Issue Position: Immigration

Issue Position

One of America's greatest strengths is that we are a nation of immigrants. The immigrants that built this country did so by working hard to contribute to the economy and by becoming productive members of American society. It is important that we work to secure the border and end illegal immigration while benefiting from controlled and reasonable legal immigration.

The immigration debate has become highly polarized and politicized. I believe that an effective immigration plan must be straightforward, concise, thorough, and in the best interests of American citizens. I strongly oppose illegal immigration and blanket amnesty or any other reward to those who have intentionally broken our nation's immigration laws. Our laws should not encourage continued lawbreaking and greater illegal immigration. Additionally, those who have worked to come here legally from other countries should not be put at a disadvantage in comparison to those who have come to the United States illegally.

It is important that any immigration reform proposal must first and foremost secure our borders, strengthen interior enforcement, and prosecute and deport criminal aliens in the United States before taking any other steps forward. While I encourage reasonable immigration reform, I do not support S. 744 as the right path forward toward that goal. I look forward to the House continuing to work its will by taking a thorough and productive step-by-step approach to immigration reform.

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