State of South Carolina secondary Archives: on Immigration

Duncan Hunter: This administration has “the slows” on border enforcement

Henry McMaster: No sanctuary cities; plus annual compliance checks

"Our cities are open to all who follow our laws, but are not sanctuaries for those who ignore them," said Gov. Henry McMaster. "South Carolina is a special place, known for the kindness and welcoming nature of its people, but it's also a place that values law and order, and this bill will serve as a strong message to all that we will not tolerate lawlessness."

The legislation would require political subdivisions [cities, towns and counties] to verify compliance with state immigration laws to the SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) each fiscal year. If a political subdivision is found not to be in compliance, that subdivision will be ineligible for Local Government Fund appropriations for a minimum of three years.

Henry McMaster: Say "no" "sanctuary cities"; don't tolerate lawlessness

Experience shows that a refusal to enforce one law generally reflects a softness in enforcing other criminal laws, and attracts criminal behavior. Our rule is "trust, but verify." I support bills which would create an enforcement mechanism to register compliance.

We will keep our people safe, and send a message across the nation that there will be no "sanctuary cities" in South Carolina.

Hillary Clinton: Comprehensive reform to get 12 million out of shadows

A: I'm in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes tightening our border security, sanctioning employers to employ undocumented immigrants, getting the 12 million or so immigrants out of the shadows. That's very important to me. After 9/11, we've got to know who's in this country. And then giving them a chance to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English & stand in line to be eligible for a legal status in this country.

Jaime Harrison: Congress should enact DACA into law with DREAM Act

Jaime Harrison: Yes. "Congress should cement this program into law by supporting the DREAM Act, which has overwhelming bipartisan support."

Lindsey Graham: Unclear. Wants to cancel DACA, then find legislative solution. "I have always believed DACA was a presidential overreach."

James Emerson Smith: Voted NAY on police checking immigration status

• It is a felony for a person who has remained in the US in violation of law to conceal themselves from detection or to conspire to conceal that person from state or federal authorities.
• A law enforcement officer, when stopping a person for some other criminal offense, must determine the immigration status of that person if the officer suspects that the person is illegally in the US.
• If a prisoner who is an alien unlawfully present in the US completes the prisoner's sentence of incarceration, the keeper of the jail shall notify the US Department of Homeland Security [or ICE agency] and shall securely transport the prisoner to a federal facility [for deportation].
• Implement a fee on wire transfers to foreign countries: a 1% fee with a minimum of $5.

Status:Bill passed Senate, 22-14-0; passed House 65-39-20; signed by Governor, June 27, 2011. (Rep. James Emerson Smith voted NAY).

Jeb Bush: Show compassion to illegals with a path to legal status

John Kasich: Nuts to deport 11M people; legalize with fine & back taxes

KASICH: I'm for sealing the border, I'm for a guest worker program. People can come in, work, and go back home. We haven't closed the border because special interests, I believe, blocked it. We have 11 and a half million people here. If they have not committed a crime since they've been here, make them pay a fine & back taxes, and give them a path to legalization, never to citizenship. It is not going to happen that we're going to run around and try to drag 11 and a half million people out of their homes.

Ted CRUZ: I want people to be able to come out of the shadows. [But] I have promised to rescind every single illegal executive action [by Obama on immigration].

Jeb BUSH: Coming here legally should be a lot easier than coming here illegally.

John McCain: America expects us to work on immigration together

TANCREDO: I do. He sponsored a bill that would have given amnesty to everybody who's here illegally. It would have required us to actually consult with Mexico as to whether or not we would build the fence along our southern border. If we pursue this path toward amnesty, it's a disaster for the country.

McCAIN: I have never supported amnesty and never would. But the American people expect us to sit down and work this issue out together. That's what I've been doing for a couple of years now. We are very close to an agreement, led by our president and his Cabinet, that will first secure our borders. Then we would have a temporary worker program that could only be valid through a tamper-proof biometric document. And then we would address the issue of the 12 million people who are already here.

ROMNEY: The key part of what I objected to in McCain-Kennedy is that they should not get any advantage by having come here illegally.

