Angie Craig: “The issue of immigration reform, especially that affecting well over 1.5 million undocumented agricultural workers of…”

“The issue of immigration reform, especially that affecting well over 1.5 million undocumented agricultural workers of our Nation, is, in my opinion, a critical issue. In a post-9/11 era, what we have said about our country, and what our citizens are saying, is pretty straightforward. They are saying control the borders, identify those who are within, and arrest those who are undocumented or illegal or who might perpetrate harm to this Nation. I agree with those very fundamental principles that retain the character and the integrity of our country. But what we are also finding in a post-9/11 era is that our negligence as a country, our responsibility as legislators in failing to produce a workable immigration policy, has resulted in between 8 million and 12 million undocumented foreign nationals in our country. Many of them--frankly, most of them--are hard-working human beings who have contributed a great deal to our country and to our country's economy. In the area of the agricultural economy, that is especially true.”