John McCain on Immigration Republican nominee for President; Senior Senator (AZ)

Sub-sections under Immigration:
• Voting Record
• Other issues under Immigration

Municipalities cannot exempt themselves from immigration law

MCCAIN: When laws are passed, federal laws that apply to the United States of America, municipalities cannot exempt themselves. If we had a system of government that we pass certain laws and towns and cities sprinkled across the country decided, well, we're not going to obey that law, then obviously that would be a breakdown of government. And so I would say that we ought to look at ways that would help convince these cities to observe federal law. And that may mean through how we use federal funds.

GRAHAM: Well, sanctuary cities is a symptom of a greater problem. The best thing we could do to honor your son is to fix a broken immigration system. For 10 years, along with Senator McCain, and I've been trying as hard as I know how to get it fixed rather than yelling about it.

Exclude our interpreters in Iraq from Muslim travel ban

McCain said he was worried about "our interpreters, my friends, who literally put their lives on the line" in Iraq.

Graham said the initial travel ban was offensive to the 3,500 Muslims who serve in the US military.

2005: guest worker program & path to citizenship

In 2007, another bipartisan immigration reform effort was made, led by Senators John Kyl and Kennedy. The bill would have introduced a point system to identify and favor high-value immigrants, increased significantly the number of employment-based green cards, reduced family preferences, and established a guest-worker program. That effort failed as well: some liberals opposed it on the grounds of protecting American workers, while conservative opponents denounced it on the grounds of amnesty and border security.

Campaign ad: "Complete the danged fence!"

TV ad: Obama makes protecting AZ border incredibly difficult

When the president went to Capitol Hill in May to address the Senate Republicans, McCain accused the president of misrepresenting Arizona's Draconian new immigration law (which McCain had endorsed, and which Obama's Justice Department was preparing to challenge).

10-point plan to secure border; then try legal-worker deal

Glassman said that while he supports securing the border, it won't work unless there is a way for people to cross legally for work.

2007 immigration bill split Republican Party

Just tone down the rhetoric, his advisers pleaded. McCain refused. He was disgusted by Republicans in Congress and talk radio gasbags such as Rush Limbaugh who bashed immigrants. "They're going to destroy the party," he would say.

As McCain's town hall meetings developed into shouting matches over immigration, the candidate let his frustrations show through. By the time the immigration bill collapsed in the Senate on June 28, 2007, the damage was done. The issue had more than injured McCain politically. It had thoroughly crippled his already lame and halting fund-raising.

Doing nothing on immigration is really de facto amnesty

McCain said reaction to his candidacy on talk radio turned even more negative, with the hosts denouncing McCain's bill amnesty. "I remember being on talk shows and the host wouldn't let me get a word in," he said. "Then listening to the talk shows in the car: 'Amnesty John' and 'Lindsey Gomez' [a reference to Senator Lindsey Graham]. It became pretty apparent that the depth of the emotion on this issue was quite significant."

Party that attracts immigrants becomes the ruling party

Restart comprehensive reform only after securing borders

Other aspects only after consensus that borders are secure

Deport 2 million illegal immigrants who committed crimes

Would no longer push his own 2006 immigration proposal

A: No, it would not, because we know what the situation is today. So to say that that would come to the floor of the Senate, it won’t. We went through various amendments which prevented that proposal. We will secure the borders first when I am president. I know how to d that. I come from a border state, where we know about building walls, and vehicle barriers, and sensors, and all of the things necessary. I will have the border state governors certify the borders are secured. Then we will move onto the other aspects of this issue, as importantly as tamper-proof biometric documents, which then, unless an employer hires someone with those documents, that employer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That will cause a lot of people to leave voluntarily.

Certify border is secure; only then allow guest workers

A: Yeah, but look, the lesson is, it isn’t going to come. The lesson is they want the border secured first. I come from a border state. I know how to fix those borders with walls, with UAVs, with sensors, with cameras, with vehicle barriers. They want the border secured first. And I will do that, and, as president, I will have the border state governors certify those borders are secured. And then we will have a temporary worker program with tamper-proof biometric documents, and any employer who employs someone in any other circumstances will be prosecuted. That means a lot of people will leave just normally because they’re not going to be able to get their job. Then we have to get rid of two million people who have committed crimes here. We have to round them up and deport them. As far as the others are concerned, we were in an ongoing discussion when this whole thing collapsed.

