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Mike Pence on ImmigrationRepublian nominee for Vice President; Governor of Indiana; former Representative (IN-6) |
"The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that twelve million illegal aliens are currently living in America. Just a few months ago, that estimate was eleven million. In a few more months or years, that estimate will grow to thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, twenty or more million illegal aliens, unless we do something to turn the tide. And, we must do something because this is a problem of epic proportions. It is a problem that threatens the very fabric of America." [Congressional Press Releases, 5/23/06]
Crowd: Build that wall!
Pence: We are building it. we are building it.
Pence: We want to end the days where people believe they can come into the country, make a claim of asylum from oppression or deprivation or violence in Central America or elsewhere, and then be released into the country on their own recognizance, only to vanish into the nation with 90% of the people never show up for their hearing in the months ahead. We have got to close the loopholes.
Q: I don't think that that number is accurate about 90 percent not showing up. I think a majority do show up.
Pence: People with a hearing that is scheduled six months, a year, 18 months later, the overwhelming majority, plus-90 percent, don't show up.
PENCE: It's totally unacceptable. Customs and Border Patrol agents are being overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of people coming across our border to take advantage of loopholes in our laws. We've asked for more bed space; we've asked for more support. We're doing a lot with what the Congress has given us. Congress refused to increase the bed space in the last appropriations bill. They continue to delay efforts on additional humanitarian support.
PENCE: It is not time to start over at all. During the course of the campaign and since the outset of this administration, President Trump has made it clear he is going to use his authority as president under the law to put the safety and security of the American people first, especially when it comes to protecting this country from the threat that radical Islamic terrorism poses. The executive order is on a solid constitutional and statutory foundation. One court in Boston confirmed that. Another court in Washington came to a different decision. But we are very confident that, as we move through the process of these appeals, that the president's authority in this area will be upheld. In this case, the president used a list the Obama administration and the Congress identified of seven countries compromised by terrorism. It is within his authority to do it.
PENCE: President Trump has made it clear that he is going to put the safety and security of the American people first. And the executive order that he signed suspending travel from countries that have been compromised by terror is consistent with that objective, and also it's consistent with his powers as president.
Q: But a federal court of appeals--
PENCE: We believe the judge made the wrong decision. We're going to continue to use all legal means at our disposal to stay that order and move forward to take the steps necessary to protect our country. We don't appoint judges to our district courts to conduct foreign policy or to make decisions about the national security. That authority belongs to the president of the United States.
PENCE: Pres. Trump has made it clear he's going to put the safety and security of the American people first. And using a list of countries that the Obama administration and the Congress have certified were compromised by terrorist influence, seven different countries, is consistent with the President's commitment to do just that.
Q: But on this travel ban, no Egypt, no Saudi Arabia. No Pakistan, no Afghanistan. Why weren't those countries included? Because you wanted that Obama talking point.
PENCE: Well, no. It was done because both the Congress and the prior administration identified seven countries, one in Syria, torn asunder by civil war, and the other six--these are countries that do not have the internal systems in place so that we can be confident today that, when people present themselves for access to the United States, that they are who they say they are.
PENCE: The administration is complying with that order, and we'll go through the process in the courts to implement this action that is entirely focused on the safety and security of the American people. The Obama administration identified these seven countries repeatedly as compromised by terrorism. And so by putting a pause in for all these countries, we can assure that anyone that's coming here doesn't represent a threat to our families and our communities.
Q: There's been a chorus of criticism of this ban. Could it have been done better?
PENCE: I think the early days of this administration are going to be described in the history books as days of action. The American people welcome the decisiveness that President Trump has shown on this issue, putting the safety and secretary of the American people above the niceties of communicating with people in Washington.
Mike Pence's answer: No
Tim Kaine's answer: Yes
Evan McMullin's answer: No
Q: Should illegal immigrants be offered in-state tuition rates at public colleges within their residing state?
Mike Pence's answer: No
Tim Kaine's answer: Yes
Evan McMullin's answer: No
PENCE: That's nonsense. We have a deportation force. It's called Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. And the union for ICE endorsed Donald Trump to be the next president.
KAINE: So you like the 16 million deportations?
PENCE: That's nonsense. [Your plan is] for open borders & amnesty.
KAINE: Our plan is like Ronald Reagan's plan from 1986.
PENCE: They call it comprehensive immigration reform on Capitol Hill--but it's amnesty. Ronald Reagan said a nation without borders is not a nation. Donald Trump is committed to restoring the borders of this nation.
