• info@belibre.org

President Promotes Expanded Legal Immigration

(Arlington, VA) – Last night the president delivered the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of the House and Senate. In it, he again outlined the administration’s immigration priorities.

 

Daniel Garza, President of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:

“In his address last night, the president again called on Congress to fund new barriers at the border. In doing so, he called for reforms that admit legal immigrants in ‘the largest numbers ever.’ We agree that expanded legal immigration is an important part of a solution to our nation’s immigration challenges. While some have advocated for policies that dramatically reduce legal immigration, we know that cuts to legal immigration create new incentives that drive more unlawful immigration. This is an important point that was also recently made by the president of the National Border Patrol Council.

“But while we stand ready to work with anyone to reform our legal immigration system, and to ensure that market-driven policies effectively reduce the incentives that drive people to violate the law, the path forward today remains unchanged. The best way for the president and leaders in Congress to address two important priorities and avoid another shutdown is to pass legislation that pairs enhanced funding for border security and permanent protection for the Dreamers. We will continue to work with the White House and leaders in Congress to get this done.”

For interviews with a representative from the LIBRE Initiative, please contact Brian Faughnan, 202-805-1581 or Wadi Gaitan, 202-853-4433