Time is now for Immigration reform/Opinion
Just a few months ago, the five new members of the 113th Congress were on the campaign trail working for the opportunity to represent the voices of millions of Texans — from all walks of life and from every corner of the Lone Star State. Today, we are members.
We stood with our colleagues and swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and “faithfully discharge the duties of the office.”
And that’s what we plan to do by urging President Obama, his administration and our fellow representatives and senators, to work together to come up with a fair and responsible solution to our immigration problem.
We are pleased that President Obama and a bipartisan group of senators have helped move this conversation forward by publicly stating their goals and priorities. We urge House Republicans to work with us and our Democratic colleagues to pass meaningful legislation.
Comprehensive immigration reform must include a pathway to citizenship for the 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants living in this country who pass a background check, pay a fee along with all back taxes, and meet basic citizenship, civics and English-skill requirements.
In addition, the plan should include funding to increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers at our ports of entry while also allocating resources to improve infrastructure at these ports.
These investments will create jobs on both sides of the border and keep our border economies sustainable and thriving.
Immigration reform should include interior enforcement measures to improve the removal process for those who want to do our country harm. Worksite enforcement must also make mandatory the use of employment verification systems while improving that system to weed out criminals.
Finally, the package should reform current temporary worker programs and create the opportunity for all while ensuring we remain competitive in all industries and areas in our country and abroad.
The time is now to make the move on immigration reform, and we support efforts to carry out this monumental task.
The time is now because of the needs of our country — the urgent need for a younger and more diverse workforce, and the need to ensure that the next generation of Americans pays their fair share and keeps vital programs like Medicare and Social Security solvent.
We also need to know who is here so we can weed out those who pose a threat to our country and criminals who should not be here.
We will continue to secure this country from people who would do us harm and must support the men and women on the front lines of this effort by providing them with the necessary equipment and manpower which will allow them to effectively protect our country.
We will, however, remind our colleagues that some border communities like El Paso and others along the South Texas border are regularly ranked as the safest in the United States.
We can no longer delay immigration reform. The time to move forward is now.
As the freshmen five from Texas, we are ready to engage in dialogue and discussions in the weeks and months to come to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality.
We should remind those who are hesitant about immigration reform to look to history. The last time we passed a major comprehensive immigration reform package was in 1986 — a bipartisan effort under Republican President Ronald Reagan.
The time is now.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work on this issue. The time is now because this action will make our country stronger, safer and more prosperous for many years to come.
Let’s not let time pass us. Instead, let’s pass immigration reform now.
Reprinted by permission of the El Paso Times.
