Kris Ramsingh, a Trinidad-born entrepreneur who became a U.S. citizen after nearly a decade, says legal immigration matters and that birth tourism and mass illegal crossings are an insult to those who follow the rules. He frames his support for tougher border policies around fairness, personal sacrifice, and patriotism, drawing on his own journey, his business in Roanoke, and missionary work overseas.
Ramsingh arrived in the United States in 2006 with little more than $300 and a few suitcases, and he built a life from scratch. That story of grit and persistence shapes how he sees the debate over immigration today. He runs Dominion Custom Upholstery and other small businesses, and he says the contrast between his path and the shortcut of crossing illegally is stark.
“When you see that people come across the border, whether it’s [to] have a baby for an anchor, or come across to border and get free healthcare, [or] free school, it’s really a slap in the face to the people who have worked really hard to come into this country the legal way,” he said. That phrase echoes his frustration with what he calls an uneven system, one that rewards exploitation over effort.
Ramsingh points out that he had to satisfy a list of federal requirements before becoming a citizen, including medical records, background checks, and financial documentation. He describes those steps as part of the bargain of legal immigration — you prove you can contribute and you accept the rules. “America doesn’t owe us anything,” Ramsingh said of legal immigrants like himself. “Our government here doesn’t owe us anything. We have the privilege of coming into this country where it’s a holiday visa or for school.”
Independence Day has extra meaning for Ramsingh because it marks the anniversary of his arrival in the United States. He’s lived in Roanoke for two decades and says the flag stands for both hope and hard-won peace. “The flag represents peace [and] hope as we’re getting ready to celebrate Saturday, the Fourth of July, and it means so much to me — it means freedom,” he said.
Ramsingh’s view of America was forged earlier, during the turmoil in his home country in 1990 when political violence left citizens fearing for their lives. He remembers seeing American soldiers and feeling safety return, a moment that taught him the value of American power and generosity. That gratitude informs his opinion that gratitude should flow both ways — if a nation benefits from American help, it should not turn hostile toward the United States afterward.
Faith and service play a big role in Ramsingh’s life, too. He founded Dominion Project International, which takes him to India, Africa, and the Caribbean to deliver clean water, medical supplies, and the Gospel. Those missions, he says, give him firsthand understanding of why people leave desperate conditions, but they also reinforce his belief that immigration must be orderly and lawful.
“The American Dream is that you can try something — you can work hard and try and if it doesn’t work out you can you can pick up and try again,” he added. He insists that hard work plus respect for legal process is the engine that keeps opportunity real for everyone in this country. That’s why he says lax enforcement corrodes the promise that made him come here in the first place.
Ramsingh rejects the notion that Republican border policy equals hatred of newcomers. “He’s not anti-immigrant. Republicans are not anti-immigrant — we just want them to go through the process of doing it legally; coming in legally,” he said. He makes a clear distinction between wanting secure borders and being against immigration itself.
He points to the chaotic policies he blames on the previous administration and calls those actions an “invasion.” “During the Biden administration. When he opened that border — we’re anti-invasion, we are not anti-immigrant. That was an invasion.” To Ramsingh, strong border enforcement is about protecting the rule of law and the social compact that lets communities thrive.
Ramsingh admits deportation stories are painful, but he says they are the result of years of lax enforcement rather than a lack of compassion. He understands the reasons people flee hardship, having worked in the very places they come from, but he insists compassion and order can coexist. “I came from a third-world country. My missions are in third-world countries. I see how these people live. I understand why they want to come to America. I understand the ‘why’,” he said.
He closes with a plain message about commitment and belonging: “I would say Trump is not against immigration. He just wants to see it done right. And again, Donald Trump and our government doesn’t owe immigrants anything. We have the privilege of being here. It’s a privilege. It’s not a right.” That perspective drives his support for policies that reward legal entry and deter lawlessness, rooted in the belief that honoring the system preserves opportunity for all.
