Editor's note: Anthony Moretti, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of either CGTN or Robert Morris University.

Ask any child in a U.S. elementary school to recite the words at the base of the Statue of Liberty, and chances are he or she will do so immediately: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Those 13 words might encapsulate the strongest myth about America: It is the land of hope and opportunity, and most especially for people in danger. Countless numbers of people entering the U.S. for the first time passed that statue as they neared the coastline and the start of a new life. Countless others have visited it to reflect upon its symbolism.

U.S. President Donald Trump either does not know or more likely does not care what the statue literally and figuratively stands for.

During his first and now his second term as president, the current White House occupant has – figuratively speaking – added another few words to that statue: "Presuming you come from the right countries."

The latest example of this desecration of an American myth took place earlier this week. The State Department announced it would suspend immigration visa applications to people from 75 countries. The reason? President Trump believes citizens of those nations, which represent all corners of the globe, would require public assistance if they were allowed into the country. If you recall the vile description – "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" – he referred to certain places around the world a few years ago, then you can guess to which nations he has applied the ban.

This latest action, which goes into effect on January 21, adds to the list of 40 nations against which the White House has established similar immigration or travel bans.

Cruel? Absolutely. Inconsistent with American values? Absolutely. Representative of a dead era of hate? Absolutely.

But should anyone be surprised at the callousness of this administration? By now, the track record is clear: Longstanding domestic and international policies and agreements will be thrown out by President Trump for any number of reasons: He thinks the U.S. suffers economically because of them; he concludes that the leader of a country slighted him; he wants to erase agreements his two previous Democratic predecessors enacted; and the list goes on from there.

This is leadership by fiat, one that considers past practice to be weak, flawed or otherwise stupid … All because the current president believes that he – and only he – has the right answers, no matter the issue.

Does a country have a right to set up immigration policies that benefit it? Of course. No one is arguing that Washington should abandon any pretense of border security or immigration standards. But common sense should influence policy.

Keep something else in mind: Recent polling data indicate that Americans are showing increased support for immigration. In examining a Gallup poll from late 2025, Politico reported, "a record 79 percent of American adults think immigration is good for the country… And the number of Americans who want immigration reduced dropped sharply from 55 to 30 percent since last year's poll."

Sure, there is always a risk of putting too much stock in a single poll. Nevertheless, a reasoned approach by a clear-headed president would be to assess the complexities of immigration in a rational way.

Sadly, under this administration, preference influences policy. Words that sound strong are actually admissions of fear.

That fear? That immigrants are responsible for the domestic and international struggles the U.S. faces. Yet, substantial evidence exists to validate that America's drug crisis, failing infrastructure, crumbing manufacturing base, growing disrespect for its institutions, failed reckless international actions and more are caused by corporate greed, personal laziness, propaganda replacing information or simple indifference.

Moreover, the lust to blame immigrants willfully ignores the contributions such people from all over the world have made to the U.S. To illustrate that point, let's look at three of the 75 nations that were added to Trump's ban list: Russia, Lebanon, and Cuba. Google co-founder Sergey Brin was born in the former Soviet Union before his family entered the U.S. when he was still a boy. Widely respected poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran and his family came to the U.S. from Lebanon in the late 1800s. And then there is U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba in 1956. He was born in the U.S. about 15 years later.

The next Brin, the next Gibran and the next Rubio might never be able to influence America – for good or bad, that is for you to decide – because of President Trump's actions. The knock-on effect of closing doors to people such as this is that their talents seem certain to benefit another country, one that might – or might not – be an ally of the U.S.

Perhaps the next Brin, Gibran or Rubio will find that they will "breathe free" far away from the United States.

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