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Our nation was built on the backs of immigrants. When my ancestors traveled across the Atlantic from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Lithuania; they did so without having to be independently wealthy. They did it without months or years of waiting in line. They showed up on the teeming shores, welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, and entered a new land, with new hopes, and new opportunity.
Today, we expect immigrants fleeing war torn nations, fleeing disease, fleeing starvation, fleeing exploitation; to wait in line for months or years, to have thousands of dollars set aside, and to be ready to still be turned away even when they do everything right.
Then we wonder why they instead pay a fraction of the price to have cartels smuggle them across the border, why they instead violate VISA, and hope to clear up the paperwork before ICE can raid their homes.
We have to create a system that encourages the right behavior, by speeding up the line and making the process more affordable.
I will support an expansion of the number of immigration judges available to hear cases, a decrease to the application fees for citizenship, and create a program that prioritizes applicants seeking to settle in counties experiencing population decline.
Our nation was built on the backs of immigrants. When my ancestors traveled across the Atlantic from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Lithuania; they did so without having to be independently wealthy. They did it without months or years of waiting in line. They showed up on the teeming shores, welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, and entered a new land, with new hopes, and new opportunity.
Today, we expect immigrants fleeing war torn nations, fleeing disease, fleeing starvation, fleeing exploitation; to wait in line for months or years, to have thousands of dollars set aside, and to be ready to still be turned away even when they do everything right.
Then we wonder why they instead pay a fraction of the price to have cartels smuggle them across the border, why they instead violate VISA, and hope to clear up the paperwork before ICE can raid their homes.
We have to create a system that encourages the right behavior, by speeding up the line and making the process more affordable.
I will support an expansion of the number of immigration judges available to hear cases, a decrease to the application fees for citizenship, and create a program that prioritizes applicants seeking to settle in counties experiencing population decline.