Immigration
America's diversity is our strength, it always has been and always will be!
As Americans, we must remind ourselves that we are all immigrants. Each of us coming from families of immigrants who made their way to America in search of a new life, a life of safety and freedom. My great-grandfather immigrated from Italy in 1902 at the age of 22, and speaking no English he made his way to southwestern Pennsylvania where he worked as a coal miner at the Shaw Mine in Meyersdale, Somerset County and later as a farmer. He raised a family there and lived to be 100 years old passing away in 1980 in Meyersdale, the only community he knew in his adoptive home of America. My family story is not unlike other families across PA-13 or our country. Reasonable and rational immigration policies contribute to strengthening our economy and our country’s diversity and democracy. We must recognize that the immigrants coming to America are searching for the same things that our own immigrant relatives came to America for – a new life, a life of safety and freedom.
There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., making up about 3.7 percent of the U.S. current population (approximately 330 million total U.S. population). We need to welcome these law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying undocumented immigrants, and in some cases bring them out from the shadows in a trusting manner, and pass common sense and comprehensive immigration reform, to include those younger undocumented immigrants. The majority of these younger immigrants, at no fault of their own having been brought here illegally as a child by their parents, do qualify for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, also known as a “DREAMer”, and frequently referred to as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or “DACA recipients”, though the “DACA” specifically refers to Dreamers who have applied for and received DACA status (which has since been ended by the current administration).
No person - from any political party - is for “open borders” as the rhetoric goes, and immigrants must comply with our immigration laws by legally entering the U.S. at designated points of entry. Not being for “open borders” also does not mean that building a wall or barrier of some shape or form along the 2,000-mile southern border with Mexico is a wise investment or an effective security measure for our country. We can implement robust border security policies – improving and enhancing those existing walls and barriers in and around points of entry along the southern border, while also increasing staffing levels for DHS/ICE and USBP and complementing this enhanced staffing presence with the utilization of high-tech physical and electronic security equipment in securing the southern border. We can accomplish border security without building a wall. We must not allow the rhetoric of fear, hate and false campaign promises destroy the very values and principles that welcomed our own immigrant relatives to America who built our great Nation.
Our country is governed by the Rule of Law and when immigrants lawfully apply for asylum we must be prepared to judicially process these asylum requests. This means having the necessary personnel and resources to conduct this legal process. The humanitarian crisis at our southern border presents numerous challenges for our immigration and law enforcement agencies; however, with appropriate leadership, this situation can be handled in an efficient, effective and compassionate manner. The immigration debate and the cruel and inhumane policies implemented by the current administration is a stain on America’s conscious, is contrary to the values of our country, and is the result of a failure in leadership - plain and simple. Separating children from their parents, putting infants and children in cages with only the minimal basic levels of food, water and healthcare, and failing to reunite these children – some of whom may never be reunited with their biological parents or relatives – is unacceptable. Sadly, America owns this, we own this.
And for our elected representatives to remain silent on these human rights abuses is shameful. As your elected Representative and voice in Washington, I will never be silent nor complicit in spreading disinformation and untruths to protect a particular political party leadership or agenda. I will always place the interests of America and the citizens of PA-13 and our country above any political or self-interest.
Todd supports these IMMIGRATION policy initiatives that have national security implications:
Supporting legislation for common sense, comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for immigrants many of whom have never known living anywhere other than here in America – these are our friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates – in many cases the only language they know is English - working, paying taxes, contributing to our economy; the majority of Americans support this immigration reform.
Supporting ending the travel ban while ensuring that our security screening and vetting procedures are enhanced and just as effective as before the travel ban was implemented.
Supporting ending the family separation policy and recognizing that this cruel and inhumane policy makes us weaker, not stronger as a country; reuniting children with their parents must be a priority for our government.
Supporting legislation to modernize our immigration laws to better reflect humanitarian and our changing economic needs.
Supporting efforts by the U.S. Department of State through diplomatic outreach and aid assistance to countries in central America (namely Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador – the Northern Triangle) to address the issues of crime, poverty and corruption that are the main factors driving people to flee their homeland and travel to Mexico and our southern border; this is a national security concern that cannot be ignored and we must address the issues causing this mass migration of people to the United States.