Kevin Bryant: Local law enforcement should enforce federal immigration law

Bryant indicated support of the following principles regarding immigration.
• Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
• Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
• Should South Carolina participate in the federal REAL ID program?
  A: No.

Kevin Bryant: Says no refuge resettlement until federal security is better

Lee Bright: Secure the border first; but no amnesty

Lee Bright: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Bright: Strongly Agree

Lee Bright: Charge 1% foreign wire fee;& police check immigration status

• It is a felony for a person who has remained in the US in violation of law to conceal themselves from detection or to conspire to conceal that person from state or federal authorities.
• A law enforcement officer, when stopping a person for some other criminal offense, must determine the immigration status of that person if the officer suspects that the person is illegally in the US.
• If a prisoner who is an alien unlawfully present in the US completes the prisoner's sentence of incarceration, the keeper of the jail shall notify the US Department of Homeland Security [or ICE agency] and shall securely transport the prisoner to a federal facility [for deportation].
• Implement a fee on wire transfers to foreign countries: a 1% fee with a minimum of $5.

Status:Bill passed Senate, 22-14-0; passed House 65-39-20; signed by Governor, June 27, 2011. (Sen. Lee Bright sponsored the bill and voted YEA).

Lindsey Graham: Secure border now in place with comprehensive immigration

GRAHAM: We practically militarized the border. I have been hearing for years, "let's secure our border, let's regain our sovereignty." We have secured our border in a way I could not have imagined five years ago. This whole border security amendment, I think, is the most aggressive attempt to control the southern border and regain our sovereignty. This bill reduces our deficit by $890 billion. It is good for our economy. This bill is good for our national security. No one can get a green card until border security measures are up and running, until E-Verify is up and running controlling a job in America.

Lindsey Graham: New amnesty is tough and ends incoming illegals

GRAHAM: As to the 11 million [illegal immigrants here now], they will have an earned, hard pathway to citizenship. They have to get in the back of the line before they can become citizens. They can't cut in line. They have to pass two English proficiency exams. I reject the idea of becoming the Mideast or Europe where you have 11 million people with a legal status who can't be part of America. America is different than the Mideast and Europe. E pluribus unum, out of many, one. This is tough practical solution for our national security, for our economy and tough, practical solution to 11 million. And most importantly, if we do the bill, amnesty is the status quo. If we do this bill, there will be no third wave of illegal immigration.

Marco Rubio: Amnesty means no consequences; I was never for that

Sen. Ted CRUZ: When Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer were leading the fight to pass a massive amnesty plan, I led the fight to defeat that plan. There is a difference between Senator Rubio and me on this question.

RUBIO: Amnesty is the forgiveness of a wrongdoing without consequence and I've never supported that. The only way to make progress on immigration is not just to pass a law that enforces the law, but actually prove that it's working. People want to see the wall built. They want to see additional border agents. They want to see e-verify. They want to see an entry-exit tracking system. After that is in place, then we'll see what people are willing to support.

Donald TRUMP: I don't often agree with Marco, and I don't often agree with Ted, but I can in this case. The weakest person on illegal immigration is Jeb Bush.

Mia McLeod: For equitable access licensure for undocumented immigrants

Mia McLeod: Voted NO on police checking immigration status

• It is a felony for a person who has remained in the US in violation of law to conceal themselves from detection or to conspire to conceal that person from state or federal authorities.
• A law enforcement officer, when stopping a person for some other criminal offense, must determine the immigration status of that person if the officer suspects that the person is illegally in the US.
• If a prisoner who is an alien unlawfully present in the US completes the prisoner's sentence of incarceration, the keeper of the jail shall notify the US Department of Homeland Security [or ICE agency] and shall securely transport the prisoner to a federal facility [for deportation].
• Implement a fee on wire transfers to foreign countries: a 1% fee with a minimum of $5.

Mitt Romney: McCain's plan gives special pathway to those here illegally

A: Well, my view is this. People should have no advantage by having come here illegally.

Q: But you're not telling them to go home.

