Comprehensive Immigration Reform

We need urgent action on comprehensive immigration reform. I proudly support this reform because we need an immigration system that matches the agility and competitiveness of the 21st Century global marketplace and that secures our border in a way that promotes the practice of legal immigration.

America’s immigration system is broken and the status quo continues to hold back our economic potential. But rather than work to secure the border or fix our broken immigration system, Republicans continue to play politics and kick the can down the road.

Former President Trump's cruel choice to effectively end the DACA program once again puts the future of Dreamers in jeopardy, blatantly flies in the face of the Supreme Court’s recent decision, and recklessly subverts our nation’s rule of law. In Illinois’ Tenth District alone, there are more than 6,000 young people eligible for DACA. They are part of the very fabric of our communities. They are our friends, co-workers, and neighbors. I was proud to vote last year to pass the Dream and Promise Act to create permanent status in the United States for DACA recipients and a path to citizenship. I will not stop fighting for them and for the communities of which they are an important part. 

I applauded former President Obama's efforts to prevent children, and their parents, from being punished for the failures of politicians. I believe the DREAM Act is an essential part of comprehensive immigration solutions. Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school. We need legitimate pathways to citizenship for these immigrants who were brought here as small children to pursue their dreams and contribute through college or military service.

Passing comprehensive immigration reform will free people from living in the shadows of fear of deportation to be able to pursue higher education, buy homes, start businesses and expand our economy. This will strengthen the communities of the 10th district, and our nation.