Q: So how would these millions of undocumented immigrants leave? Would they be forcibly removed?
PENCE: Donald Trump laid out a series of priorities that begins with border security. And after we secure the border, build a wall, we do internal enforcement. The focus has to be on criminal aliens.
A: Trump has laid out a plan to end illegal immigration once and for all in this country. We've been talking it to death for 20 years. Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine want to continue the policies of open borders, amnesty, catch and release, sanctuary cities--all the things that are are driving wages down in this country, and also too often with criminal aliens in the country, it's bringing heartbreak. But Trump has a plan that he laid out in Arizona, that will deal systemically with illegal immigration, beginning with border security, internal enforcement. Trump has laid out a priority to remove criminal aliens, remove people that have overstayed their visas. Once we have accomplished all of that, which will strengthen our economy, strengthen the rule of law in the country and make our communities safer once the criminal aliens are out, then we'll deal with those that remain.
Pence's record as Governor: Pence has had to deal with the effects and the costs of our nation's failed immigration policies. He publicly blamed Obama administration policies for the surge of unaccompanied alien minors entering the US. In addition, he challenged Pres. Obama's illegal use of executive power to grant de facto amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, joining with Texas & 24 other states in a lawsuit that blocked two sweeping Obama executive amnesty programs
PENCE: Well, look, the executive action the president took late last year was clearly an unconstitutional end run around the law making authority of the Congress of the United States. The president has the authority under the Constitution to determine how he will implement the law. He does not have the authority to determine whether he will implement the law. And now a federal district judge has ruled to put an injunction in place.
Q: Bottom line?
PENCE: My bottom line is that we need to protect the homeland. We also need to protect the Constitution. And I think that the Congress using the power of the purse is altogether appropriate [killing Obama's executive action by defunding it] The House has acted, and will put a bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security on the president's desk.
Proponents support voting YES because:
It is obvious there is no more defining issue in our Nation today than stopping illegal immigration. The most basic obligation of any government is to secure the Nation's borders. One issue in which there appears to be a consensus between the Senate and the House is on the issue of building a secure fence. So rather than wait until comprehensive legislation is enacted, we should move forward on targeted legislation which is effective and meaningful. The legislation today provides over 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing, and for the rest of the border provides a virtual fence, via integrated surveillance technology.
Opponents support voting NO because:
Just to build the fence is going to cost us at least $7 billion. Where is the money coming from to pay for it? How much is it going to cost to maintain this 700-mile fence? Who is going to do it? This bill contains no funding.
This bill also ignores real enforcement measures, like hiring more Border Patrol personnel, and instead builds a Berlin Wall on our southern border. So long as employers need workers in this country, and while our immigration systems impede rather than facilitate timely access of willing workers to those opportunities, undocumented immigration will never be controlled.
Walls, barriers, and military patrols will only force those immigrants to utilize ever more dangerous routes and increase the number of people who die in search of an opportunity to feed and clothe their families.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, non-profit, public interest membership organization of concerned citizens united by their belief in the need for immigration reform. Founded in 1979, FAIR believes that the U.S. can and must have an immigration policy that is non-discriminatory and designed to serve the environmental, economic, and social needs of our country.
FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest—more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year.
With more than 70,000 members nationwide, FAIR is a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative.
The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 USBC scores as follows:
U.S. Border Control, founded in 1988, is a non-profit, tax-exempt, citizen's lobby. USBC is dedicated to ending illegal immigration by securing our nation's borders and reforming our immigration policies. USBC [works with] Congressmen to stop amnesty; seal our borders against terrorism and illegal immigration; and, preserve our nation's language, culture and American way of life for future generations.
Our organization accepts no financial support from any branch of government. All our support comes from concerned citizens who appreciate the work we are doing to seal our borders against drugs, disease, illegal migration and terrorism and wish to preserve our nation's language, culture and heritage for the next generations.
The amendment made by subsection (a)(3) shall not be construed to affect the citizenship or nationality status of any person born before the date of the enactment of this Act.
[OnTheIssues note: This bill would change the existing interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which currently defines as a US citizen any person born within US territory. This bill intends to remove the right of illegal aliens to gain US citizenship by bearing children while in the country illegally; the issue is known by bill supporters as "anchor babies"]
This bill declares English as the official language of the United States, establishes a uniform English language rule for naturalization.