Firmly Against Amnesty

Lately, there has been a strong push to reform our nation's immigration system. Many of the proposals amount to nothing more than amnesty. Rather than award those who broke the law, I believe we need to start enforcing the laws already in the books.

There are approximately 12 million – with some estimates reaching as high as 30 million – illegal immigrants in our country. Our first line of defense is controlling our porous borders. Protecting our borders is important for combating illegal immigration, as well as defending against organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, and other forms of criminal activity. It has always been my position to secure our borders by constructing a physical fence and increasing the number of border patrol agents while aggressively pursuing those who continue to defy our laws.

Once an illegal immigrant enters our country, it can be difficult to prevent them from obtaining employment, access to healthcare and education, and other services that should only be provided to citizens and legal immigrants. All of this comes at a great expense to taxpayers and those looking for employment legally.

Now more than ever, our financial resources are limited. I support efforts to seriously reign in federal spending and get our debt and deficit under control. However, combating illegal immigration by securing our borders, locating individuals that are here illegally, and removing them from our country must remain a priority. Equally as important, Congress should not, under any circumstance, grant amnesty to those who are here illegally or provide them with any clear path to citizenship.

Rather than support proposals that compromise the Rule of Law our nation was built on, I will continue to be a strong voice protecting and defending the Constitution.