Issue Position: Border Security, Immigration, and Visa Reform

My mother legally emigrated from Mexico in 1956 when she married my dad. In 1969 she proudly became a U.S. Citizen. She instilled in me the value, pride, and gratitude of what it means to be a citizen of this great country. It is those values that guide me through this emotionally charged issue.

Let's be clear -- We can and must enforce the laws that are already on the books. Yes, we are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. We need to know who is entering our country. This doesn't make us anti-immigrant, it makes us pro-security and vigilant. It means we take the responsibility of securing the homeland and all who live here.

For many sections along the border, a wall/fence/barrier will serve as an effective deterrent, but geography, animal migration, and natural obstacles in other areas will require a greater commitment of manpower and technology. We also need to encourage the federal government to fix the broken legal system that is inadequate to handle the illegal immigration casework in a timely manner.

It is also important to recognize that several industries that are dependent on legal immigrant labor are currently facing labor shortages. Today's process is convoluted, costly, and takes years to complete. This is another area where our federal government is failing Arizona and where speedy reform is needed.

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