In 1996 the Dems hastened the naturalization process as they are doing now. With an estimated 10 to 15 million green card holders who can apply for naturalization, this is a big deal.
As a share of the population, immigrants (legal and illegal) comprised 13.3 percent or about one out of eight U.S. residents in 2014, the highest percentage in 104 years. As recently as 1980, just 6.2 percent of the country was comprised of immigrants.
In addition to immigrants, there were 16.2 million U.S.-born minor (<18) children with at least one immigrant parent in 2014, for a total of 58.6 million immigrants and their children. Immigrants and their minor children now account for more than one in six U.S. residents.
Yes, legal immigration is a huge problem as well.