Issue Position: Immigration

Issue Position

Our current immigration system is broken, and we need strong, serious changes to our current laws. We are a nation of laws and we must continue to keep Americans safe, and although America is also a nation of immigrants, those wishing to enter the country need to come here legally. Our approach to combating illegal immigration must be comprehensive and include permanently securing our border, enforcing the rule of law, and reforming current processes.

We must start by enhancing our border security. A physical barrier would deter those attempting to enter the country illegally, while also helping direct those seeking asylum to the proper points of entry.

We must take the necessary steps to deter people from coming to our country illegally by requiring employers to utilize the E-Verify system to confirm that all future hires are eligible to work in the United States; ending chain migration by eliminating extended family visa categories that allow U.S. citizens to sponsor extended, non-nuclear family members; and replacing the visa-lottery system, that grants green cards through a random lottery with no regard to work experience or educational background, with a merit-based system instead.

Thousands of inadmissible migrants arrive at our border every day and overwhelm our immigration system. The current immigration policy of catch-and-release is extremely flawed. In order to remedy this, we need to invest in our Border Patrol agents and law enforcement officers. We have laws on the books-- we must ensure that our nation's current immigration laws are enforced, immigration programs work properly, and that we provide the resources for law enforcement officials to get their jobs done. We must hire additional immigration judges and support staff, hire additional Border Patrol agents, and increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.

The First District economy is also significantly impacted by temporary and seasonal visa programs, and future immigration policy must balance timely processing for these visas while also ensuring effective visa enforcement.

We are a compassionate nation made up of immigrants and a prosperous nation due to the rule of law. I believe we don't have to choose one or the other.

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