State of Virginia Archives: on Immigration

Tom Perriello: Welcome immigrants; they make up 1 in 9 Virginians

Virginia has built a reputation as a welcoming state and we must vigilantly safeguard this value of openness. Unfortunately, in recent years Virginia Republicans have repeatedly offered legislation harmful to immigrants and to our economy. This includes a bill that would have forced cities and counties to act as agents of federal immigration policy, over the opposition of local elected officials and police chiefs.

Tom Perriello: Commonsense policies for immigrants like drivers licenses

I will support the rights of all students in Virginia to pursue their education and careers secure from the attacks of the Trump administration. The soul and safety of our communities are stronger when our brothers and sisters need not live in the shadows and peaceful families are not ripped apart by government agents. I will also champion policies that make it possible for immigrants to fully participate as Virginians, including such basic commonsense policies as licenses for drivers.

Don Beyer: I fully support the DREAM Act & a path to citizenship

There must be a path to citizenship for the hard-working people who contribute to our communities. They help keep our economy strong and deserve the opportunity to become new Americans. We also need to ensure that children who came to the United States early in life have the chance to attend college, receive in-state tuition, and work toward their dreams just like every other hard working student. I fully support the DREAM Act.

Ed Gillespie: Send migrant kids back to parents in Central America

Warner emphasized the need to speed up the processing of these children, but he said "many of these children will be sent home. That process will result in some of those kids going back, but there ought to be a process," he said.

Mark Warner: Send migrant kids back to Central America, after processing

Warner emphasized the need to speed up the processing of these children, but he said "many of these children will be sent home. That process will result in some of those kids going back, but there ought to be a process," he said.

Ken Cuccinelli: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Cuccinelli: Strongly Agree

Robert Sarvis: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Sarvis: Agree

Robert Sarvis: Liberalize immigration; population growth lowest since 1930s

"RT," if you're wondering, means retweet. That cleared up, we didn't know that the nation's population growth had reached an 80-year low.

So we decided to look at data from Sarvis' primary source: the US. Census Bureau. We found mid-year population estimates dating back to 1900. Population growth hovered between 1% and 2% until 1931 when, in the Great Depression, it dropped to 0.78%. It bottomed at 0.59% in July 1933.

US population growth is closely tied to the economy. During bad times, couples delay having children. In 2012, only 12.6% of U.S. women aged 15-44 had children. That's the lowest birth rate in records dating back to 1940. Immigration has slowed since the start of this century, too.

Our ruling: The figures back up Sarvis and we rate his statement True.

Ed Gillespie: Unapologetic supporter of comprehensive immigration overhaul

"Anybody associated with the national Republican hierarchy is a little bit suspect," one pundit said. "Sometimes that's fair, sometimes not. He's going to have to prove he's not the same as the rest of the Washington GOP establishment."

Ken Cuccinelli: Path to citizenship ok as part of compromise

Cuccinelli said he wanted to see "some sort of compromise reached on immigration" and said a path to citizenship "could be part of the proposal."

Terry McAuliffe: Support the DREAM Act for legalizing minors

Cuccinelli said he wanted to see "some sort of compromise reached on immigration" and said a path to citizenship "could be part of the proposal."

Tim Kaine: Make it easier for foreign students to get green cards

Harris Miller: Tamper-proof ID card; limited enforcement against employers

MILLER: Yes, in fact, I worked with Congress when that was proposed in 1981. We also need to have very tough employer sanctions, including sending employers to jail if they continue to hire people who are not here without work authorization. That’s why people come to this country illegal, to get jobs. Unless we penalize the employers, people are going to continue to come.

Q: Mr. Webb, do you agree?

WEBB: I would agree that we should be using tamper-proof ID cards.

Q: Do you believe in punishing employers who hire people illegally?

WEBB: That is very a complex question because of the whole range of employers that are involved. Certainly large employers you could have sanctions. It’s a question of accountability. When somebody is hiring somebody to mow a lawn or something like that, it’s a lot different than a Wal-Mart of a Tyson’s.