Issue Position: Doors, not Walls for Dedicated, Resourceful Immigrants

Issue Position

SUMMARY

Immigrants have excelled in every aspect of American greatness. They're critical to many industries, from high-end technology, medicine, manufacturing and innovation to farming, construction, hospitality and education. Many serve in the military.
Immigrating legally to the United States is not easy, despite complaints about "open borders." There is no "simple path" to follow or "line" to get into. Our immigration system is maze of barriers purposely designed to keep "some people" out.
A free and prosperous society has no reason to fear anyone entering it. People come to America for the same reasons they have always come -- for freedom and economic opportunity. Immigration is an economic issue and we should apply economic solutions to the problem.
A free market requires the free movement of people, not just products.
Whether they're from Africa, Asia, Europe, or Latin America. Whether they have advanced degrees or very little education, immigrants have one great thing in common: they bravely left familiar surroundings in search of a better life. Many flee extreme poverty and violence to seek a free and safe place to build their lives. We respect and admire their courage and are proud they see the United States as a place of freedom, stability, and prosperity.

Our current immigration system is an embarrassment.
Many people who want to follow the legal procedures have difficulty doing so. Procedures are complex, expensive and lengthy. If we want immigrants to enter through legal channels, we must make those channels fair, reasonable, and accessible.

Ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is an example of our failed immigration system. More than 800,000 people may be deported. The mass expulsion of an entire generation of children and young adults is not economically -- or morally -- justifiable.

Tighter immigration laws, building a wall, rounding up immigrants -- none of these will stem this flow or immigrants of deter people seeking a better life in America. But these actions will result in higher costs to taxpayers, more corruption in law enforcement and government, greater burdens on American businesses and the continued erosion of the civil liberties of all Americans.

Let's Open Doors, Not Build Walls
A free and prosperous society has no reason to fear anyone entering it. Immigrants come here for the same reason people have always come to America -- freedom and economic opportunity.

Immigration is -- at its root-- an economic issue. We should apply economic solutions to the problem and change immigration law to match the reality of a dynamic society and labor market.

Most low-skilled immigrants enter the U.S. illegally because there are jobs here waiting to be filled. These jobs are in retail, cleaning, food preparation, construction and tourism industries. They require only short-term, on-the-job training. But the supply of Americans who have traditionally filled them -- those without a high school diploma -- is shrinking.

The solution to illegal immigrant is to adjust our system to allow peaceful, hardworking immigrants to legally enter the United States, even temporarily, to fill this growing gap.

Don't Build Walls, Open Doors
Restore DACA and expand and strengthen the program by passing permanent legislation which will not be subject to the whims of partisan politics.
Provide a federally-recognized legal status for illegal immigrants, short of citizenship or permanent residency, that would allow them to participate in economic and social life.
Repeal the laws that penalize employers for hiring the wrong person. Employers have as much of a right to associate freely as immigrants have to travel freely.
Instead of building a border wall promote trade and the movement of goods and people to promote our economy and create jobs.

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