--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must say no to illegal immigration so…" description: "\"We must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.\" — William J. Clinton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/william-j-clinton-302_illegal_we-must-say-no-to-illegal-immigration-so_303802.jpg" --- # We must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue… ![“We must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.” quote by William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/william-j-clinton-302_illegal_we-must-say-no-to-illegal-immigration-so_303802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/william-j-clinton-302_illegal_we-must-say-no-to-illegal-immigration-so_303802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/william-j-clinton-302_illegal_we-must-say-no-to-illegal-immigration-so_303802.jpg) > “We must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.” [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal immigration should be welcomed, while illegal immigration must be opposed to maintain order and fairness. **In simple terms:** Support legal immigration, oppose illegal immigration. Key Takeaway Balance compassion with law enforcement in immigration. Themes politics law ethics Mood thoughtful balanced Type policy ethical When to use this quote - debate policy - advocate reform - support refugees - ensure border security - educate voters Key Concepts immigration law human rights national security Questions to Reflect On - What are humane ways to address illegal immigration? - How can legal pathways be expanded? A Different Perspective Complex humanitarian concerns may conflict with strict enforcement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Continue Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continue-say-1783610/) [Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal/) [Illegal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-immigration/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Immigration Continue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration-continue-1752377/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Legal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-immigration/) [Say Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-illegal-1616314/) ## Related quotes > [This is a serious problem of major concern, and we have got to approach it in a way that is consistent with this nation's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/this-is-a-serious-problem-of-major-concern-and-we-have-got-to/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [There is no quick fix for illegal immigration. But only when we achieve better control of our borders and better respect for our immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/there-is-no-quick-fix-for-illegal-immigration-but-only-when-we/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Ending illegal immigration only strengthens legal immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/ending-illegal-immigration-only-strengthens-legal-immigration/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [On immigration policy, I believe we ought to call an immediate halt, stop illegal immigration and reduce legal immigration back to about 250,000 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-immigration-policy-i-believe-we-ought-to-call-an-immediate-halt/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [There's got to be a point where we fix the system so that legal immigration is easier than illegal immigration and show respect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/there-s-got-to-be-a-point-where-we-fix-the-system-so-that-legal/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [The effects of illegal immigration aren't that different from those of legal immigration —an illiterate Central American farmer with a green card is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-krikorian/the-effects-of-illegal-immigration-aren-t-that-different-from-those/) [Mark Krikorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-krikorian/) > [There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-divided-allegiance-here-any-man-who-says-he-is-an/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [ We are trying to identify employers that might be \[hiring illegal aliens\] and to take effective action against them. We're trying to make sure… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/we-are-trying-to-identify-employers-that-might-be-hiring-illegal/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [As president, I will fight illegal immigration in order to preserve an appropriate level of legal immigration. At the same time, I believe our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/as-president-i-will-fight-illegal-immigration-in-order-to-preserve-an/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [Taking advantage of someone who can't say no should be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/taking-advantage-of-someone-who-can-t-say-no-should-be-illegal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz accused Republicans of trying to make it a crime to be an illegal alien. Democrats see a conspiracy plot. First…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/u-s-rep-debbie-wasserman-schultz-accused-republicans-of-trying-to/) [Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/) > [ \[Illegal immigration\] costs the taxpayers of the United States a lot of money. And it's unfair to Americans who are working every day to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/illegal-immigration-costs-the-taxpayers-of-the-united-states-a-lot-of/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] said we're going to have a big door. He means lawful immigration will continue, but we're not going to allow the nation… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/donald-trump-said-we-re-going-to-have-a-big-door-he-means-lawful/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [Legal immigration is good for America, if it's controlled and structured via the legal process, of course. But the problem is the system we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/legal-immigration-is-good-for-america-if-it-s-controlled-and/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## More by William J. Clinton > [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-personal-freedom-s-being-abused-you-have-to-move-to-limit-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Almost makes you want to go to jail out here, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/almost-makes-you-want-to-go-to-jail-out-here-doesn-t-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I take full responsability...for what we did. It was the right thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-take-full-responsability-for-what-we-did-it-was-the-right-thing-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Even as people take pride in their national independence, we know we are becoming more and more interdependent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/even-as-people-take-pride-in-their-national-independence-we-know-we/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [To build a twenty-first-century economy, America must revive a nineteenth-century habit--investing in the common, national economic resources that enable every person and every firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/to-build-a-twenty-first-century-economy-america-must-revive-a/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [One of the things that I think we have learned is that we should all be very careful about making predictions about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-things-that-i-think-we-have-learned-is-that-we-should-all/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Only astrophysicists new about the Internet 20 years ago. Today my cat has a website.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/only-astrophysicists-new-about-the-internet-20-years-ago-today-my-cat/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Our military superiority is so great - it's far greater than it was in the Gulf War, and the Gulf War was over in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/our-military-superiority-is-so-great-it-s-far-greater-than-it-was-in/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [You know, I've always been really interested in this stuff, and I'm going to read this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/you-know-i-ve-always-been-really-interested-in-this-stuff-and-i-m/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If you believe in making change from the bottom up, if you believe the measure of change is how many people's lives are better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/if-you-believe-in-making-change-from-the-bottom-up-if-you-believe-the/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [ We \[Democrats\] have got to be strong. When we look weak in a time where people feel insecure, we lose. when people feel uncertain,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-democrats-have-got-to-be-strong-when-we-look-weak-in-a-time-where/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [It's the economy, stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/it-s-the-economy-stupid/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The Republicans could mess up a two car parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-republicans-could-mess-up-a-two-car-parade/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [We're all in this together is a far better philosophy than you're on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-re-all-in-this-together-is-a-far-better-philosophy-than-you-re-on/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) [Explore all 712 William J. Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More Illegal quotes > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I don't think marijuana should be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-think-marijuana-should-be-illegal/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [ \[Could you show us how Lana Del Rey dances in a club?\] That would be illegal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/could-you-show-us-how-lana-del-rey-dances-in-a-club-that-would-be/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Stupid is not illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/stupid-is-not-illegal/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Even the Supreme Court, back when it used to makes sense, the Supreme Court has never ruled that a baby born to illegal aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-the-supreme-court-back-when-it-used-to-makes-sense-the-supreme/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-we-have-two-conflicting-traditions-in-this-country-i-think-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i-used-to-say-at-meetings-the/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [ I mean, you take a look at this, it's one way. \[Mexicans\] get the jobs, they get the factories, they get the cash, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-mean-you-take-a-look-at-this-it-s-one-way-mexicans-get-the-jobs/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I am calling on all citizens with access to unreleased records pertaining to illegal, unconstitutional, or immoral government activities to return those records to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-shapiro/i-am-calling-on-all-citizens-with-access-to-unreleased-records/) [Ryan Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-shapiro/) > [Helen Crawfurd and the Women's Peace Crusade, made a march on the City Chambers, distributing an illegal leaflet in front of police and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-gallacher/helen-crawfurd-and-the-women-s-peace-crusade-made-a-march-on-the-city/) [Willie Gallacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-gallacher/) > [Pot enables you to think clearly without any fear or any limits. 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