Immigration

Immigration policy speaks not just to the issues of national security and economic protection, but to who we are as Americans.  Generations of immigrants have formed the backbone of our country and helped weave the fabric of our nation.  They have helped keep our workforce vital, ensured the United States leads the way in innovation, and added to our cultural tapestry. 

Today our challenge is different but our values are the same. Never before in history have two contiguous countries—the United States and Mexico—had such great wage disparities.  This proximity and disparity makes the allure of immigration to the U.S. even more powerful.  At the same time we have new concerns we must address about the security of our borders and the threat of terrorism. 

Any immigration policy must both recognize the lasting value of immigrants to our country, the importance of law and order, and national security. This means providing both an achievable pathway to citizenship and securing the entry and exit points to our country.  

As U.S. Senator I will push for an immigration policy that: 

• Takes a comprehensive approach to reform. Piecemeal efforts attacking small parts of the problem have proven ineffective.

• Controls our borders. All Americans have the right to expect that our country's laws will be enforced, and that entry into the United States will be orderly and controlled. I support deploying the human, technological, legal, and physical assets necessary to secure the borders.

• Is realistic about the 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in our country.  ‘Mass deportation’ is not consistent with our values and it is not a realistic solution to the problem. Experts estimate that ‘sending illegal immigrants home’ would require a convoy of more than 200,000 buses stretching more than 1,800 miles and costing $300 billion.

• Fixes our immigration bureaucracy.  The line is too long; the system is overwhelmed. In order for any immigration policy to work, legal immigrants must have a reasonable, orderly, and functional pathway for entering our country.

• Provides a system for undocumented immigrants in good standing to become citizens. A process for legalizing undocumented immigrants will bring people out of the shadows, enable law enforcement, and make our country more secure.  Undocumented immigrants should have to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English, and then go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.