As the son of an immigrant, I appreciate how essential immigration—legal immigration—has been to making this country what it is today.  Sadly, illegal immigration has become a serious problem, and it affects the entire country.  It is unfair to those near the border who are endangered by nearby violence and drug smuggling and to those who wait on line to enter this country legally.  It also feeds a pernicious underworld of human trafficking that violates this country’s most basic values. 

Previous attempts to legislate on the subject of immigration failed to recognize that border security must be the first step toward reforming our policy in this area.  Worksite enforcement also needs to be strengthened to ensure that American citizens and legal residents are the ones obtaining jobs, especially during this period of high unemployment.  The Obama administration advocates for the legalization of the estimated 11 million illegal aliens currently residing in our country.  I oppose this mass amnesty, which I think will only exacerbate the problem and encourage further disrespect of the law.  I also believe that as the demand to bring extended family members from other countries diminishes, our system should encourage the naturalization of more highly skilled labor, including those who are educated in the U.S. and others who make a contribution to our country by serving in our military.

We can improve border security by ramping up resources and personnel in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency and completing the fence mandated by Congress in 2006.  Once the border is secure, we can efficiently strengthen and reform our immigration system.