2003 “amnesty” didn’t mean rewarding illegal behavior

A: Look, I have said time after time that no one can be reward for illegal behavior. The context of that conversation, don’t you call that “amnesty.” I have said in hundreds of hours of debate on the Senate floor, we reward no one for illegal behavior They have to pay fines. They have to take the naturalization. About two million people here in this country who have come illegally, have committed crimes here in America, and they have to be deported immediately.

Round up and deport two million aliens who committed crimes

A: You round them up and you find them.

Q: Two million people, though? Logistically, how do you do that?

A: It’s very hard, but what’s the choice? Having people who are breaking our laws in our country illegally? But the other aspect of it is that people come forward, and those that don’t come forward, then obviously it’s easier to identify them, and then we address their situation according to how long they’ve been here, what their record is, but they cannot be rewarded for illegal behavior. In other words, they can’t be put in front of anybody else.

Q: Fourteen million illegal immigrants here, let’s say two million have committed crimes. The remaining 12 million: they will stay?

A: I have said in debate after debate, it’s not that they will stay, it depends on their category. I’m deporting any soldiers’ grandmothers. We have to address this in a humane and compassionate fashion.

FactCheck: Yes, he has used the word “amnesty” in the past

McCain is right when he says that his bill required penalties to be paid by illegals trying to adjust their status, while dictionaries define “amnesty” as a pardon. But he himself has in the past used the “a” word to describe what he had in mind:

• May 29, 2003 interview: “Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens.“
• Dec. 15, 2000 press release: ”I support the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act (LIFA). Negotiations between the White House and the leadership, which endorsed more limited immigration reform, have resulted in a compromise.... this bill makes meaningful but insufficient progress on amnesty for those wrongly denied it.“

Do everything I can to help all immigrants learn English

A: I think the most practical value is to make English used by all Americans and all citizens, and all who come here. The only way we move up the economic ladder from the bottom rung is to know English. And I would emphasize the importance of every person who comes to this country to become a citizen and enjoy its liberties & beauty is to learn English. And I will do everything I can to help them do that.

Illegal immigrants are God’s children as well

A: Yes, of course, and we never proposed amnesty. But then you’ve still got two other aspects of this issue that have to be resolved as well. We need to sit down as Americans and recognize these are God’s children as well. And they need some protection under the law; they need some of our love and compassion. I want to assure you that I’ll enforce the borders first. We’ll solve this immigration problem.

Absences from negotiations hurt reform bill’s chances

12 million illegals in country now is de facto amnesty

A: Very seldom have I seen an issue that aroused this much passion with the American people. No one is for amnesty. I and the president came forward with a plan that we thought was comprehensive and workable with the priority being border security, which remains my position. Why we failed is because the American people have lost trust and confidence in us. We have to succeed, because there’s 12 million people who are in this country illegally, which is de facto amnesty, and we need a temporary worker program. I commit to securing the borders first. We can secure those borders. As president, I would have the border state governors certify that those borders were indeed secure.

Amnesty is forgiveness; we offer fines; lines; & long waits

MCCAIN: Well, because amnesty, according to the dictionary, is forgiveness. The proposal that we had would require fines, would require back in the line, would require deportation for some. It would require others to go back to the country of their origin. It would require an enormous amount of time, as long as 13 years, before anyone could even be eligible for citizenship in this country.

ROMNEY: First of all, the Z visa that was offered in that Senate bill let everybody who’s here illegally, other than criminals, stay here for the rest of their lives. And that may not be technically amnesty, but it is certainly amnesty in fact. [The magnet for illegal immigrants, besides] having amnesty, is saying, if you come and you’re willing to work and pay taxes, we’ll sign you up. That’s not the right message. We’ve got to enforce the law, welcoming legal immigration, but ending illegal immigration.

No official English; Native Americans use own languages

McCAIN: I would like to remind you that we made treaties with Native Americans, such as the Navajos in my state, where we respect their sovereignty and they use their native language in their deliberations. Everybody knows that English has to be learned if anyone ever wants to move up the economic ladder. That is obvious. And part of our legislation, by the way, is a requirement to learn English.

Immigration reform needed for national security

ROMNEY: My view is that we should enforce immigration laws. And this bill [lets almost] every illegal alien stay here. That’s simply not fair to get put ahead in the line of all the people who’ve been waiting legally.

