The Path Forward

Yesterday, President Trump announced a 21-day continuing resolution to reopen the government.

Moderate Democrats have peeled away from the fringe-left of their party and elicited public statements of support for increased border security and a border wall. We need all Democrats to get serious about securing the border and follow with statements like these:

• Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-7): “‘Give Trump the money.”
• Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-6): “I hope that we can all come to a compromise because that’s the way things get done. If we don’t compromise, the American people are the ones who get hurt.”
• Rep. Katie Hill (CA-25): “I Mean, I Will Definitely… I Will Vote For Some Money For Physical Barriers.”

Over the next three weeks, Republicans and Democrats will negotiate, and a large, comprehensive immigration deal is a likely outcome.

Conservative priorities:

• Border Wall: Fully fund the President’s request for the border wall.
• Internal Enforcement:Penalize sanctuary cities; end “catch and release”; prosecute employers who hire illegal immigrants; and make being unlawfully present a criminal violation.
• Legal Immigration Reform: End family-based chain migration (excluding spouses and children); reallocate the diversity lottery visas and move to a merit-based system.
• Law Enforcement: Increase numbers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents, prosecutors, and immigration court judges.

The price for any compromise should be very high and not be a bad deal for the American taxpayer. We need vital reforms to secure our border and provide for an orderly immigration process that rewards legal immigrants.

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