Nathan Deal: “we have heard a lot of terms here the today. One is unfairness. Let me talk about the greatest unfairness there is. That…”

“we have heard a lot of terms here the today. One is unfairness. Let me talk about the greatest unfairness there is. That is those citizens and those legal immigrants who are finding their jobs taken away from them, who are finding their taxes increased to pay for the jobs that are going to those who are illegally in this country and the benefits that are going to them. There are a lot of things that we as Americans hold dear. One is citizenship. Those of us who are lucky to achieve it by the virtue of birth or those who have achieved it by virtue of immigration and naturalization. Another thing we hold dear is that we are a country that has a system of law. I submit to you that the ever-increasing tide of illegal immigrants undermines both of these things. Citizenship should not be cheapened. Respect for the law, which includes immigration laws, should not be denigrated. This bill is the first major step this institution has taken in the direction of dealing with illegal immigration in more than a decade. Is it perfect? Certainly not. But does it begin to restore the sanctity of citizenship and respect for the law, yes, it does.”