Our country’s porous borders have allowed millions of immigrants to come to the United States illegally. It is a serious crisis in need of a serious solution. 

President Obama’s immigration agenda is not the answer. It does not constitute “reform.” His gross overreach on this issue is an abuse of executive power, which is why the Supreme Court blocked his attempt to grant amnesty to thousands of illegal immigrants through executive order. The President does not have the authority to write or re-write laws and his executive actions have only further poisoned the well on any legitimate bipartisan attempt to solve this problem. I will continue to fight President Obama’s efforts to subvert Congress to grant executive amnesty and reward those who have broken our laws. 

The path to true immigration reform is to work with Congress, not around us. It starts with securing our borders. We must stop allowing individuals to enter the country illegally without recourse. We must hold those who break the law accountable. 

Here is how to truly fix our broken immigration system: 

1)    Secure the Border: Protecting our southern border must be our first priority. I have consistently opposed legislation that does not provide a plan that will effectively and permanently seal and secure our southern border. The fact that our border can be penetrated so easily leaves us vulnerable to national security threats and results in an influx of criminal activity—especially as it relates to narcotics and human trafficking—that threatens irreparable harm to both the communities on the frontlines in our border states as well as the country as a whole.

2)    Eliminate Sanctuary Cities: The death of Kathryn (Kate) Steinle—who was killed by an illegal immigrant who had previously been convicted for seven felonies and had been previously deported five times—has shined a light on the 300-plus sanctuary cities across the country that offer a safe-haven for illegal immigrants. The extreme policies of these communities ignore federal immigration law and protect illegal immigrants from deportation. Sanctuary policies threaten the safety of our citizens and undermine the enforcement of our immigration laws. Allowing communities to purposefully protect violent and dangerous criminals who are in the country illegally is wrong. That is why I am working to end this dangerous trend. Learn More… 

3)    Properly & Thoroughly Vet Refugees: The United States has a long history of providing sanctuary to refugees fleeing from persecution and war-torn countries like Syria. However, Arkansans are rightfully concerned that the Obama administration does not have an effective plan to protect Americans from radical Islamic extremism here at home, especially in light of the Islamic State’s attempts to infiltrate the refugee populations that are seeking haven in Europe and the United States. The confidence in security officials’ ability to root out terrorists trying to exploit our good graces to carry out attacks simply does not exist. It is a very legitimate concern—both in the intelligence community and in our communities at home—that the Obama administration is flat-out ignoring. This is why we need a temporary moratorium on resettlement of Syrian refugees until an evaluation of the security vetting procedures for refugees has been completed and the President can certify the integrity of the process. Learn More…

4)    Hold Employers Accountable: E-Verify, an Internet-based system that assists employers in determining the eligibility of employees, helps ensure that businesses, big and small, are hiring legal workers. This is a commonsense, cost-effective tool that allows us to hold employers accountable, helps them abide by the law and disincentives illegal immigration. E-verify has a proven track record of success. That is why I am working to permanently authorize the program and require employers to use the system to determine worker eligibility. Learn More…