Issue Position: Immigration & Border Security

Issue Position

This nation has had enough of career politicians who want to reward illegal aliens with amnesty and citizenship for breaking our laws. Most countries, including Mexico, our neighbor to the south, have zero tolerance for illegal immigration, and its time we did the same. As far as I am concerned, stopping illegal immigration is as much about protecting American lives as it is about protecting American jobs and maintaining a stable, healthy economy.

Realistically, you cannot simply "round-up" and deport every person among the millions illegally in this county, but there are things we can do to reverse the tide of illegal immigration. If illegal aliens can't work here or collect government benefits, they will not continue to come here, or want to remain here. With that in mind, as Congressman, I will seek the adoption of penalties, and enforcement of those penalties, that will absolutely deter employers from breaking our immigration rules. Additionally, I will not support any kind of non-emergency medical, taxpayer-paid benefits or services to illegal aliens.

We need an immigration policy built on common sense that recognizes the realities and needs of homeland security. Those needs start with building a fence along our border states that are threatened daily by an out of control influx of illegal aliens and drug runners. That fence must be manned by the Border Patrol and reinforced where necessary by the National Guard, at the behest of the Federal Government, not the individual states that can not possibly sustain such a financial burden and are already bearing the cost of providing social services to the population of those in the country illegally.

Our immigration policy should favor those nations which stand above others as our closest allies in supporting our fight against terror, and where there is a culture of admiration and respect for America, not hatred or bitter rivalry.

It is also important to note that legal immigration will go on, but only through a strict process that provides immigrants a clear and efficient path to citizenship. This legal process must be administered properly and reward those that are sponsored by an employer or family member already here, and include mutually beneficial, temporary - worker programs only when they are needed for employment in jobs that can't otherwise be filled by Americans, whether it be agriculture or because of special skills.

The bottom line for us is that a smarter, better immigration policy will be good for our economy, and offer much greater protection from those who want to come here from abroad to do us harm. Anyone and everyone that is residing here in the US must be accounted for and pay their fair share for the resources that they use. Anything less is unsustainable and will continue to drain our economy while jeopardizing our Republic and our future generations' opportunity for growth, prosperity and safety.

Source