For years, our nation’s families and businesses have suffered at the hands of broken federal immigration policies. Political gridlock, congressional inaction and executive overreach have combined to create a seemingly insurmountable barrier to any reasonable immigration proposals.
Serious bipartisan immigration reform efforts stalled even further when former President Obama instituted the DACA program to allow many young undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States – a unilateral and inappropriate decision.
Proponents of Obama’s shortsighted and short-term action claim that members of Congress “had their chance” to pass immigration reform. But, while Congress should have acted to reform our system years ago, it was wrong of Obama to impose an artificial deadline. Legislative authority cannot be transferred to the executive in the name of expediency. Congress represents, and always has represented, our only chance for lasting immigration reform.
I am eager for Congress to finally address our nation’s mounting immigration problems. We need enhanced border security and improved interior enforcement to preserve national security and prevent imported illicit activities from plaguing our communities.
Talented and law-abiding individuals who have graduated from U.S. universities should have an opportunity to contribute to our economy instead of our competitors’. And immigrant entrepreneurs looking to create American jobs should have options to do so. In short, our immigration system needs less red-tape and more common sense to incentivize participants to go through the legal channels and facilitate the American dream for all.
I also believe that our immigration reform efforts should provide an opportunity for young undocumented immigrants, who were brought into this country before they were old enough to know any differently, to follow prescribed steps to remain in this country. That is why, following President Trump’s recent announcement to sunset the DACA program, I cosponsored the Recognizing America’s Children (RAC) Act. The RAC Act provides a rigorous but fair process for some undocumented immigrants who were brought into the U.S. as young children to stay and contribute to our society, while removing those that do not honor and sustain our laws.
The RAC Act would allow these immigrants to earn conditional, five-year legal status if they meet certain requirements. To earn conditional legal status, applicants must pass criminal and national security background checks and obtain full-time employment, enroll in an institution of higher learning or enlist in the armed services.
While on conditional status, they cannot rely on public assistance and must maintain a clean criminal record. Those who fail to meet these requirements will have their status immediately revoked. But if after five years these individuals have worked full-time, graduated from college, or served honorably in the armed forces, they may apply for legal permanent resident status.
This is a sensible and accountable solution that both Republicans and Democrats should support. It would provide a lasting answer to this difficult issue, as opposed to the temporary and unilaterally applied band-aid favored by the Obama administration. And it shows that the federal government can follow Utah’s example by balancing compassion with a commitment to the rule of law.
Like President Reagan, I believe that our nation still attracts individuals who possess “a special courage that enable[s] them to leave their own land, leave their friends and their countrymen, and come to this new and strange land to build a New World of peace and freedom and hope.”
We want these courageous, freedom-loving, and law-abiding individuals. Right now, we have the opportunity to craft reasonable immigration policies that work for both Americans and immigrants that aspire to live by our laws and contribute to our society. I remain committed to building the type of system that will benefit Utahns and all Americans for years to come.
Mia Love, a Republican, represents the Utah’s 4th District in Congress.