WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center released a new report outlining more than 50 principles and policies to overhaul America’s immigration system. The report provides a clear roadmap for the incoming Congress and presidential administration to establish a new, lawful, orderly, and manageable immigration system prioritizing Americans first. Heritage’s border security and immigration experts made the following statements regarding the report’s unveiling.
Heritage’s Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center Lora Ries and author of the report stated:
“America’s immigration system has long been dysfunctional. Legal immigration has been too complicated, too slow, and too expensive. As a result, millions crossed the border illegally, stayed past the expiration date of their temporary visas, filed fraudulent immigration benefit applications, and remained in the U.S. for years without consequence.
“But the Biden-Harris Administration then fundamentally transformed the U.S. immigration system, erasing the line between legal and illegal immigration. The administration’s new version of America is nothing more than an open-border welfare state.
“No country can sustain or survive such a vision, and what remains cannot and should not be merely “reformed.” America now faces an opportunity to design an entirely new American immigration system that is simpler, faster, and includes full and consistent enforcement. I remain confident that this framework can be crucial in shaping an immigration system that benefits Americans first.”
Heritage Executive Vice President Derrick Morgan added:
“Our nation’s immigration system must serve American citizens. Right now, it is serving illegal aliens who do not always have America’s best interests at heart.
“Under the Biden-Harris administration, thousands of criminals and terrorist threats have entered our country unchecked.
“With a new Congress and White House, it is more urgent than ever to adopt a system that secures our borders, mitigates national security risks, and is fair to those who follow the rules. Lora’s framework does just that.”
Below are the five principles of the report, each with several policy recommendations for each principle:
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As a sovereign nation, our government must uphold the Constitution and rule of law.
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Our immigration system exists to serve the American people.
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Our country must be secure to keep Americans safe.
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America’s immigration system should be simple and sustainable.
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We must eliminate incentives for foreign nationals and American organizations to break our laws.
