As a Congressman representing the Third Congressional District I will take the issue of illegal immigration very seriously. This is an issue that affects our national security and economy like very few others. Our country is a nation of immigrants but also a nation of laws. It is imperative that we adopt an immigration policy that helps America thrive as we move forward.
English must be the official language of the United States.
Declaring English the official language of the United States is an important step in our immigration policy. English is the language of commerce in this country and is a uniting bond for everyone who lives here. Mandating those who live here to learn and speak English will empower those immigrants who come to this country legally and allow them to adapt economically and socially to the United States.
We must secure our borders.
Congress has passed a bill to build a 700 mile fence along the US – Mexican border. The fence must be built and we must use all technologies available in order to secure our borders. Increasing the level of immigration officers on the border and the military if necessary in order to stop the free flow of illegal immigrants in to this country is imperative. This is an issue of national security. If our border is porous enough for kilos of drugs to be transported from Mexico to the United States; than it is certainly porous enough for a dirty bomb to be transported by those who want to harm Americans into the United States.
Our country must not adopt a policy of amnesty.
Allowing those who broke our laws in entering this nation to stay without any ramifications is immoral and rejects the rule of law in the United States. Amnesty rewards those who broke our laws and encourages more people to enter this country illegally. There are certainly law abiding immigrants who entered this country illegally and continue to contribute to our nation and we can work to solve this problem humanely with respect to our nation’s laws and sovereignty.