Issues

Don’t let anyone tell you we can’t find a path forward on a just and equitable immigration policy.

The Person:

As a son of Cameroonian immigrants, immigration is an issue that I care about deeply. I’ve talked to my mom and dad often about their journey to the United States. 

The Principle:

There are a couple of verses in the Bible that inform my views on immigration:

The first is Deuteronomy 10:18-19 which states “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”

The second verse is Romans 13:1 which emphasizes the importance of obeying laws. 

The Problem:

Our immigration system is broken. There is no other way to say it. We need a complete overhaul for us to have a brighter future on this issue. We have an enforcement and humanitarian problem. The last time we passed a major immigration bill was in 1986 with the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Our system is old and inflexible and we have politicians that are more concerned with creating political theater and raising money on the issue than actually finding a solution. 

The Policy Proposal: 

A U.S. Senator from Texas should be leading the way on this issue. Our immigration system needs an overhaul. We don’t have to choose between having safe borders and valuing migrants. We can do BOTH.

Our immigration challenges will be solved only by those who want to fix the problem. I do. I’ll introduce a comprehensive immigration bill that will be focused on achieving two goals: Securing Our Border and Valuing Migrants. These are some of the highlights of the legislation I would propose: 

We Must Value Migrants:

1. Place undocumented immigrants living and working in the United States without a criminal record on a path to citizenship, including those brought to the United States as children.

2. Texas is currently facing a labor shortage. If elected, I will work to pass a state-based guest-worker program in Congress so that those who come across can take positions in key Texas industries.

3. Keep families whole by making sure families are not split up once they get to the border. 

4. Assign legal status to those who have been processed but still need to complete their cases. This encourages migrants to continue through the process while also helping our economy.

We Must Secure Our Border:

1. Add border patrol agents and enhance our tracking technology, cameras, and underground sensors.

2. Increase the number of immigration judges and officers to efficiently process the 2.1 million backlog of cases.

3. Establish regional processing centers in Central and South American countries.

4. Create an automatic deportation rule for undocumented immigrants that commit violent crimes such as domestic violence, aggravated assault, among other violent crimes. This rule would include non-violent crimes like shoplifting and DUIs.