Issue Position: Immigration Reform

Issue Position

The Opportunity to Earn Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants, Establishing a Fair Path to Citizenship and Securing America's Borders
As a first generation U.S. citizen and a child of immigrants, I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform. The political posturing and gamesmanship in Washington (which usually accompanies any issue that test our country's morality) must end now. I value families, and I believe that families should not be torn apart because of failed and mismanaged immigration policies. The time is now for comprehensive immigration reform.

Immigrants have been living and working in America, mostly in the shadows, for fear of deportation. Until the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, young undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children were going to school and making friends, while forced to hide the fact that they are undocumented.

I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform which will give undocumented immigrants an opportunity to earn legal status. Many of these individuals have children who are American citizens. I support granting an opportunity for these fellow human beings to earn lawful permanent resident status, coupled with a fair path to U.S. citizenship. I believe the two issues are inseparable because awarding legal status without a path to citizenship does nothing more than create a legal underclass that has no hopes for upward social mobility, equal treatment or opportunity in America.

Republicans have attempted to increase the number of guest workers in the United States by relaxing caps on H1B and construction visas while American workers in the United States are unemployed. We cannot allow more workers from abroad to be granted visa's while at the same time denying immigrants in the United States the opportunity to become citizens.

We must allow these people who have worked here, lived here, bought goods here, and paid taxes here to become full contributors with a path towards earning citizenship. This will help to start more small businesses, encourage economic activity, increase tax revenue and create more jobs. The political procrastination in Washington must stop, and with your help we will make comprehensive immigration reform a priority and finally get it done.

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