These days, looking at immigration policy, it feels like a Kumbaya dream.

Kumbaya is a term from a Black spiritual song, used to mock overly idealistic and unrealistic atmospheres in life.

Anyway, the current immigration policy is packaged as a collective effort, but in reality, it's just the working class that keeps getting hurt.

While those in power talk about the achievements of "reducing illegal immigration," what's actually happening is completely different.

People trying to enter legally, those inviting family members, and those wanting to study and work are being completely blocked.

Since the start of Trump's second administration, the biggest change has been on the legal side, not the illegal side.

According to analysis from the Cato Institute, the decrease in legal immigration is 2.5 times greater than that of illegal immigration.

This clearly shows the direction of the policy.

While they talk about order, in reality, they are tightening the normal routes even more.

What's more frustrating is that the decrease in illegal immigration itself is not a new outcome. The trend started during the Joe Biden administration.

On the other hand, legal immigration has been structurally blocked. Asylum applications have nearly disappeared.

Family reunification and employment-based immigration are the same. Visa restrictions have expanded from dozens of countries to nearly 90.

This is not just a regional issue; it's a global blockade.

The fact that even spouses and children of citizens are affected has crossed a line.

The basic structure of families living together is being shaken.

Policies move by numbers, but the reality translates into people's lives.

The decrease in fiancé and spouse visas is also serious. It has dropped by up to 65%.

This is not just a decline in approval rates; it means people's life plans have come to a halt.

Wedding schedules are delayed, migration plans are disrupted, and families are separated for longer periods.

This is how the working class gets hurt. While those in power talk about achievements, lives are being shaken below.

The decrease in student visas follows the same trend.

It has dropped by about 40%. This is not just a matter of fewer students.

It signals that the structure that attracted global talent to the U.S. is weakening.

In the long run, this could lead to issues of national competitiveness. The current economic difficulties are a result of these accumulated problems.

The situation with H-1B visas is similar. The $100,000 fee is essentially a barrier.

From a corporate perspective, the burden increases, and from an individual perspective, access becomes difficult.

Ultimately, it becomes harder for the needed talent to enter, and the impact spreads across the entire industry.

This is not just an immigration issue; it's an economic structural issue.

In the end, about 130,000 legal immigrants are being blocked each month. In contrast, the decrease in illegal entries is about 50,000.

The numbers already tell us where the tightening is happening. Yet, they continue to emphasize only the reduction in illegal immigration.

So people feel it. While those in power throw out the message of "let's all do well together," in reality, it's just the working class that keeps suffering.

Policies may sound idealistic. But when the system is blocked, the first to be hit are those without resources.

In the end, the policy is Kumbaya, but the reality is a matter of survival. And in between, the ones who suffer the most are always the same people.