Immigration and Border Security

The federal government’s failure to enforce the Rule of Law and secure the border are some of the most pressing national security risks facing our country.  No one knows this better than the people of Arizona, who have to deal with these problems on a daily basis.  The Obama Administration’s unwillingness to uphold the laws of this land has led to large scale illegal immigration, and has inflicted social costs, economic losses, unemployment and crime on U.S. citizens.  There is an immigration crisis in the United States, and that crisis is a failure to secure our border and enforce our laws. 

It is true that the United States is a nation of immigrants.  But more importantly, the United States is a nation of laws.  The Rule of Law, in addition to the God-given rights protected by our Constitution, is perhaps the main attraction for those who wish to immigrate to our great country.  Having said that, I want to be absolutely clear: I oppose the President Obama's efforts to grant any sort of amnesty by executive fiat, and I oppose any efforts in Congress to grant amnesty to those who have broken our laws.  To do so would be a slap in the face to the millions of people who have respected our immigration process and have waited their turn to come to this country.  The executive branch must enforce the laws on the books with equal application and without executive orders that undermine those very laws.  But it must also verifiably secure the border with personnel, technology, and weaponry, if necessary. 

The status quo is unsustainable, immoral, and very dangerous for the general public.  In the last two years, the federal government has released nearly 70,000 convicted criminal alien offenders into our communities. The recent murders of innocent American citizens, Kate Steinle of San Francisco and Grant Ronnebeck of Arizona, by illegal immigrants are a direct result of the Obama Administration’s failure to uphold our immigration laws and secure the border. President Obama and Secretary Johnson have blood on their hands. How many innocent lives have to be lost before this administration understands the dangers associated with their failed policies?  The actions and flawed policies of this administration have violated the first and foremost role of the federal government, to defend our homeland and protect our citizens.

President Obama consistently stated during his first six years in office that he did not have the authority to take executive action on immigration.  President Obama’s egregious and unconstitutional executive amnesty orders threaten to create a dangerous precedent for ideological lawlessness which cannot be reversed.  One of the hallmarks of our Constitutional Republic is the separation of powers among the branches of our government.  Our Founding Fathers shed their blood to fight against an oppressive monarchy and set up a government with the necessary system of checks and balances to prevent the type of rule by fiat—a trait that has become all too common with this administration.  When the president takes action by executive fiat in defiance of Congress, it is an affront to every bedrock principle of this country and opens the door to further expand our monolithic federal regime.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of our Constitution gives Congress clear jurisdiction on immigration matters.  I have consistently supported and introduced legislation to enforce the laws on our books and crack down on illegal immigration.  For my leadership and action on these issues, I have a career grade of “A+” with the immigration enforcement advocacy group NumbersUSA and a career 100% rating with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). I will continue my efforts to secure the border, to fight the Obama's unconstitutional executive amnesty orders, and to demand a return to the Rule of Law.