McCAIN: Our legislation does account for people who are here illegally, it does have an employment verification system, and it weeds out those who shouldn’t be here, and it gives others a chance to remain in this country. Look, this is a national security issue first and foremost. What we have done is come together with the president, and the leaders of both parties, and sit down and figure out an approach to this problem. It is a serious national security problem. We need to act, and if someone else has a better idea, I’d love to have them give it to us.

Hispanics serve our country, like every wave of immigrants

TANCREDO: No, I would not advertise in Spanish. English is the glue that keeps a country together, any country. McCain’s immigration bill codifies Pres. Clinton’s executive order that said all papers produced by the government have to be in various languages.

McCAIN: Well, first of all, muchas gracias. We have to stop the illegal immigration, but we’ve had waves throughout our history. Hispanics is what we’re talking about, a different culture, a different language, which has enriched my state where Spanish was spoken before English was. In Washington DC, go to the Vietnam War Memorial and look at the names engraved in black granite. You’ll find a whole lot of Hispanic names. They must come into country legally, but they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them.

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.

Bipartisanship shows preparedness for presidency

A: Actually, I’m on constant contact on this issue. I think we are close to an agreement.

Q: Some pundits say your identification with Sen. Kennedy on the immigration issue has accounted for your political problems with conservatives.

A: I’m proud of the bipartisan effort that I’ve made on many issues with Democrats & Republicans, ranging from Joe Lieberman on 9/11 to working on the other side of the aisle on immigration reform and others. And that’s why I think I’m prepared to be president of the US. The American people want us to work together on issues that are important to the American people. That’s my record.

Q: You think you’re going to get a deal.

A: I think we’re very close to it, and I’m very pleased to see that we have a number of the more conservative Republicans engaged in this effort, as well as people on the other side of the aisle.

Change rule barring immigrants from running for president

HUNTER: We haven’t seen his endorsement yet. That’s a no.

GILMORE: No, I want to amend this Constitution in a variety of different ways, and this would be not a good start to do it that way.

McCAIN: He and I have many similar attributes, so I have to seriously consider it.

Comprehensive reform requires temporary worker program

McCAIN: We’ve been working very hard for a couple of months with Democrats and Republicans, led by the president and his Cabinet, to come up with a comprehensive solution and resolution of this terrible problem of illegal immigration. One thing we would all agree on, the status quo is not acceptable. We have to secure our borders. But we also need a temporary worker program, and we have to dispose of the issue of 12 million people who are in this country illegally. This issue needs to be addressed comprehensively.

Comprehensive reform must include border security first

A: I support many of the concepts in it. It didn’t pass. The legislation didn’t pass. So we’ve been sitting down and doing intensive negotiations with the president, with other conservative Republicans and Senator Kennedy to come up with something that will. It certainly is going to be a comprehensive proposal. And it certainly will be border enforcement as the first and foremost priority.

Q: Border enforcement before the other parts of the package?

A: Not before, but certainly there has to be the assurance that all necessary measures are being taken in order to secure our border. Americans deserve that. Americans deserve border security, and we can’t ignore that aspect of it. Our borders are broken. I think we all know that.

McCain-Kennedy bill: balanced alternative to HR.4437

The goal was to pressure Congress to defeat HR.4437 and to pass instead a bill that had been proposed by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA) and Sen. John McCain (R, AZ). The Kennedy-McCain bill, S.2611, was billed as an attempt to be "balanced," including a "guest worker" program and a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal aliens who had been in the US for five years or more.

I’ve never supported amnesty

We have to secure the borders first

Make possible for immigrants to do a job Americans won’t do

Give everyone in the world an opportunity to come to America

1988: Honored by La Raza for opposing official English

Because of his position on the English-only initiative and his willingness to fight for a pluralistic American culture, McCain was one of 10 members of congress who were honored by the National Council of La Raza, a nationwide coalition of Hispanic organizations. In a speech at a ceremony in Washington, before an audience of 500, McCain again attacked English-only initiatives. “The building of our great nation is not the work of immigrants from one or two countries, McCain said, ”Our nation and the English language have done quite well with Chinese spoken in California, German in Pennsylvania, Italian in New York, Swedish in Minnesota, and Spanish throughout the Southwest. I fail to see the cause for alarm now.“

More help for legal immigrants when immigrating & once here

McCain supports the following principles regarding immigration:
• Increase the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs
• Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services
• Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services to illegal immigrants or their children
• Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.

