issues

I understand how emotional and important the issue of border security and undocumented immigration is to Americans across our nation. I believe our first priority is to secure our borders and prevent immigrants from entering this country without documentation. Securing our borders means requiring the increased deployment and use of security technology, be it sensor and camera surveillance, fencing or increased numbers of border patrol agents. I support collaborating with border state governments to deploy the National Guard and other military personnel to exercise appropriate force in order to secure our borders. While I support efforts to deport immigrants who have committed deliberate criminal acts, I also favor increasing penalties for employers who knowingly and willingly recruit and hire undocumented workers. However, we must have clearly defined rules that are easy to follow. I do support extending the temporary work visa program as certain industries, such as the agriculture, landscaping, restaurant and construction industries, depend on immigrant labor and therefore must retain access to this workforce. Moreover we must also create a policy to address the millions of people who are already here illegally, as simply deporting over twelve million people is not a practical solution.