A: I am going to tell them to go home, but they start by beginning the process of applying for citizenship or applying for permanent residency. They're not going to be barred from doing that, but they do not get any advantage by having come here illegally. That's the key part of what I objected to in McCain-Kennedy, which said that people who are here illegally get a special pathway. My view, 1) secure the border; 2) have an employment verification system; and 3) say to those that are there illegally, get in line with everybody else.

Nikki Haley: Charge 1% foreign wire fee;& police check immigration status

• It is a felony for a person who has remained in the US in violation of law to conceal themselves from detection or to conspire to conceal that person from state or federal authorities.
• A law enforcement officer, when stopping a person for some other criminal offense, must determine the immigration status of that person if the officer suspects that the person is illegally in the US.
• If a prisoner who is an alien unlawfully present in the US completes the prisoner's sentence of incarceration, the keeper of the jail shall notify the US Department of Homeland Security [or ICE agency] and shall securely transport the prisoner to a federal facility [for deportation].
• Implement a fee on wire transfers to foreign countries: a 1% fee with a minimum of $5.

Status:Bill passed Senate, 22-14-0; passed House 65-39-20; signed by Governor, June 27, 2011.

Rudy Giuliani: Allow immigrants to work, with tamper-proof ID cards

A: The focus on immigration should be to know everyone who's in the US. We should have a tamper-proof ID card; we should have a database in which we can identify the people who are in this country. We've got to be sensible about immigration. If we do the kinds of things that some of the [other GOP candidates] are talking about, this country's going to be in greater danger; it is going to be more insecure; we're going to face a situation in which terrorists can find a big underground to hide in. So we need a fence--a technological fence--we need a tamper-proof ID card. And we need a way that people who are working in this country can come forward, sign up for the tamper-proof ID card, get in the database and start paying their way.

Sam Brownback: Toughen the borders & combine enforcement with legalization

A: We had a situation in 1986 under Ronald Reagan, where he endorsed an the amnesty proposal. We had a proposal in 1996 that passed that was an enforcement-only proposal. And pulling these together is something that we have to do, to fundamentally alter the situation where the immigration system isn't working. We've got to toughen the borders. And we've got to somehow work together to see a work visa program that will allow people to get into a legal system, not an illegal system. That's what people really get irritated about. It's not that people come into the country legally, it's that they come in illegally. And I think Ronald Reagan would work on those sorts of things.

Ted Cruz: I led the fight to defeat the Reid-Schumer amnesty bill

CRUZ: When Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer were leading the fight to pass a massive amnesty plan, I led the fight to defeat that plan. The question for anyone on illegal immigration is where were you in that fight?

RUBIO: When that issue was being debated, at a committee hearing, Cruz said, "I want immigration reform to pass. I want people to be able to come out of the shadows." And he proposed an amendment that would legalize people here. Not only that, he proposed doubling the number of green cards. He proposed a 500 percent increase on guest workers. Now he is a passionate opponent of all those things. He either wasn't telling the truth then or he isn't telling the truth now.

CRUZ: I have promised to rescind every single illegal executive action, including that one.

Thomas Ravenel: Robust worker visa program, plus anything else reasonable

Ravenel endorses a "robust worker visa program," but stops short of endorsing a path to citizenship for those in the United States already. "I am open to any ideas that sound reasonable. What's happening now is totally unreasonable and it's bad for the economy. Saying let's control the border first and then we'll deal with immigration is like saying we can't deal with your cancer until your symptoms go away."

Tim Scott: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Scott: Agree

Tom Tancredo: McCain's plan is soft on immigration & amnesty

TANCREDO: I do. He sponsored a bill that would have given amnesty to everybody who's here illegally. It would have required us to actually consult with Mexico as to whether or not we would build the fence along our southern border. If we pursue this path toward amnesty, it's a disaster for the country.

McCAIN: I have never supported amnesty and never would. But the American people expect us to sit down and work this issue out together. That's what I've been doing for a couple of years now. We are very close to an agreement, led by our president and his Cabinet, that will first secure our borders. Then we would have a temporary worker program that could only be valid through a tamper-proof biometric document. And then we would address the issue of the 12 million people who are already here.

ROMNEY: The key part of what I objected to in McCain-Kennedy is that they should not get any advantage by having come here illegally.