The immigration reform opportunity

There are also far-left activist groups that see citizenship for illegal immigrants as a “civil right” and will push to water down border security and enforcement measures that are critical to reform’s long-term success. These groups view immigration reform as something that should quickly legalize as many people as possible. That idea—which is manifest throughout the current administration—has done more to poison the well of immigration reform than anything that restrictionist groups could ever manage on their own.

Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of Americans understand that the status quo on immigration is unacceptable. They support modernizing the legal immigration system and accommodating those who are now in the U.S. illegally, but only if we secure the border and make sure that another wave of illegal immigration doesn’t happen.

That is why I remain committed to getting this done. I ran for office because I want to solve problems, and America has a very serious immigration problem. I took on this difficult issue, despite the political risk it entails, because fixing immigration is essential for the nation’s security, is good for job creation and has always helped separate America from the rest of the world. What we have now is a disaster. It threatens our security, sovereignty and economy.