Immigration Reform quotes:

Send

I support concrete and progressive immigration reform based on three primary criteria: family reunification, economic contributions, and humanitarian concerns. -- Jeff Bingaman
Conservatism has always been about reforming government and solving problems, and that's why the conservative movement should lead on immigration reform. -- Marco Rubio
As the American public continues to focus more intensely on illegal immigration and securing the nation's borders, the number of members of the House Immigration Reform Caucus continues to grow. -- Virgil Goode
If immigration reform passes, it'll be a big victory for sanity - nobody really believes it's healthy for a country to have millions and millions of undocumented noncitizens living in the shadows. But it'll also be a sign that the Republican Party has gotten tired of letting the Tea Party push it around. -- Gail Collins
When a politician like Marco Rubio is willing to sacrifice his career defining immigration reform legislation solely to insure that gays and lesbians are denied equal protection under the law, we have to admit that we're under attack. This is not pragmatic politics at work. These are the policies of bias, exclusion and unfairness. -- Harvey Fierstein
This bill [Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work or that amnesty will work. We are headed into uncharted waters. -- Charles Schumer
Sen. Robert Menendez's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 would try to nullify every single state and local law that fights illegal immigration. Congressman Luis Gutierrez's CIR ASAP Act with over 100 Democratic co-sponsors does the same thing. -- Russell Pearce
I recently spoke with Barbara Jordan of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, and I increasingly believe we need a system to verify employment eligibility. The Commission's recommendation of a national registry may be the way to go. -- William J. Clinton
--
I absolutely advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. -- Susana Martinez
It's clear that we need comprehensive immigration reform. -- Bob Inglis
Comprehensive immigration reform would reduce the deficit and help grow the economy. -- Scott Peters
Immigration reform almost happened under President George W. Bush. Twice. And it was comprehensive. -- Mark McKinnon
America deserves common sense immigration reform that reflects our interests and our values as Americans. -- Hank Johnson
I am now more sure than ever that we're going to have a bipartisan bill ... making incredible progress. -- Mario Diaz-Balart
We have history as a guide, and history suggests that this brand of comprehensive reform ... is a recipe for failure. -- David Vitter
I do not want two classes of citizens in this country. I want everybody to prosper. That's going to be a top priority. -- Barack Obama
The majority of surveys throughout this Nation show that the American people are advocating for a comprehensive and realistic approach to immigration reform. -- Raul Grijalva
Economic conservatives like immigration reform, and in fact, many of them supported the bill that John McCain and I put together in the Senate. -- Chuck Schumer
Going forward, as we work to strengthen our border in the interests of homeland security, we must also recognize the economic importance of immigration reform. -- Dave Reichert
The future of the Republican Party, all the different folks looking to lead the Republican Party at the national level in the future, recognize we should do immigration reform. -- Grover Norquist
Partial legalization, as some are suggesting, is a dangerous path, and we need only look at France and Germany to see how unwise it is to create a permanent underclass. -- Zoe Lofgren
I believe immigration reform is a commitment of President Obama's government, especially since it gives him a chance to respond to the great demand expressed by U.S. Hispanic voters. -- Enrique Pena Nieto
It is vitally important that we implement immigration reform. We need a bill that strengthens our borders and protects this nation, but that also makes it simpler for good people to become Americans. -- Dave Reichert
Our immigration policy should be driven by what is in the best interest of this great country and the American people. Comprehensive immigration reform will strengthen U.S. security and boost economic growth. -- Charles B. Rangel
Lost in much of the national debate about immigration reform is how Democrats ultimately stand to gain electorally with any legislation or executive action that would put the newly legalized residents on a path to voting. -- Aaron Klein
When you take comprehensive, then we're dealing with certain issues like full citizenship ... And whatever else we disagree on, I think we would agree on that that's a more toxic and contentious issue, granting full amnesty. -- Herbert Spencer
I marched with you in the streets of Chicago to meet our immigration challenge. I fought with you in the Senate for comprehensive immigration reform. And I will make it a top priority in my first year as President. -- Barack Obama
All I can tell you is what I see at home- a lot of lessons learned from '86. That, 'OK, we'll go one-time amnesty and after that we'll really be good.' But nobody believes it this time, nobody believes it. -- Michael C. Burgess
