Issue Position: Immigration

Issue Position

In America, the beauty is in the mix. For generations, America's immigrant communities have enriched our culture, strengthened our economy, and defended the country that they call home. Each wave of immigrants brings their hopes, aspirations, faith, work ethic, and determination to succeed to our shores. With those uniquely American qualities, each newcomer makes America more American. To restore confidence in our history and our heritage as a people, we must pass comprehensive immigration reform.

House Democrats support bipartisan, comprehensive legislation that secures our borders, unites our families, protects our workers, and offers an earned pathway to citizenship to aspiring Americans. Unfortunately, House Republican leadership has yet to bring up critical reform.

Our comprehensive immigration reform legislation offers relief to our nation's DREAMers --young immigrants brought to our country by their parents as minors. During my time as Speaker of the House, the House passed the DREAM Act -- a common-sense bill that would give students who grew up in the United States a chance to contribute to our country serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or pursuing a higher education. The bill affords young immigrants the chance to earn legal status while strengthening our economy and our national security.

In 2014, President Obama issued an Immigration Accountability Executive Action that would secure our borders, prioritize enforcement, and provide relief to millions of hard-working, law-abiding families who may live free from the fear of separation from their loved ones. The President's bold Executive Action is a critical first step to bring our broken immigration system into line with our values as a people and our needs as a nation.

Executive action is no substitute for legislation, and the President's action does not absolve Congress of its own responsibility. Now more than ever before, Congress must address our nation's immigration reform challenges in a bipartisan manner and without delay. I will continue to work towards enactment of bipartisan and comprehensive immigration reform that honors our American values.

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