Their first question is, 'When can I go to work? Anything. Tell me, Senator. Anything.'

It doesn't speak well for our country that that would be happening.

Everything's connected, my friends.

For my part, I met with constituents across the State of Illinois, and everywhere traveled I heard the same thing over, and over, and over.

For my part, I met with constituents across the State of Illinois, and everywhere traveled I heard the same thing over, and over, and over.

We had four Democrats and four Republicans and we spent months putting together a comprehensive immigration reform bill which passed in the floor of the Senate.

We're going to import more food than we export because it's so much cheaper to farm in other places than it is here.

I believe that the United States has benefited greatly from immigration and the immigrants who arrive both economically and culturally.

It's a national security risk. Our shortage of farm and food workers has forced us to rely on other countries to meet our food needs.

Congress should first and foremost regularize the status of those who are in the United States but lack an immigration status.

If you say there's enough American workers to make agriculture work in America, you don't know what you're talking about.

The GAO noted last year that the Pentagon is facing the most challenging recruitment environment in 50 years.

I believe, based on my impression of your performance today, that you are in it for the right reasons.

Those work visa programs can and should be reformed to include a quick path to a green card.

We've got to get off dead center and do something.

Those are poverty wages.

We need to approach this issue as an economic imperative because the fact is, immigration reform is the most immediate and meaningful step we could take today to resolve our shortage of workers.

To wait for 30 years and to watch the situation grow as desperate as it has, not only at the border, but with businesses and farms represented here today.

Their first question is, 'When can I go to work? Anything. Tell me, Senator. Anything.'

A secure border is necessary, I think, as part of any effort to provide legalization to people already here that are adding value to our country.

Those are poverty wages.

For more than three decades, Congress has failed to modernize our Nation's immigration system.

To wait for 30 years and to watch the situation grow as desperate as it has, not only at the border, but with businesses and farms represented here today.

I believe, based on my impression of your performance today, that you are in it for the right reasons.

I believe that is the only way to address this.