St. Paddy's Day: The lighter story of undocumenteds

Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Enda Kenny.

IRELAND'S PRIME MINISTER, Enda Kenny, gave a lesson about America and the value of immigrants to Donald Trump, but it is not certain Mr. Trump got the very subtle dig.

On the occasion of St. Patrick's Day, Kenny urged Trump to help undocumented Irish immigrants living in the U.S., saying they just want to "Make America great."

He reminded the president that there are 50,000 undocumented Irish people living and working in the U.S. during his one-on-one meeting at the White House.

Ireland’s prime minister, Enda Kenny, has urged Donald Trump to help Irish people living in the US illegally, saying they just want to “make America great.”

About 50,000 Irish citizens are believed to be living illegally in the US, and Kenny and other Irish leaders have previously called for a way to allow them to stay in the country legally.

Kenny said: “We would like this to be sorted. It would remove a burden of so many people that they can stand out in the light and say, now I am free to contribute to America as I know I can. And that’s what people want.”

Kenny also urged Trump to consider providing more work visas “for young people who want to come to America and to work here.”

"We did discuss the question of immigration, which is so important to the fabric of our people. And I know that in this country, this is an issue that the administration and the president are reflecting upon...We discussed that very constructively this morning," Kenny said at a Thursday lunch event, hosted by House Speaker Paul Ryan at the U.S. Capitol after the two met at the White House.

"It is easier being illegal here when you're white," Shauna, an undocumented Irish immigrant, told CNN. "It's not easy, of course, you have that paranoia but there isn't the racial element. It's a bit easier to stay under the radar."

Orla Kelliher of the Aisling Irish Community & Cultural Center in New York City, said in her 20 years in America, she "has not seen this level of anxiety or fear of the unknown." I wish that CNN asked her, though, if ICE has conducted any raids on the Aisling center.

Undocumented Irish are not the largest group of people who have overstayed their visas. That honor belongs to Canada with over 93,000 undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. The combined countries of Europe account for over 123,000. Those are piddlling numbers compared to the total of 11 million undocumented Americans ... still ... you wonder if the light pigmentation of their skin has anything to do with it.