We must enforce our borders. We have laws in place and all people that break our laws should be held accountable.
At the border, we should build a “virtual” wall with equipment capable of detecting unauthorized cross-border human transit and hire more border patrol agents to respond where needed. I believe that a physical wall extending along the entire border would be both expensive and ineffective.
We also should enforce the requirement that employers verify and take responsibility for the immigration status of their workers. But, at the same time, it will sometimes be appropriate to allow immigrants to work on a temporary, seasonal basis.
We should negotiate with Mexico and its neighbors to do more to enforce their borders and develop their economies to provide jobs and living wages for their people in their own countries.
While we need an immigration policy that maximizes national security, strengthens our economy, and protects American workers, we also want a policy that respects the dignity of all.
We also must recognize that there will still be an unmet need for workers in California’s $17 billion agriculture industry. If we can’t economically produce crops here, the major agricultural companies will outsource the production of their fresh produce to where the workers are available south of the border.
We should conduct a comprehensive review of all our immigration needs, policies and programs, with the above in mind.
