Immigration Reform Quotes

• I started getting more and more active around immigration reform because this was such a waste of lives, such a waste of potential, such a waste for our country not to have the human capital that we developed - geared toward improving our entire society.

  Laurene Powell Jobs

  Country, Waste, Immigration

  "Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ Wife, Gives First Interview Since Husband’s Death" by Dan Nakaso, www.huffingtonpost.com. April 12, 2013.

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• A good place to start is with the kids ... One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children and who know no other home.

  Eric Cantor

  Country, Children, Mistake

  "Eric Cantor: Dreamers 'Should Receive Pathway To Citizenship'" by Elise Foley, www.huffingtonpost.com. May 02, 2013.

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• Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams - to study, invent, and contribute to our culture - they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone. So let's get immigration reform done this year.

  Barack Obama

  Dream, Country, Jobs

  Fifth Presidential State of the Union, delivered 28 January 2014

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• I support concrete and progressive immigration reform based on three primary criteria: family reunification, economic contributions, and humanitarian concerns.

  Jeff Bingaman

  Support, Immigration, Reform

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• When a politician like Marco Rubio is willing to sacrifice his career defining immigration reform legislation solely to insure that gays and lesbians are denied equal protection under the law, we have to admit that we’re under attack. This is not pragmatic politics at work. These are the policies of bias, exclusion and unfairness.

  Harvey Fierstein

  Sacrifice, Gay, Law

  "Don’t End the War on Terror" by Harvey Fierstein, www.huffingtonpost.com. May 28, 2013.

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• If immigration reform passes, it'll be a big victory for sanity - nobody really believes it's healthy for a country to have millions and millions of undocumented noncitizens living in the shadows. But it'll also be a sign that the Republican Party has gotten tired of letting the Tea Party push it around.

  Gail Collins

  Country, Party, Believe

  "An Ethnic Map". Interview with David Brooks, opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com. May 8, 2013.

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• Conservatism has always been about reforming government and solving problems, and that's why the conservative movement should lead on immigration reform.

  Marco Rubio

  Government, Immigration, Reform

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• I marched with you in the streets of Chicago to meet our immigration challenge. I fought with you in the Senate for comprehensive immigration reform. And I will make it a top priority in my first year as President.

  Barack Obama

  Years, Priorities, Challenges

  Barack Obama's Address to the League of United Latin American Citizens in Washington D.C., www.washingtonpost.com. July 8, 2008.

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• We have a long way to go, some tough issues ahead of us, and I'm sure there will be some obstacles in the path ... But the good faith effort that's being put into this absolutely is encouraging to me and gives me hope.

  Dick Durbin

  Issues, Long, Giving

  "Harry Reid On Immigration: I’m Committed To Getting Bipartisan Plan ‘Over The Finish Line’" by Elise Foley, www.huffingtonpost.com. January 31, 2013.

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• I hope that Republicans in the House and Mr. Cantor will embrace that as part of immigration reform.

  Dick Durbin

  House, Immigration, Reform

  "Durbin: All illegal immigrants must have pathway to citizenship" by John Bresnahan, www.politico.com. February 10, 2013.

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• We have 11 million people in this country that need a pathway to citizenship.

  Dick Durbin

  Country, People, Pathways

  "Durbin: All illegal immigrants must have pathway to citizenship" by John Bresnahan, www.politico.com. February 10, 2013.

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• We are dealing with the question of the 11 million people paying their taxes, having a path to legalization and, then, ultimately, to citizenship. Tough issues but we are coming together and I think we can do it.

  Dick Durbin

  Thinking, Issues, People

  "Sens. Dick Durbin and Bob Corker on chances of budget compromise; battle over GOP's future". "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace.", www.foxnews.com. March 17, 2013.

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• He [Rubio] is so knowledgeable about this issue ... I'm glad to see somebody with his background step forward and say it's important and we need to look at it.

  Saxby Chambliss

  Issues, Important, Immigration

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• There are many miles to go before we get this done ... But I have a feeling that ... we're going to have a big bipartisan vote for this in the end. My sense is that people are more optimistic than they've been in 20 years about addressing this problem.

  Michael Bennet

  Optimistic, Years, People

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• America is the only developed nation that has a 2,000-mile border with a developing nation, and the government's refusal to control that border is why there are an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona and why the nation, sensibly insisting on first things first, resists 'comprehensive' immigration reform.

  George Will

  Government, America, Immigration

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• I think this group of people came together in a way that they haven't before in 2007. I'm very optimistic we can do something ... I want to get there, I want to support this.

  Sherrod Brown

  Optimistic, Thinking, People

  "Moderate Dems coy on immigration" by Kate Nocera, www.politico.com. January 31, 2013.

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• I think comprehensive immigration reform while securing your border and dealing rationale with 11 million is the only way we're going to solve this problem.

  Lindsey Graham

  Thinking, Way, Immigration

  "Sen. Graham on security of our nation's capital, 2016 plans; Sen. Sanders ready to challenge Hillary Clinton?". "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace, www.foxnews.com. April 19, 2015.

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• America deserves common sense immigration reform that reflects our interests and our values as Americans.

  Hank Johnson

  America, Common Sense, Immigration

  "Time Is Right for Comprehensive Immigration Reform" by Rep. Hank Johnson, www.huffingtonpost.com. April 10, 2013.

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• The majority of surveys throughout this Nation show that the American people are advocating for a comprehensive and realistic approach to immigration reform.

  Raul Grijalva

  People, Majority, Immigration

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• We must have sweeping, generous immigration reform, make existing law- abiding Hispanics welcome. Most are hard working family people.

  Rupert Murdoch

  Hard Work, Law, People

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• Now, I swore an oath to uphold the laws on the books... Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own... Believe me, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. I promise you. Not just on immigration reform. But that's not how - that's not how our system works. That's not how our democracy functions. Thats not how our Constitution is written.

  Barack Obama

  Believe, Book, Law

  President Barack Obama's remarks to the National Council of La Raza, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. July 25, 2011.

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• As the American public continues to focus more intensely on illegal immigration and securing the nation's borders, the number of members of the House Immigration Reform Caucus continues to grow.

  Virgil Goode

  Numbers, Focus, House

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• Sen. Robert Menendez's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 would try to nullify every single state and local law that fights illegal immigration. Congressman Luis Gutierrez's CIR ASAP Act with over 100 Democratic co-sponsors does the same thing.

  Russell Pearce

  Fighting, Law, Trying

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• Self-deport? What the heck does that mean? I have no doubt Hispanics have been alienated during this campaign. But now there's an opportunity for Gov. Romney to have a sincere conversation about what we can do and why. I absolutely advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. Republicans want to be tough and say, 'Illegals, you're gone.' But the answer is a lot more complex than that.

  Susana Martinez

  Mean, Opportunity, Self

  "Susana Martinez: What New Mexico's Governor Can Teach the GOP" by Andrew Romano, www.newsweek.com. May 14, 2012.

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• I absolutely advocate for comprehensive immigration reform.

  Susana Martinez

  Immigration, Reform, Comprehensive

  "Susana Martinez: What New Mexico's Governor Can Teach the GOP" by Andrew Romano, www.newsweek.com. May 14, 2012.

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