Immigration
The United States is a proud nation of immigrants. And, as the generations who came before, the most recent newcomers want what all Americans want: to raise strong families, build safe communities, to practice their faith in freedom and to seek new and better opportunities for their children.
The people of Chicago and the 4th Congressional district of Illinois, which I represent, are closely connected to the historic and proud tradition of immigration. Like their predecessors, today's immigrants work in the toughest jobs for the least amount of pay, contribute to the tax base, open small businesses that create jobs, serve in the U.S. military and add to the unique diversity of America through their social and cultural contributions. It is no wonder that our community considers it a top priority to have an immigration system in place that is fair, preserves family unity and honors immigrants' significant contributions to our nation.
While many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have fought for a comprehensive solution to our broken immigration system, many others have nevertheless chosen to exploit the issue for political gain by proposing legislation that represents more of the same failed policies of the past. I have consistently opposed these pieces of legislation, including H.R. 4437, the so-called " Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005". I voted against it and worked with other members of Congress to defeat this bill in December of 2005. Long-lasting reform that will fix our broken immigration system requires a comprehensive overhaul of our nation's immigration laws. For this reason, on March 22 of 2007, I, along with Representative Jeff Flake, introduced H.R. 1645, The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 (STRIVE Act).
If enacted, this legislation will replace current outdated immigration laws with reforms that will improve our border security and make immigration policies more realistic and enforceable. My bill will help get control of our borders and strengthen our national security. Equally important, this bill represents a realistic and common-sense solution to this challenge through the creation of a temporary worker program, matching willing foreign workers with jobs which most Americans will not fill while allowing the border patrol to concentrate on stopping criminals such as drug traffickers to enter our borders.
The establishment of this program will allow foreign workers to enter and fill available jobs that require few or no skills. These workers would be issued a temporary visa that would be valid for three years, and can be renewed one time for a total of 6 years. At the end of the visa period the worker would either have to return home or apply for permanent legal residence, creating a path towards U.S. citizenship. It would also keep families together by significantly reducing backlogs in the family preference system.
My bill would also minimize tragedy and death on our borders by requiring the development and implementation of border security initiatives, including information-sharing, international and federal-state-local coordination, technology, anti-smuggling and other actions to secure the borders.
I am deeply disappointed that the U.S. Senate failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform in June of 2007. The Senators who filibustered this legislation failed to bring to a vote a bill that would increase border security and repair a broken immigration system while also providing a solution for the millions of undocumented immigrants who work every day without the legal recognition and protections. The Senate's failure has not changed my conviction and I continue to be committed to fight the battle for comprehensive immigration reform.
As your Representative in Congress, I have been an ardent advocate for the rights of immigrants and I will proudly continue to do so. I pledge to continue to work hard to bring our immigration policies in line with our shared American values of hard work, secure families, a strong economy and love of democracy.
Immigration Advocacy Websites: