Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement on the Securing America's Future Act (H.R. 4760).

“It comes down to the Rule of the Law. While there were some strong components for the Securing America’s Future Act, I ultimately can’t support any type of legislation that provides amnesty. Providing any lawful or legal status to DACA recipients that allows them to stay in the country and work is the definition of amnesty as they are being granted an official pardon from breaking the law. Doing so is 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. Equal application of the law, in addition to the God-given rights protected by our Constitution, are perhaps the main attractions for those who wish to immigrate to our great country and two of the main reasons we are the greatest nation in the world. DACA’s promulgation by the Obama Administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Constitution. In fact, even President Obama consistently stated during his first six years in office that he did not have the legal authority to take executive action on immigration for DACA recipients. By acting outside of its constitutional power, the Obama Administration attempted to circumvent Congress’ Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 and purported to make law without the Constitutional authority for doing so. Granting any type of legal status to DACA recipients or Dreamers is amnesty, makes them a privileged class and puts them on the path to citizenship. 

“Further, enacting amnesty in 1986 did not result in increased border security or any of the other enforcement promises made when legislation was enacted that gave amnesty to 2.7  million people. This bill promised to ‘wipe the slate clean’ but instead has led to the current situation of 11-20 million illegal aliens residing in the U.S. The 1986 amnesty bill also led to terrorism as Mahmud Abouhalima, one of the masterminds behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was legalized as part of the 1986 amnesty bill. If we provide amnesty for DACA recipients now,  it won’t be long before people are asking for us to provide amnesty to their parents, to the other 2.6 million ‘DREAMERS’, to the other 11 to 20 million people living in the country illegally and then to the hundreds of thousands of others flooding our border. I oppose amnesty in all forms and will continue to fight and vote against any legislation that includes amnesty. Period.”