Border Security and Immigration

 Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, securing our borders has become an essential part of our national security strategy. It is vital that we know who and what is coming across each of our nation’s borders. To achieve this goal, I support strong policies that plug the holes in our porous borders, make it tougher to obtain and use false identification documents, and take common sense steps to prevent terrorists from operating inside America.

Once we have secured the border, we can turn to the separate, but related issue of immigration. I support legislation such as H.R. 4088, the SAVE Act, that would do three important things: 1) provide a strict emphasis on border security, 2) create a verifiable system that employers can rely on when hiring workers and 3) providing necessary funding for robust interior enforcement.  I am strongly opposed to illegal immigration and granting amnesty to those who have broken our immigration laws.

In addition, any temporary guest worker program must include a viable worker identification system that allows employers to easily verify a worker’s immigration status. Guest worker programs should only be used when Americans cannot be found to fill a job and must be efficient for employers and workers in order to increase compliance. A bold line must be drawn between those here legally and illegally, and guest workers should only be guests, as their title implies. After their working period ends, they must return to their home county.

Respect for the rule of law is a fundamental American value, and our immigration policy must reinforce that value. I support an immigration policy that grants citizenship to those who followed the law and denies citizenship to those who have broken the law.  That is why I support legislation that calls on our government to enforce the laws already in place.  H. Res. 499 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Administration should rigorously enforce the laws of the United States to substantially reduce illegal immigration and greatly improve border security.  In addition, I believe that those who reside here have a responsibility to learn our language.   It is a matter of safety and security that people learn English when they become citizens of this great country, which is why I support H.R. 997, the English Unity Act.