[Robe]

‘My parents came here in search of a better life in the early 1900s, when regulations were much simpler and citizenship easier to obtain.”

Complete BS your Eminence ....

My parents were LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, they presented themselves
to a US Consulate in their home country, obtained a entry visa,
presented proof of financial viability (or a letter of sponsorship
from a US citizen, or a job commitment in other cases), passed a physical examination, was subjected to a literacy test and paid their own passage to the US.
Where they were once again examined, inspected, documented and
finally allowed to follow their own way to find the American dream.
Immigrants to this country are to follow the LAW !
That's what we expect and it's what we demand !!

[Vigilanteman]

Even in the heyday of Ellis Island, 1890 to 1916, about 5% of aspiring immigrants were rejected for various reasons, communicable diseases, criminal history, Communist sympathies and the like. The most common reason was "likely to become wards of the state."

The probability of such rejection dissuaded many aspiring wards of the state from ever boarding the ship just as the probability of a warm welcome convinces many aspiring wards of the state to make the trip north today.