Johnson: Immigration Reform Must Be Tough and Realistic

Johnson: Immigration Reform Must Be Tough and Realistic

U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today released the following statement on immigration reform:

"Our first priority must be to make sure our borders are safe and secure. In a post-9/11 world, it is imperative to the safety and security of our country that we are able to monitor and control who enters from a foreign country. We need to end the stream of illegal immigrants entering our country through tough, effective enforcement and smart reforms that will secure our borders and crack down on employers who hire illegally.

"But we must also find a realistic way to deal with the people already within our borders. There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants inside the United States; it is time that we bring them out of the shadows.

"I support reforms that would require illegal immigrants to pay a substantial fine, pass a background check, learn English and American civics, and meet other requirements before being put on a path to citizenship.

"We are a nation of immigrants. Except for Native Americans, we all have relatives that risked the impossible coming to a foreign land to live out the American dream.

"We cannot make this important issue a political football of bitter rancor. It is time to find a consensus agreement that is realistic, strong and delivers the reforms we need to secure our borders and keep our economy growing."

http://johnson.senate.gov/~johnson/releases/200604/2006503557.html