Amy Taylor

What Are the Candidates Saying About Immigration Reform? Sam Brownback on Immigration

The Republican Senator from Kansas declared his candidacy back in January and is best known for his social conservatism on issues such as abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research. His positions on immigration, however, are not your run-of-the-mill conservative standards. Although he does spend a fair amount of time discussing border control, he has been an unwaivering supporter of "comprehensive immigration reform."

On his website, Brownback devotes a few pages to his immigration platform entitled "Border Security and Immigration"

His strong statements regarding border security are what we see from most candiates on the right. Here he states his support for securing the borders to protect the nation against terrorism and drug and human trafficking. He talks of secure borders as his first priority in immigration reform. The website highlights his record of voting to increase border patrol agents, increase detention space for DHS, construct new fencing on the border and other measures.

"Clearly, our immigration laws and policies are instrumental to the war on terrorism. The Department of Homeland Security has made progress in securing our borders. While the battle may be waged on several fronts, for the man or woman on the street, immigration is in many ways the front line of our defense."

Brownback's platform includes support for the increasing the ability of law enforcement to target and deport immigrants with criminal convictions and workplace enforcement including new screening and verification processes.

At the same time, Senator Brownback acknowledges that illegal immigration cannot be stopped by border security alone. He says, we must "eliminate the ability of unauthorized workers to get hired and at the same time increase the legal paths through which people can enter our country and participate in our economy."

He has been a strong proponent of "comprehensive immigration reform", a key term which has come to express the values laid out in the bill passed in the Senate last spring, most notably stronger border enforcement, a new temporary worker program and a path to citizenship for the undocumented.

On the issue of undocumented immigrants, although he never seems to refer directly to them, he states his support for "providing an opportunity for immigrants with clean records who are employed, learn English, pay fines, and pay back-taxes to assimilate."

In fact, Brownback broke ranks with his party to support passage of the Senate bill last Spring that was starkly different from the bill that came out of the Republican House. He supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act and was purportedly instrumental in getting the bill out of the judiciary committee. At the same time he was intent on moving public jargon away from calling it an "amnesty."

The Senator stated this month that we have to simplify our immigration laws to make it easier for immigrants to enter legally. He acknowledges that the market demands far more immigrants than our system allows to enter legally and for this reason, reform is vital.

"We must be a nation of laws, but we must also be compassionate. Right now, there are more than 12 million immigrants in the country illegally, and we must bring these people out of the shadows without rewarding them for past transgressions."

Brownback introduced four amendments to the Senate bill that passed and were included in the final committee bill. Two of the amendments increased the number of visas offered for doctors and nurses to address a severe shortage. The other two aimed to protect immigrants seeking asylum.

As a member of Senate Judiciary Committee, Brownback's role is important since any immigration reform bill must originate and be voted out of this committee.

Brownback voted for the Secure Fence Act, known as the "Fence Bill" colloquially. He stated his purpose:
"Many people have told me they will support comprehensive immigration reform if we secure the border first. Building 700 miles of fencing along the most vulnerable sections of our southern border goes a long way toward securing the border, and I hope we can use passage of this bill as a starting point toward long-term, comprehensive immigration reform." At least he had a good reason!

And another testament to his dedication to reforming our immigration laws comes from the fact that Tom Tancredo says that Brownback's record on immigration is "miserable."

On a more personal note, Senator Brownback has first-hand experience with the immigration bureaucracy. He has a 9 year-old son who was adopted from Guatemala.

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Posted at 7:25 AM, Mar 14, 2007 in The Candidates on Immigration
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