Political Quotes

“as the year progresses, the debate over immigration policy grows more and more heated. Calls for restrictions on immigration--both legal and illegal--are accompanied by claims that immigrants represent a drain on our economy and a threat to American values. These sentiments manifest themselves in immigration-related amendments that are being offered to virtually every bill that reaches the Senate floor. More often than not, however, the debate over immigration policy seems driven not by reason, but by emotion. Facts take a backseat to impressions, and these impressions are often misguided. If we are to undertake to reform our immigration laws--and I do not deny that these laws are in need of some reform--we must understand the facts of our current immigration regime, and withstand the desire to rely on empty rhetoric. I am not alone in my views. Recently the Washington Times--in an article entitled ``Immigration Facts and Fiction,'' written by my friend Ben Wattenberg--counseled Americans to find and understand the facts underlying our current immigration system before undertaking a comprehensive reform of that system. The Times article, citing a recently published study by the Urban Institute on the costs of immigration, noted several important facts that should bear on any attempted immigration reform: The majority of illegal entrants into the United States are individuals who overstay their visas, not individuals who illegally cross our borders.”