires.

Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone. The end of living and the beginning of survival.”

His speech wasn’t just about land. It was about respect for nature, for people, for what connects us all. A warning, a cry, and a prophecy.

US - The Paradox

Today, many descendants of those early settlers are debating who belongs and who doesn’t.

But here’s the strange twist:

The same country built by uninvited migrants now decides who is welcome.
The same land once settled without permission now calls others “illegal.”
The grandchildren of those who crossed oceans without asking now build walls.

So, the big question:

Who are the “illegal” migrants—really?

o  Points2Ponder

This isn’t about politics. It’s not about borders or laws.

It’s about being honest with history—and with ourselves.

Maybe we need to think twice before we label someone “illegal.”
Maybe we need to listen to those who were here first.
Maybe we need to ask what justice looks like—not just for us, but for everyone.

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Disclaimer: This post isn’t written to support or oppose any government’s policies. I’m not against migration, nor am I promoting open borders. This reflection could apply to any country, any people, at any time. In a way, and in truth, we’ve all been outsiders. We’ve all come from somewhere. And to someone, at some point, we were all migrants.

So let’s stay human. Let’s stay fair.
Let’s think deeply—and live justly.

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