Organizing for America | MsMaeven's Blog: Issues: Immigration

Issues: Immigration

By IA for Obama ☮ - Feb 16th, 2008 at 5:10 pm EST

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For Contrast with Barack (see http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ )

From: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/index.html#/context=index/issue=immigration

Hillary Clinton
Democrat
Senator from New York

Supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants that includes learning English and paying fines; toughen penalties for hiring illegal immigrants; voted for fence along Mexican border.
On the Border Fence and Border Security

"It is unconscionable to think that in a post-9/11 world we do not know precisely who is entering and exiting our country. Our homeland security requires that we know the identities of all people who cross our borders. In reforming our broken system, our efforts must be multifaceted and comprehensive."
-- Statement, March 8, 2006

"A comprehensive solution to our immigration crisis must include strengthening our borders."
-- Statement, May 1, 2007
On Illegal Aliens Already in the Country
SUPPORTS A PATH TO LEGALIZATION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT INCLUDES LEARNING ENGLISH AND PAYING FINES; TOUGHEN PENALTIES FOR EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Make it easier for immigrants to bring families. Supports agricultural jobs program; opposes guest worker program that can lower wages of American workers or exploit immigrants. Create new system to verify employment eligibility. Opposes driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

"I'm in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes tightening our border security, sanctioning employers to employ undocumented immigrants, helping our communities deal with the costs that come from illegal immigration, getting the 12 million or so immigrants out of the shadows. That's very important to me.

After 9/11, we've got to know who's in this country. And then giving them a chance to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English and stand in line to be eligible for a legal status in this country."
-- Democratic debate, April 26, 2007
Actions on the Issue

Co-sponsored the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2007, which would lift the current waitng period of five years for federal health care benefits for legal immigrants.
-- More information

Voted yes on the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006," which would have created a guest worker program and addressed border security issues.
-- More information

Voted yes on the "Secure Fence Act of 2006," which created 700 miles of new fence along the US/Mexico border.
-- More information

Mike Huckabee
Republican
Former governor of Arkansas

Give illegal immigrants 120 to register and leave, after which they could apply to return; toughen penalties for hiring illegal immigrants; finish border fence by 2010.
On the Border Fence and Border Security

Finish border fence by 2010; deploy 23,000 more patrol agents.

"I think this can't be brought to a rational discussion until we first bring security to the borders. I think that this has to be the very first step that the president takes, is secure the borders, physically or electronically so that you stop this porous situation where people come across at will. Until that happens, all of the discussion of what we need to be doing on this side with the existing immigrants becomes moot."
-- The Des Moines Register, April 13, 2007
On Illegal Aliens Already in the Country
GIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 120 DAYS TO REGISTER AND LEAVE, AFTER WHICH THEY COULD APPLY TO RETURN; TOUGHEN PENALTIES FOR EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Increase skilled worker visas. Create system to verify legal status.

"We shouldn't have amnesty where we just say, 'Fine, everybody's good, we're going to let it go.' We should have a process where people can pay the penalties, step up and accept responsibility for not being here legally.

But here's the point. The objective is not to be punitive. The objective is to make things right. Right for us. Right for them."
-- "This Week," February 7, 2007
Actions on the Issue

Sponsored a resolution, adopted by the Southern Governors Association, which, among other things, recommended implementing a farm labor system to import farm workers from Canada and Mexico.

Proposed a bill that would have allowed children of undocumented immigrants who graduated high school to qualify to receive a state scholarship to attend an Arkansas college. That bill didn't pass the state legislature.

As governor of Arkansas, opposed a proposal banning state-funded services to illegal immigrants.

John McCain
Republican
Senator from Arizona

Supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants that includes learning English and paying fines; voted for fence along Mexican border.
On the Border Fence and Border Security

Says border security is the "first and foremost priority."

"One thing we would all agree on, the status quo is not acceptable. We have to secure our borders. But we also need a temporary worker program, and we have to dispose of the issue of 12 million people who are in this country illegally. This issue is an important and compelling one, and it begins with national security. But we also need to address it comprehensively."
-- Republican debate, May 3, 2007
On Illegal Aliens Already in the Country
SUPPORTS A PATH TO LEGALIZATION THAT INCLUDES LEARNING ENGLISH AND PAYING FINES

"We need to have a guest worker program. ... Our proposal is basically you can get a tamper-proof visa after your job has been proven that it cannot be filled by an American citizen. ... What do you do with the 11 million people that are already here? ... Make them earn citizenship because they have broken our laws. My friends, thats not amnesty. Amnesty is forgiveness. We're not forgiving anything."
-- In New Hampshire, April 7, 2007
Actions on the Issue

Co-Sponsored the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2007, which would allow states to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition for higher education and let the homeland security secretary confer legal resident status on some illegal immigrant students.
-- More information

Co-Sponsored and voted yes on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which would have created a guest worker program and addressed border security issues.
-- More information

Voted yes on the "Secure Fence Act of 2006," which created 700 miles of new fence along the US/Mexico border.
-- More information

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