Immigration

When I think of the many things that have helped make our nation great, immigration is near the top of my list. Since the founding of our country, we have allowed immigrants from around the world to come here to build a new life, work hard, and achieve the American Dream. I am proud to be a citizen of a country that not only welcomes legal immigrants who want to come here, but also gives them the opportunity to become fellow citizens.

But just as we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a nation of laws. Our ability to secure our borders is an issue of national security that we cannot afford to ignore. The best way to address the issue of illegal immigration is to have a secure border and a wide gate.

A Secure Border
We must ensure that those who wish to enter our country illegally are simply not able to do so. I favor increasing the number of border patrol agents and equipping them with the best possible tools and technology to do their job, including installing additional border fences wherever necessary. I also support the federal government taking steps to eliminate sanctuary cities that provide safe havens for illegal immigrants and make it difficult for the federal government to enforce our immigration laws.

A Wide Gate
The addition of new entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers through legal immigration has long helped fuel economic progress in America for everyone. I support the creation of a special visa program to allow immigrants to come to America to start new businesses in our economically-friendly environment. Some of America's biggest companies - Google, Yahoo, Intel, Pfizer, DuPont, Proctor & Gamble - were all started by immigrants. We should welcome anyone who wants to come here with a great idea and turn it into a great American business.

Additionally, some employers in certain parts of the country have a difficult time finding sufficient workers to keep their businesses growing, and our current system makes is extremely difficult for them to hire immigrants for those new jobs. This stunts our economic growth. I support a temporary worker program that allows legal immigrants to fill jobs that would otherwise remain empty.