This past Saturday, Senator Marco Rubio spoke at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa, where he began by explaining how he believes the United States should be handling the issue of immigration. With regards to border security, E-Verify, and those who overstay their work visas, Rubio’s comments largely reflect APIA’s 5-Point Conservative Immigration Plan:
There are two steps. The first is we have to secure our borders. And our border is not just our border with Mexico. We also have to secure our airports and seaports. 40% of people in this country illegally, come legally. We have no idea who they are, because we only log you in. We don’t log you out. . . And the other thing we need is an electronic verification system, E-Verify, for employers. We have to create a system where employers can reliably be expected and demanded to check and ensure that the people they are hiring are not illegally here.
When asked what to do concerning the 11 million immigrants already in the country, Sen. Rubio responded that a discussion couldn’t begin until we “secure the border” and “modernize immigration”:
Every year the United States permanently admits one million people, on the basis that they have a relative living here. It cannot be on the basis of a relative. It has to be on the basis of what you can contribute to the country. Are you coming to be an American or are you coming to live in America?
On marriage, Sen. Rubio did not speak out concerning the Supreme Court’s recent decision, but he did briefly touch upon his views of the family’s importance:
You cannot have a strong country without strong families, and you cannot have strong families without empowered marriages and empowered parents.
Nick Leaver works for American Principles in Action.
