Xavier Becerra: “I support the efforts of the Chrysler amendment to try to have a reasoned debate on legal immigration separate from the…”

“I support the efforts of the Chrysler amendment to try to have a reasoned debate on legal immigration separate from the very impassioned debate on illegal immigration. I would urge Members to support that particular amendment. Let me say that the whole issue here is about family-based immigration. That is all we are talking about here. In order for someone to be able to come into this country under the provisions being debated, you must have an American petition to have that particular individual come to the country. This issue of chain migration is a false one. By the time you have someone come into this country, it usually takes 12 to 13 years before that individual can then petition to have anyone who is an immediate relative--not a distant relative--come into this country. So this issue of chain migration is really a quarter century long before you see any additional relatives possibly having the chance to come in, if even that soon. There is no chain migration. What we do have though, if we continue to go this course with H.R. 2202, is a lack of family-based immigration, where brothers, sisters, children, and parents will not have an opportunity to join their U.S. citizen relatives. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this particular amendment.”