I think conventional wisdom is that time is not on our side. But there are a number of members of Congress who have primaries and when those primaries are done, they may be more inclined to address the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. -- John McCain
Workers who come to the U.S. see their wages and their standard of living boosted sharply simply by crossing the border. That's a good thing, and one of the best arguments for immigration reform, even if you'll rarely hear a politician make it. -- James Surowiecki
I started getting more and more active around immigration reform because this was such a waste of lives, such a waste of potential, such a waste for our country not to have the human capital that we developed - geared toward improving our entire society. -- Laurene Powell Jobs
I started getting more and more active around immigration reform because this was such a waste of lives, such a waste of potential, such a waste for our country not to have the human capital that we developed -- geared toward improving our entire society, -- Laurene Powell Jobs
Obama wants to raise the issue of immigration reform so that he can demonize Republicans as anti-Hispanic. That's why Obama ignores the broad support for an immigration plan that would provide border security once and for all and then deal with the illegal immigrants who live here. -- Ben Shapiro
America is the only developed nation that has a 2,000-mile border with a developing nation, and the government's refusal to control that border is why there are an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona and why the nation, sensibly insisting on first things first, resists 'comprehensive' immigration reform. -- George Will
Already we're seeing graduates of U.S. higher education going back to their home countries and contributing to societies there, where in the past they would have stayed in the U.S. and built new companies here. We have to have immigration reform that allows talented foreigners to become Americans. -- David Malpass
We should be proud that so many want to come to America, that it is still seen as the land of opportunity. Let's make it a land of legal work, not black-market jobs. Let's make it a land of work, not welfare. Our land should be one of assimilation, not hiding in the shadows. -- Rand Paul
I've always believed that immigration reform is important, but it won't decide the White House in 2016. The most important issue for Hispanics - just like with all Americans - is the economy. If Republicans can do a better job of articulating positive, conservative policies to grow our economy, we will do better with Hispanics. -- Raul Labrador
Why don't we hear more about and from Asians when it comes to race in America? Are Asians the new Invisible Man - there but not there? In some ways, yeah. Blacks and whites are always carping about the metrics of racism. And any conversation about immigration reform is immediately flipped into a referendum on Hispanics. -- John Ridley
A good place to start is with the kids ... One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children and who know no other home. -- Eric Cantor
Immigration reform is important in our country. We have a lot of employers over on the beaches that rely upon workers and especially in this high-growth environment, where are you going to get people to work to clean our hotel rooms or do our landscaping? We don't need to put those employers in a position of hiring undocumented and illegal workers. -- Alex Sink
Number one, it is absolutely critical that we tone down the rhetoric when it comes to the immigration debate, because there has been an undertone that has been ugly. Oftentimes, it has been directed at the Hispanic community. We have seen hate crimes skyrocket in the wake of the immigration debate as it has been conducted in Washington, and that is unacceptable. -- Barack Obama
My mom told me to stay away from gangs. But if you're asking me about immigration reform, it must accomplish two objectives: Border security must be first, and it must be more than a promise. We have to import workers, not welfare. Anyone who wants to work should, and they should pay taxes, but I don't support amnesty. It's an issue of fairness. -- Matt Salmon
Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams - to study, invent, and contribute to our culture - they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone. So let's get immigration reform done this year. -- Barack Obama
I absolutely advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, -- Susana Martinez
There seems to be a lot of momentum behind immigration reform. -- Justin Amash
Conservatives have always wanted border security before we had immigration reform. -- Rand Paul
We have to do immigration reform while the pro-deportation crew is still reeling. -- Hillary Clinton
Waiting for a long-term solution to immigration reform will not make Americans safer. -- Bruce Braley
I've always been for immigration reform; in 2007 I just didn't feel it had enough protections. -- Tom Harkin
I will fight every single day to pass comprehensive immigration-reform legislation with a path to citizenship. -- Hillary Clinton