No more ballot initiatives against immigration

Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform.

Establishes specified benchmarks which must be met before the guest worker and legalization programs may be initiated:
1. operational control of the border with Mexico;
2. Border Patrol increases;
3. border barriers, including vehicle barriers, fencing, radar, and aerial vehicles;
4. detention capacity for illegal aliens apprehended crossing the US-Mexico border;
5. workplace enforcement, including an electronic employment verification system; and
6. Z-visa alien processing.

Proponents recommend voting YES because:

If we do not legislate now, we will not legislate later this year when our calendar is crowded with Iraq and appropriations bills. We are then an election year, and it will be pushed over to 2009. Circumstances will not be better then, they will be worse.

A vote against cloture is a vote to kill the bill. A Senator may vote for cloture and then express himself in opposition to the bill by voting against the bill.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

If this bill becomes law, we will see only a 13% reduction in illegal immigration into America, and in the next 20 years we will have another 8.7 million illegals in our country. How can that be reformed? I submit this would be a disaster.

The Congressional telephone systems have shut down because of the mass phone calls Congress is receiving. A decent respect for the views of the American people says let's stop here now. Let's go back to the drawing board and come up with a bill that will work.

The American people get it, and they do have common sense and wisdom on this issue. They know repeating the fundamental mistakes of the 1986 bill, joining a big amnesty with inadequate enforcement, will cause the problem to grow and not diminish. They know promising enforcement after 30 years of broken promises isn't good enough. They know the so-called trigger is a joke because if the trigger is never pulled, the Z visas, the amnesty happens forever.

Voted YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government.

Proponents recommend voting YES because:

Right now, the polling shows that 91% of the people in America want English as an official language, and 76% of Hispanics believe English should be an official language.

Opponents recommend voting NO because:

I believe the American people understand in order to succeed in our society, immigrants need to learn English. But the amendment would do a number of things that are problematical. The first is that it is contrary to the provisions of law that exist in many States. For example, in New Mexico, you have in their State Constitution, a provision that says that many of the documents within that State have to be provided in both English and Spanish. The same thing is true for the State of Hawaii. I believe this is a States rights issue, and those constitutions of those States ought to be respected. I do not believe it is a matter we ought to be imposing here from Washington DC.

Also, this amendment would undo an executive order conceived by President Bill Clinton and implemented by President George Bush. Both recognized it is important that people who have limited English proficiency receive the kinds of services so they can understand what is going on in terms of the interface between the Government and themselves.

Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border.

1. systematic border surveillance through more effective use of personnel and technology; and
2. physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful border entry

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 Within 18 months, achieves operational control over U.S. land and maritime borders, including:

1. systematic border surveillance through more effective use of personnel and technology; and
2. physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful border entry

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

Voted YES on establishing a Guest Worker program.

Voting YES establishes a guest worker program with a path to citizenship for illegal aliens who have worked in the US for 5 years. The bill:
• Increases border security and enforcement
• Makes it unlawful to knowingly hire, recruit, or refer for a fee an unauthorized alien.
• Establishes a temporary guest worker program (H-2C visa) with a three-year admission and one additional three-year extension; and issuance of H-4 nonimmigrant visas for accompanying or following spouse and children;
• Provides permanent resident status adjustment for a qualifying illegal alien, and family, for aliens who have been in the US and employed for five years.

Proponents of the bill say:
• Our immigration system is broken and needs to be repaired. This bill is a strong step in the right direction. We need to protect our borders and look out for American workers, and we also need a responsible way to meet the need for temporary workers, particularly in the agricultural area, where they represent about 70 percent of the U.S. agricultural workforce, with a path to earned citizenship for hard-working, law abiding temporary workers. This bill, the product of bipartisan compromise, takes a commonsense approach to all of these issues.

Opponents of the bill say:
• Our country has been built by immigrants. But the reason we have had quotas for immigration is the world has progressed in different parts of this globe at a very different rate. In some countries, the economies have lagged far behind.
• There are jobs available in this country with rates of pay that are far in excess of those of Third World countries. We have on our southern border people who aspire to come to this country. In order to protect our way of life and our standard of living and to protect jobs, we have quotas.

Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.

To reduce document fraud, prevent identity theft, and preserve the integrity of the Social Security system, by ensuring that persons who receive an adjustment of status under this bill are not able to receive Social Security benefits as a result of unlawful activity.

