State of Wisconsin Archives: on Immigration


Tom Tiffany: For border wall and against amnesty

Tom stands with President Trump as he works to secure our border to stop the inflow of drugs and human trafficking into our country. First and foremost, America needs to build a wall to secure our southern border. Then, there can be a broader discussion about ending chain migration and a merit-based immigration process. Tom does not support amnesty.
Source: 2019-2020 WI-7 House campaign website Tiffany4Wisconsin.com May 8, 2020

Leah Vukmir: First build a wall; illegals go home then re-apply

Q: Support path to citizenship for America's 11 million illegal immigrants, including "DACA" recipients or "Dreamers," who grew up in the US after being brought here illegally as children?

Tammy Baldwin (D): Yes. Supports DACA. For other illegal immigrants supported bipartisan bill.

Leah Vukmir (R): First build a wall. "Then we can talk about a process for those DACA residents." Other illegal immigrants must first return to country of origin before applying for citizenship.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Scott Walker: Stripped in-state tuition from DREAMer students

Q: Support "DACA" recipients or "Dreamers," who grew up in the US after being brought here illegally as children?

Tony Evers (D): Yes. Criticized Walker for supporting an end to DACA protections.

Scott Walker (R): Stripped in-state tuition from DACA students. "Should be no amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Tammy Baldwin: Support DREAMers and earned path to citizenship

Q: Support path to citizenship for America's 11 million illegal immigrants, including "DACA" recipients or "Dreamers," who grew up in the US after being brought here illegally as children?

Tammy Baldwin (D): Yes. Supports DACA. For other illegal immigrants supported bipartisan bill combining earned path to citizenship with increased border security.

Leah Vukmir (R): First build a wall. "Then we can talk about a process for those DACA residents."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Tony Evers: Protect DREAMers brought to US illegally as kids

Q: Support "DACA" recipients or "Dreamers," who grew up in the US after being brought here illegally as children?

Tony Evers (D): Yes. Criticized Walker for supporting an end to DACA protections.

Scott Walker (R): Stripped in-state tuition from DACA students. "Should be no amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Governor race Oct 9, 2018

Phil Anderson: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens"?

A: Support

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate May 18, 2018

Kelda Helen Roys: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens"?

A: Strongly Support

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Wisconsin Governor candidate May 5, 2018

Kathleen Vinehout: Farmers want their immigrant workers able to obtain licenses

Concerns about immigration and police actions worry farmers whose livelihoods depend on the skills of their devoted workers. "We hire good, hardworking, legal Mexican farm laborers who have families," said one Pierce County farm couple. "They are continuously getting pulled over by police in the morning and receiving tickets for operating without a license." The couple was frustrated that legislative leaders were not taking up a bill to allow undocumented farm workers to get a driver's license.
Source: The Cap Times on 2018 Wisconsin Gubernatorial race Feb 3, 2018

Leah Vukmir: Construct a wall on the southern border

We are either a nation of laws or we are not. Leah Vukmir's father was an immigrant from Greece. Her mother's parents were immigrants as well. Both families came the right way--legally.

In the U.S. Senate, Leah Vukmir will support construction of a wall on the southern border and efforts to crack down on illegal immigration in the United States. Leah also opposes sanctuary cities in Wisconsin.

Source: 2018 Wisconsin Senate campaign website LeahVukmir.com Aug 10, 2017

Mike Gallagher: Secure our borders to protect our sovereignty

We must also secure our borders and fix our broken immigration system to protect our citizens, our economy, and our sovereignty. I will give our law enforcement and military the tools and support they need to keep our country safe.
Source: 2016 Wisconsin House campaign website MikeForWisconsin.com Nov 8, 2016

Ron Johnson: Address comprehensive reform after border is secure

Q: On Immigration: Should America's 11 million undocumented residents have an earned path to citizenship?

Feingold: Yes

Johnson: No. Opposed 2013 bipartisan bill. Said would consider addressing after border is secure. Strong focus on first increasing border security. Then open to considering "step by step" approach to reform legislation, including such steps as E-Verify and a guest worker program. Could then consider path to citizenship.

Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Wisconsin Senate race Oct 9, 2016

Bernie Sanders: 2007: I voted against slavery-like guest worker programs

CLINTON: We should be deporting criminals, not hardworking immigrant families who do the very best they can and are keeping economies going in many places. I'm a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. I was one of the original sponsors of the DREAM Act. I voted for comprehensive immigration reform in 2007. Senator Sanders voted against it at that time.

