Blog: The Webster Wire: Tell Me What You Think About Immigration Reform
Statement
Dear Friend,
Our immigration system is in serious need of reform. With 11 million undocumented individuals currently living in the United States, it is clear that our current system is not working properly. Last month, the Senate passed a 1,000 plus page immigration bill that offered a pathway to citizenship and some token border security measures.
I believe the House owes it to the American people and those who want to come to America to do better. You deserve to hear what my guiding principles will be as we have this necessary conversation about how to sincerely and best address this very real problem facing our nation:
1. The first step to immigration reform must be to enforce our borders. Not only do our porous borders pose a grave national security threat, but without meaningful control of our borders, the United States will continue to invite undocumented immigration and perpetuate the status quo.
2. We are a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. No immigration proposal should unfairly penalize those who have waited through the legal process, followed the rules, and abided by the laws of our country in attempting to legally immigrate to the United States. Immigration reform should honor those who seek to come here legally, should further support them in their effort to assimilate into and to thrive in our society, and should speed up the process.
3. Any solution must be permanent and contribute to our economic recovery. Delays and confusing bureaucracy discourage legal immigration, thereby hindering potential contributions innovators and entrepreneurs could make to our economic recovery. Past promises to secure the border after amnesty was awarded allowed our immigration system to deteriorate further.
House committees will be holding hearings and proposing targeted, individual and detailed pieces of immigration legislation over the coming months. This will take time, but immigration reform is not a race; it's about getting it right. As the House works through this process, I want to hear from you.
Source