Political Quotes

“Mr. President, immigration enforcement is one of the Federal Government's most essential responsibilities. It is also one of the most debated and rightly so. Those of us in this body need to ensure that Federal immigration laws secure our borders from criminal and terrorist threats and facilitate effective interior enforcement to keep citizens safe. At the same time, our laws must promote a system of legal immigration that encourages economic growth and opportunity, especially in border communities like those in my home State of Arizona, but while we debate these policies on the Senate floor, local police officers and sheriffs around the country are serving on the frontlines of immigration enforcement. These men and women put their lives on the line every time they go out on patrol. For them, immigration policy is not a hypothetical exercise, it is part of the day in and day out reality of serving in law enforcement. Throughout the country, local officers increasingly find themselves coming in contact with individuals who, after being apprehended for the commission of a crime, are determined to be in the country illegally. This is especially common in border States like Arizona. Once it is determined an individual in their custody is in the country illegally, that information is relayed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE.…”