America is a beacon of hope for those who seek better lives for themselves and their families. The economic opportunities and the ability to live in freedom are what attract so many to this country. But we must remain a country based on the rule of law. We must have strong borders. The reality is that a porous border makes us vulnerable to terrorists, Weapons of Mass Destruction, cartel violence, and human trafficking. Having lived in California my entire life I fully understand the implications of weak borders. It is estimated that in Los Angeles County alone, illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $1 billion per year.

First and foremost, I do not support amnesty for those that entered the country illegally. I strongly believe that individuals who came here illegally should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, not rewarded for their actions. I am a cosponsor of HR 994, a bill that would remove the incentives and loopholes that encourage illegal aliens to come to the United States to live and work, and provide additional resources to local law enforcement and Federal border and immigration officers. I believe that one way we can decrease the number of the unemployed is to reduce the number of illegal aliens in the labor force. These are jobs that should be going to legal immigrants and Americans. That is why I have joined the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus.

As the House health care bill was being debated late in 2009, I offered an amendment to the Rules Committee that would have barred illegal immigrants from participating in any federal health program; be it Medicaid, Medicare, or any new benefit derived from a Democratic health care bill. My amendment was denied by Democrats on the Rules Committee. I have been a strong supporter of numerous legislative efforts that cover every angle of illegal immigration. I have cosponsored H.R 997, the English Language Unity Act, a bill that would make English the official language of the United States. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1868, the Birthright Citizenship Act, which would end the practice of giving automatic citizenship to ‘anchor babies,’ those that are born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants. Furthermore, I feel that it is unfair to penalize legal students by allowing illegal immigrant students to obtain in-state tuition for higher education. To fight against this I have cosponsored H.R 4548, a bill to block this practice.

I have fought to strengthen our borders by adding thousands of Border Patrol agents, funding the construction of over 700 miles of fence along the southern border, and cutting bureaucratic red tape to do what is necessary to protect our national security. Specifically, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 2083, the Border Sovereignty Act, which strengthens support for rigorous border security. Additionally, I fought to restore full-funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, of which President Obama proposed cutting to ‘zero’ in the current fiscal year.

Perhaps nothing captures the essence of my position on illegal immigration and the damage it does to our country better than H.Res 1026:  “the continued peace, prosperity, liberty, and national security of the United States and its people depend upon the rule of law and credible and effective immigration enforcement policies which both welcome lawful immigrants and non-immigrants and also prevent the unlawful entry or unlawful continuing presence of foreign persons.”

I will continue to vigorously support efforts to strengthen our borders, stop amnesty, and reform our legal immigration system.
 

Helpful Links
Immigration Legislation Cosponsored by Congressman McKeon
 

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