When politicians talk about immigration reform, they usually mean the following, amnesty, open borders, lower wages. -- Donald Trump
Beyond budget fights, the Obama second-term agenda was supposed to be about passing comprehensive immigration reform. -- Juan Williams
Instead of working to undo POTUS exec action, we need to workcollaboratively to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. -- Mazie Hirono
I hope that Republicans in the House and Mr. Cantor will embrace that as part of immigration reform. -- Dick Durbin
I'm for immigration reform. I think the system's horribly broken, and we need to do something about it. -- Rand Paul
I want immigration reform to pass, I want people to be able to come out of the shadows. -- Marco Rubio
We must have sweeping, generous immigration reform, make existing law- abiding Hispanics welcome. Most are hard working family people. -- Rupert Murdoch
Hillary Clinton and I believe in comprehensive immigration reform. Donald Trump believes in deportation nation. You've got to pick your choice. -- Tim Kaine
There is this kind of sense in the immigrant community, first we were going to do immigration reform, but then 9/11 happened. -- Luis Gutierrez
Senator Marco 'amnesty' Rubio, while proponents of immigration reform say the Florida Republican was quick to retreat when the going got tough. -- Donald Trump
Immigration reform should mean something else entirely. It should mean improvements to our laws and policies to make life better for American citizens. -- Donald Trump
The good news is that we really do think that ... on the immigration issue, that we will, before summer, have comprehensive immigration reform. -- Nancy Pelosi
Part of comprehensive immigration reform is not just the path to citizenship for undocumented workers, but also the ability for families to be together. -- Pramila Jayapal
I think comprehensive immigration reform while securing your border and dealing rationale with 11 million is the only way we're going to solve this problem. -- Lindsey Graham
It is my firm belief that it will be in the interests of the United States, especially our economic interests, to pursue comprehensive immigration reform. -- Barack Obama
This election [2016], and I believe this, is our last chance to secure the border, stop illegal immigration and reform our laws to make your life better. -- Donald Trump
I happen to believe in immigration reform but I don't believe that that means that every person who has come into America should be able to stay. -- Andrew Breitbart
I am glad to see the wheels are moving at last toward comprehensive immigration reform after last year's election. I am glad that immigrants are speaking up. -- Andrew Lam
We will reform legal immigration to serve the best interests of America and its workers, the forgotten people. Workers. We're going to take care of our workers. -- Donald Trump
We need to decouple the movement for comprehensive immigration reform and justice for immigrants from the legislative process and from the Democratic Party process. They are too linked. -- Luis Gutierrez
I don't think it was progressive to vote to give gun makers and sellers immunity. I don't think it was progressive to vote against Ted Kennedy's immigration reform. -- Hillary Clinton
Our immigration system is a broken system that needs to be fixed. We need reform that provides hardworking people of good character with a real path towards citizenship. -- Joe Baca
I wish that the Democrats would put some effort into Social Security reform, illegal immigration's reform, tax reform, or some of the other real issues that are out there. -- Jack Kingston
The future of the Republican Party, all the different folks looking to lead the Republican Party at the national level in the future, recognize we should do immigration reform, -- Grover Norquist
I have been for border security for years. I voted for border security in the United States Senate. And my comprehensive immigration reform plan of course includes border security. -- Hillary Clinton
Marco Rubio, I think, will be president some day. Whether 2016 is his time, time will tell. He embraced immigration reform. He seems to have backed off. I'll let him explain why. -- Lindsey Graham
Our immigration policy should be driven by what is in the best interest of this great country and the American people. Comprehensive immigration reform will strengthen U.S. security and boost economic growth. -- Charles B. Rangel
There are a lot of people who are eager to assign blame. I think we're [USA] eager to try and find some solutions. One thing that would help would be comprehensive immigration reform legislation. -- Josh Earnest
The Congress talks and talks and talks and talks, but doesn't act. I'm going to continue to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. -- Luis Gutierrez
Immigration reform doesn't impact me personally; nothing my foundation works on does. But the truth is I have a long history of ties to Latin America. Some of my best friends are in Latin America. -- Howard Graham Buffett
Even if we didn't have a single person in the USA in violation of immigration laws, we'd still have to do immigration reform, because our legal immigration system is broken. It's not good for anybody. -- Marco Rubio

Send