Immigration

Border security should be our top priority in preventing illegal immigration.  We must do more to seal our borders and prevent millions of illegal crossings each year.  This is critical for our national security and for getting illegal immigration under control.

While Congress has mandated construction of 700 miles of fencing on our southern border the construction has been too slow with less than half that built as of May 2009.  I support more fence construction as well as the use of remote monitoring equipment and the latest technologies to enforce security at our borders.

I oppose amnesty for illegal aliens.  Those who have broken our laws should not be rewarded with citizenship.  Border security is critical, but we must also improve enforcement of our immigration laws.

I support legislation that would:

• Fund and mandate better border security, including fence construction and use of remote monitoring equipment
• Improve enforcement of our immigration laws
• Make English our national language
• Prohibit eligibility for all taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens
• Deny birthright citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants in the U.S.

I support legal immigration and believe reforming our system for allowing people in the United States legally to work would also help control illegal immigration.  We must allow our employers and small businesses access to the skilled and unskilled labor needed to grow our economy.  Being allowed to work legally in the United States should not create any right or automatic path to U.S. citizenship.