SANDERS: In terms of 2007 immigration reform, yeah, I did vote against it. I voted against it because the Southern Poverty Law Center said that the guest-worker programs that were embedded in this agreement were akin to slavery. Akin to slavery, where people came into this country to do guest work were abused, were exploited, and if they stood up for their rights, they'd be thrown out of this country. It wasn't just me who opposed it. It was LULAC, one of the large Latino organizations in this country. It was the AFL-CIO. It was some of the most progressive members of the United States Congress.

Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin Feb 11, 2016

Glenn Grothman: Protect the border and prevent illegal entry

Q: Government should enforce laws designed to protect the border and to prevent illegal entry of persons into the country?

GROTHMAN: Strongly Agree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Wisconsin House race Sep 30, 2014

Glenn Grothman: Carefully controlled immigration protects us from enemies

America is a nation of immigrants, and there's a reason for that. America is and always has been the land of opportunity. We have prosperity. We have freedom. We have a stable and lawful society that people from all over the world want to become part of.

Unfortunately, our freedom and prosperity has also earned us enemies throughout the world that want to do us harm, and that's the real issue behind the idea of having carefully controlled immigration system. When there are entire nations and terrorist organizations that want to bring death and destruction to America, we need to be very careful in who we allow to enter our country.

The bottom line is we need to be sure that the people we are letting in are properly screened and examined to ensure that they come here with lawful intentions. We need to close down the border and get back to an orderly legal immigration system in order to ensure a safe and prosperous future for America.

Source: 2014 Wisconsin House campaign website, GlennGrothman.com May 31, 2014

Scott Walker: Endorses path to citizenship for immigrant workers

Scott Walker distanced himself from House Republicans debating a new immigration bill by endorsing a path to citizenship for immigrant workers.Walker acknowledged that a substantial number of Wisconsin farms depend on migrant workers, some of them here illegally. He also was sharply critical of how difficult the federal government makes it for those workers to come to this country.

"If people want to come here and work hard and benefit, I don't care whether they come from Mexico or Ireland or Germany or Canada or South Africa or anywhere else," he said. "I want them here."

The Democratic-led U.S. Senate passed an immigration bill last week that features a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. Many conservative House Republicans oppose the bill, viewing it as rewarding law-breakers.

He said as a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 that he would sign an Arizona-style bill, which would allow local police to stop suspected illegal immigrants.

Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, "Endorses path to citizenship" Jul 3, 2013

Scott Walker: Make it easier to enter the country legally

Walker said he is in favor of the Senate immigration bill--that features a path to citizenship--but called it a backward "Band-Aid" approach, saying elected leaders should make it easier for people to enter the country and become legal citizens in the first place.

"Not only do they need to fix things for people already here, or find some way to do it, there's got to be a larger way to fix the system in the first place," he said. "Because if it wasn't so cumbersome, if there wasn't such a long wait, if it wasn't so difficult to get in, we wouldn't have the other problems that we have (with people living here illegally)," he said. Walker's stance on immigration reform evolved over the years.

Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, "Endorses path to citizenship" Jul 3, 2013

Scott Walker: 2010: stop suspected illegals; 2012: that's a distraction

Walker's stance on immigration reform evolved over the years. He said as a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 that he would sign an Arizona-style bill, which would allow local police to stop suspected illegal immigrants, if he were elected. Then, in December 2012, Walker said he no longer favored such a bill, telling reporters that such legislation would become a "huge distraction" from accomplishing his agenda for the state. Today, Walker said he would support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants under some circumstances.
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, "Endorses path to citizenship" Jul 3, 2013

Mark Neumann: Deport illegal immigrants who have committed felonies

Question 7. Do you believe that illegal immigrants that commit or have committed felonies should be deported?

Mark Neumann: Yes

Tommy Thompson: Yes

Source: 2012 Wisconsin Tea Party Senate Debate Questionnaire Aug 13, 2012

Mark Neumann: Make English the official language

Question 8. Do you think English should become the official language of the U.S. government?

Mark Neumann: Yes

Tommy Thompson: Yes

Source: 2012 Wisconsin Tea Party Senate Debate Questionnaire Aug 13, 2012

Tommy Thompson: Deport illegal immigrants who have committed felonies

Question 7. Do you believe that illegal immigrants that commit or have committed felonies should be deported?

Mark Neumann: Yes

Tommy Thompson: Yes

Source: 2012 Wisconsin Tea Party Senate Debate Questionnaire Aug 13, 2012

Tommy Thompson: Make English the official language

Question 8. Do you think English should become the official language of the U.S. government?

Mark Neumann: Yes

Tommy Thompson: Yes

Source: 2012 Wisconsin Tea Party Senate Debate Questionnaire Aug 13, 2012

  • The above quotations are from State of Wisconsin Politicians: Archives.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Immigration.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
2020 Presidential contenders on Immigration:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Oct 14, 2021