Trump says he wants immigrants 'to come into our country in the largest numbers ever'

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump painted a dark picture of the land along the southern border during his State of the Union address, calling it "dangerous" and "lawless."

Republicans and Democrats must come together to tackle the "urgent national crisis" that is illegal immigration, Trump said, adding that he wants to "put the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business." The government has a "moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens," he said, adding that he wants "people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally. Tonight, I'm asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and our country."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.