Proponents of the amendment say to vote NAY because:
• The Immigration Reform bill would allow people to qualify for social security based on work they did while they were illegally present in the US and illegally working in the US. People who broke the law to come here and broke the law to work here can benefit from their conduct to collect social security.
• In some cases, illegal immigrants may have stolen an American citizen's identity. They may have stolen an American's social security number to fraudulently work. This amendment corrects this problem.

Opponents of the amendment say to vote YEA because:
• Americans understand that for years there are undocumented workers who have tried to follow our laws and be good neighbors and good citizens, and have paid into the Social Security Trust Fund.
• Once that person regularizes his or her status, and as they proceed down the path to earned citizenship, they should have the benefit after having followed the law and made those contributions. That is fairness.
• We should not steal their funds or empty their Social Security accounts. That is not fair. It does not reward their hard work or their financial contributions.
• The amendment proposes to change existing law to prohibit an individual from gaining the benefit of any contributions made while the individual was in an undocumented status. I oppose this amendment and believe it is wrong.

Voted YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an alien having nonimmigrant status is ineligible for and may not apply for adjustment of status.''

Proponents of the amendment say to vote NAY because:
• The Immigration Reform Act purports to create two different paths to citizenship for those, first of all, who are in the country living outside of the law in an undocumented status, and secondly, for those who are not yet present in the country but who want to come here at some future date to work.
• We have given the somewhat misleading name of ''guest worker'' to the so-called future flow. A guest is not ordinarily defined as someone who moves in with you and never leaves.
• These so-called guest workers could work here up to 6 years, after which they then apply for a green card. They then get on the path to American citizenship 5 years later.
• It is important for us to debate this issue honestly. The amendment simply makes the point that a guest worker ought to be temporary.

Opponents of the amendment say to vote YEA because:
• If this amendment should pass, that whole compromise is destroyed because a fundamental part of that compromise was that those who have been here for 2 to 5 years would be eligible for green card status and citizenship. This amendment would destroy that compromise.
• We have examples today in Europe of having people living in your country with no hope to ever be a part of that society. No hope, no opportunity, no future, but we will let you work.

Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work.

Voted YES on visas for skilled workers.

Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants.

English immersion over bilingual education.

[The Republican Main Street Partnership supports giving priority to] examining new ways to increase the English fluency of limited English proficient students. Currently, priority is given to instruction programs that provide for bilingual education, which combines proficiency in the studentís native language with English instruction. Recently, however, education research has suggested that English immersion -- not bilingual instruction -- may be the most effective way to help students become proficient in English. Native language requirements in current law must change to reflect this reality and new instruction methods must be pursued with an eye toward regular evaluation and improved English language acquisition.

Sponsored comprehensive immigration reform, without amnesty.

SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. McCAIN: This bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation is designed to fix our Nation's broken immigration system. While in previous years we worked independently on immigration reform legislation, we are coming together today to introduce what we believe is groundbreaking, comprehensive legislation. Over a year ago, the President laid out a framework for what comprehensive immigration reform should look like. We have used the President's framework to craft this package.

The simple fact is that America's immigration system is broken. Recent vigilante activities along the southwestern border have shown that the current situation is not sustainable. Americans are frustrated with our lack of border security and our inability to control illegal immigration.

Make no mistake, this is not an amnesty bill. We are not here to reward law-breakers, and any accusations to the contrary are patently untrue. This bill recognizes the problems inherent in the current system and provides a logical and effective means to address these problems. It would be impossible to identify and round up all 10 to 11 million of the current undocumented, and if we did, it would ground our Nation's economy to a halt. These millions of people are working. Aliens will not come forward to simply "report and deport." We have a national interest in identifying these individuals, incentivizing them to come forward out of the shadows, go through security background checks, pay back taxes, pay penalties for breaking the law, learn to speak English, and regularize their status. Anyone who thinks this goal can be achieved without providing an eventual path to a permanent legal status is not serious about solving this problem.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary; never came to a vote. [The famous McCain-Kennedy legislation which DID come to a vote was the 2007 version of this bill].

Rated 18% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 USBC scores as follows:

• 0%-30%: open-border stance (approx. 197 members)
• 30%-70%: mixed record on open borders (approx. 70 members)
• 70%-100%: sealed-border stance (approx. 202 members)

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.