immigration

1. Immigration reform
Immigration policy affects all aspects of society. Immigrants contribute $10 billion a year
to this country's economic growth. There are many ways immigrants could safely and legally be
living in the United States with the same equal rights as citizen who is born in the United States.
Our nation's immigration policies must be consistent with humanitarian values and with the need
to treat all individuals with respect and dignity. Any proposal that would criminalize
undocumented immigrants, encourage state or local police to enforce immigration laws, or
penalize individuals for providing humanitarian assistance to their fellow human beings must be
strongly opposed. Criminalizing undocumented immigrants or the people around them with new
punitive measures will not deter illegal immigration; it will only drive it further underground.
Enforcement policies should focus on the critical task of establishing a safe, orderly system of
entry into the United States that meets the needs of families and businesses alike, with a priority
on identifying and preventing the entry of terrorists and dangerous criminals. Hard-working
immigrants who are contributing to this country should be encouraged to come out of the
shadows and regularize their status. Today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody
knows it. Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout
the rules. Business owners who offer their wages good wages benefits see the competition
exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who
reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in
America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities
see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.