On the base of the Statue of Liberty is a poem which follows:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet.

The title of the poem and the first two lines refer to the Colossus of Rhodes, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, sometimes described as standing astride the harbor.

The "sea-washed, sunset gates" are the mouths of the Hudson and East Rivers, to the west of Brooklyn. The "imprisoned lightning" refers to the electric light in the torch, then a novelty.

The "air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame" refers to New York Harbor between New York City and Brooklyn, which were consolidated into one unit in 1898, 15 years after the poem was written.
The "huddled masses" are the many immigrants coming to the United States (many of them through Ellis Island at the port of New York).

Possibly, Trump is unaware of it.

I though this topic would draw out the forums collection of 'Usual Suspects' and right wing ratties, you fellas have not failed to disappoint, how on earth can anyone, unless you are Donald Trump of course and another bloke from history who shall remain anonymous, declare children as criminals?
I can understand, but not necessarily agree with, declaring adults as criminals, but children!

Wake up Paul, there's a real world out there an' it ain't Green.

Which airline are you going to use?

I think that David F's quote from the Statue of Liberty
says it all.

What has the USA come to under the current President?

It used to stand as the land of the free, the land of the
brave. And for - "Truth, Justice, and the American Way!"

If this behaviour in now the "American Way?"

Truth and justice is no more!

Paul1045,
I think you're more of a "usual suspect" here with your idealistic compassion mentality. I noticed how you haven't worked out an answer yet when you're going to help these poor kids.
No-one except you et al are describing these children as criminals in the eyes of those who are constantly working on finding solutions. Here we have a President who actually does go out & works on changing the dreadful practices of the past & here you are denouncing every effort he makes.
The mistake you're making is to look at everything with your mentality rather than with cold hard logic. Why are these children caught up in all this ? Because people like yoursel are perpetually telling the poor that us goody do-gooders in the West will accommodate them & their problems no matter what. Guess what ? The majority don't agree with your rose-coloured views, the majority wants these people to go back to their countries with their children & the West can help them there if they're prepared to help themselves. Westerners who go there for extra cheap exploiting holidays should be required to pay a levy & that would be a good start to get these people off the ground. So, have you checked for available flights yet ? Don't keep us in suspense for too long. Send us updates on the improvement progress you're making there.

Hi there DAVID F...

I think you'll find, that dialogue inscribed on sections of the Statue of Liberty, referred to lawful immigration, not those individuals who sought to disregard the line as it were. When I was over there, in the Ellis Island museum, I recall seeing stark B & W photographs of lines of people from all parts of Europe, quietly waiting their turn to be interviewed by US Immigration Agents prior to being given permission to land.

I'm sorry DAVID F I believe the intent of those words, were to entice potential immigrants to consider lawfully settling in the US and making it their home. Not meant as a sanctuary for illegals or criminals. And from memory the function of Ellis Is. was to carefully sort, classify and categorise those applicants, to ensure they were not criminals or carrier's of some of the world's deadliest communicable diseases.