In a stiff pushback against claims the administration’s immigration policies are inhumane, the White House today said that the nation is choking on the 10.7 million legal immigrants and refugees allowed in over the past 10 years that are in addition to the 11.3 million illegals here.

“Our expansive humanitarian-based, family-based, and lottery-based immigration system fails to consider the needs of American workers and taxpayers, who have been burdened by decades of low-skilled immigration that has suppressed wages, fueled unemployment, and strained federal resources,” said the White House.

It cited reports that many come here and end up on taxpayer funded welfare.

“Census data shows that current U.S. immigration policy admits large numbers of individuals who struggle to become financially independent and instead rely on a vast array of government benefits paid for by U.S. taxpayers. For instance, roughly half of all immigrant-headed households use one or more welfare program,” said the statement.

It provided staggering numbers of legal immigration under former President Barack Obama.

The number of “lawful permanent residents,” totaled 1,761,927 from fiscal 2008 to 2017.

The White House said that is “a population of foreign nationals that is larger than the entire population of Philadelphia.”

[Related: Trump says illegal immigrants 'pouring up' because of strong economy]



California and other sanctuary jurisdictions are openly obstructing Federal efforts to take custody of and remove certain criminal aliens. President Trump and his administration have made clear that these dangerous and obstructive sanctuary policies must end. pic.twitter.com/WhttuOdA2a — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 17, 2018



And, it added, that does not include those who are designated “temporary protected status,” about 442,000. The administration, which has started to revoke that amnesty, noted that the “temporary” status for many was “granted that status for natural disasters that took place nearly 20 years ago.”

Overall, it said, "the U.S. has permanently resettled over 10 million immigrants (10,743,014) since 2008 — this includes nearly half a million foreign nationals (478,325) who were admitted as visa lottery winners, and over 7 million foreign nationals (7,756,985) who were admitted on the basis of family ties."



The first 12 seconds, below - that magically went missing in newsrooms across America — regarding POTUS comments on MS-13 being “ANIMALS!” pic.twitter.com/YGgnHR8m1U — Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) May 17, 2018



In a related message that amounted to a one-two punch against critics of President Trump’s efforts to make good on his campaign promises to cut immigration, the administration distributed comments made this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Thomas Homan.

In those, he slammed lawmakers who criticize his officers, and he said that sanctuary cities are hurting immigrant communities.

[Also read: Anti-illegal immigration lawyers come to Trump’s defense, 'long overdue']

In a direct attack on sanctuary cities, he said, “The intentional mis-messaging of sanctuary cities and what they do. I hear, ‘They protect the immigrant communities.’ And they don't. It's the complete opposite. When you release a criminal alien from a jail, they're going to go to the very communities in which they live and reoffend. Anybody can Google recidivism rates. Over half reoffend the first year against the very immigrant communities in which they live.”

And to critics of his actions and those of his officers, he said, “The next time you think about vilifying the men and women of ICE, I want you to do what I did this week. I want you to go to our National Law Enforcement wall, I want you to walk that wall, and read the names on that wall: over 400 Border Patrol agents and ICE officers whose hearts stopped beating defending this nation. It's a dishonor to these men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to vilify the men and women that carry the badge and gun.”