Immigration
As the daughter of an immigrant, I take seriously my responsibility to work and help repair America’s broken immigration system. Complete immigration reform must make our nation more secure, welcome those who have worked hard and paid their dues, and protect the financial security of our citizens and businesses.
In 2010, I voted for the bipartisan DREAM Act to provide children who were brought to the United States as minors—through no fault of their own—the opportunity to pursue higher education or serve in our Armed Forces. This legislation was smartly targeted, and only allowed children to achieve legal status after a rigorous and lengthy process.
Recently, President Barack Obama announced a new process that allows these young people to request relief from deportation proceedings and apply for a renewable work authorization. This will make our nation’s immigration policy fairer and more efficient. It will allow the Department of Homeland Security to better target its resources, while providing some measure of security and opportunity to certain young people.
I also believe action must be taken to prevent individuals from evading our laws and entering our country illegally. Currently, it is estimated that more than 11 million immigrants are living illegally in the U.S., and this number will continue to rise unless we bolster security along our borders and ports of entry. For this reason, I have been outspoken in my support to eliminate a widely abused visa program, hold employers accountable for failing to verify the immigration status of their employees, deport dangerous gang members, and increase the criminal penalties for those who devise schemes aimed at infiltrating our borders.