Immigration puts a strain on USA: Your Say

The percentage of people living in the USA who were born in other countries reached 13.7% this year. It is projected to reach a record 14.9% in 2025, according to a Pew Research Center report. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

At some point we have to put a stop to all immigration, both legal and illegal, in order to control overpopulation in the U.S.

— Chris Watkins

Why would people want to keep others out? Unless you are a Native American, you are an immigrant. Immigrants built this country. As long as someone is willing to work hard and assimilate, what is the problem?

— Lisa Nelson

A higher percentage of immigrants get some kind of government welfare compared with the native-born population, according to a Center for Immigration Studies report. If the immigration population continues to grow, our country will really be in trouble.

— Lanie Williams

In speech to Congress, Pope Francis urges action on immigration, climate

Letter to the editor:

It was ironic for Pope Francis to tell Congress last week to “open its arms” to the millions of migrants flooding into our country. How could anyone even think the U.S. is or has been closed to immigrants? Just go to any town or city in the U.S. today and everywhere you look there are people from around the world working at jobs American-born citizens used to do. A person would have to be blind to believe America isn’t open to immigrants.

The problem now is that we have been too open and our average American working family is feeling the burn. American-born citizens who work in more menial careers find we have little job security because if we don’t like it, there are millions of migrant workers who are more than willing to work for low wages and in poor conditions.

Will Lance; Atlanta