Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy has renewed his push for a complete halt to immigration, drawing direct parallels to the restrictions imposed in the 1920s that allowed the nation to regain control over its borders and culture.
Appearing on Fox News, Roy pointed to the damage from years of lax enforcement and visa abuses. “What we’re dealing with right now is the consequence of a radical left that wanted open borders on purpose and then lied about it,” he said.
He blamed both illegal crossings under the Biden administration and legal pathways exploited through H-1B visas, diversity lotteries, and chain migration, which have flooded communities with newcomers reliant on public resources.
Roy noted the strain on the system, with foreign-born residents now at 51.5 million—16 percent of the population, the highest share since the early 1900s. “We paused in 1920, and we had about 40 years where we kind of reclaimed our sovereignty as people assimilated,” he explained.
That earlier pause followed the Immigration Act of 1924, which slashed inflows, banned Asian migration entirely, and prioritized entries from Northern and Western Europe through national origins quotas. The result was decades of lower immigration that let existing populations integrate without constant disruption.
Roy argued many recent arrivals show little interest in adopting American ways. “The vast majority of the people that have been coming in from all over the world, particularly the Islamists, do not want to assimilate,” he said.
While acknowledging that some from Latin America seek the American dream legitimately, he warned corporate interests drive much of the influx to suppress wages and avoid hiring citizens. “There are millions that are being shoved into our country by basically the corporate world wanting to abuse H-1B visas and the diversity visas to pump this country full of people who don’t want to assimilate.”
His solution: “We should pause, and then we should reset all of those issues.”
President Trump’s administration has already delivered dramatic results on enforcement. Border encounters have plummeted to historic lows—southwest border apprehensions dropped to around 8,000 per month in early 2025, with over 600,000 deportations and millions more self-deporting amid aggressive removals.
Yet Roy’s call goes further, targeting legal immigration channels that big business and globalists exploit to import cheap labor and alter the nation’s character permanently. A full pause would give time to dismantle abusive programs, enforce assimilation requirements, and put American workers and families first once again.
The 1920s restrictions worked because they prioritized the existing nation over endless expansion. With foreign-born numbers at peak levels and cultural clashes mounting, Roy’s proposal offers a proven path to reclaim control before it’s too late.
