The United States: A Nation of Legal Immigrants, Not Lawless Invaders
The United States has always been a beacon for legal immigrants—those who respect our laws, contribute to our society, and pursue the American Dream the right way. As a nation built by immigrants, we value the diversity and strength they bring, but the leftists seem to conflate legal and illegal immigration, ignoring the critical difference. Over the last four years, we’ve seen the consequences of this confusion: gang members “pillaging our villages,” so to speak, in a clear violation of Article 1, Section 8, and Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the basic rule of law. I’m Jerry Odom, and I’m here to set the record straight: we welcome legal immigrants who do it right, but we cannot tolerate those who break our laws and threaten our public safety.
Legal vs. Illegal: The Left’s Dangerous Blind Spot
Legal immigration is a cornerstone of our nation’s history—families who followed the process, waited their turn, and built lives here under the rule of law. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to “establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization,” ensuring an orderly system for those who seek to join us. Article 4, Section 4 guarantees every state a “Republican Form of Government” and protection against “Invasion” and “domestic Violence”—a promise broken when illegal immigration spirals out of control. Yet, the left’s open-border rhetoric blurs the line, treating lawbreakers as victims while ignoring the harm they cause.
Over the last four years under the Biden administration, we’ve seen an unprecedented surge—8 million illegal border crossings, including 900,000 “got-aways” (Congressman Doug Lamborn, 2023). Among them are gang members like Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has taken over apartment complexes in Denver, as reported by The Colorado Sun in February 2025. ICE targeted 100 gang members in these raids, but only one was confirmed as a gang member among the 30 arrested—highlighting the chaos of inadequate vetting. This isn’t immigration; it’s an invasion, violating the constitutional mandate to protect our states and citizens.
Gang Members Pillaging Our Villages: A Public Safety Crisis
The phrase “pillaging our villages” isn’t just a pun—it’s a grim reality. In Denver, Tren de Aragua’s presence in apartment complexes like Cedar Run has led to suspected gang activity, unpaid rent, and widespread damage, as noted by the property owners (The Colorado Sun, 2025). Residents report drug overdoses and fear, with federal agents raiding complexes in a dramatic show of force—smoke grenades, armored vehicles, and buses with barred windows (USA Today, 2025). This isn’t the American Dream; it’s a nightmare for law-abiding citizens.
Nationwide, the impact is staggering. State law-enforcement agencies warn that immigrant gangs have seized control of drug and human-trafficking networks, unleashing robbery sprees (City Journal, 2024). In Oklahoma, Mexican migrant gangs operate 3,000 illegal marijuana grows, selling $18–$40 billion annually under Chinese mafia control, leading to violence, money laundering, and environmental damage (ProPublica, cited in City Journal, 2024). Iowa officials report spending tens of millions annually on law enforcement due to immigrant-related crime, despite being 1,000 miles from the border (City Journal, 2024). This isn’t just a border issue—every state is now a border state, as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin aptly stated.
The Rule of Law and Public Safety: Non-Negotiable
Every nation in the world has borders for a reason: to keep out those who would do harm. Public safety is non-negotiable, yet the left’s open-border policies have turned our communities into targets. The Denver raids are a stark reminder—this cannot be allowed. We do not have a nation without a border, and the welfare state cannot sustain an open-border policy. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that illegal immigration costs American taxpayers $182 billion annually, including $66.5 billion in federal expenses (FAIR, 2025). That’s money that could support our veterans, who protected us while we slept, not fund a system that enables bad actors.
The Biden administration’s policies exacerbated this crisis, narrowing criteria for expelling criminal aliens and overwhelming immigration services with a caseload that doubled from 3 million in 2019 to 6 million in 2023 (City Journal, 2024). High-profile crimes—like the murder of Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant—have fueled public outrage, with polls showing a majority of Americans now support mass deportations (City Journal, 2024). The left’s refusal to distinguish between legal and illegal immigration undermines the rule of law, a principle enshrined in our Constitution and vital to our Republic.
Liberty for All: Supporting Legal Immigrants, Protecting Our People
We welcome legal immigrants who do it the right way—those who respect our laws and contribute to our society. My own experience as a 30-year veteran in the tech industry has shown me the value of diverse talent, from engineers inspired by Star Trek to women breaking barriers in STEM. Liberty knows no gender, race, or origin—the best person for the job is the best person for the job. But liberty also demands security. We cannot allow gang members to pillage our communities, drain our resources, and threaten our safety.
Ultimately, we must be a government “of the people, for the people, by the people,” by the consent of the governed—not the open-borders, do-what-you-want crowd. The current path is unsustainable, siphoning resources from our veterans and citizens while emboldening criminals. South Dakota deserves better. We’ll fight for a nation that honors legal immigration, protects public safety, and upholds the rule of law—because liberty without security is no liberty at all. Share if you’re ready to put South Dakotans first! #OdomForLiberty #SouthDakotaStrong #TrumpTough #MAGA2026 #LegalImmigration #SecureBorders #PublicSafetyFirst #FreedomFirst