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Comprehensive Solution Includes Employers & Borders
Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada; 11/15/07
What we have to do is create a comprehensive solution to the problem. As president I will make sure that we finally have the kind of border security that we need. Employers have to be held accountable. When we do those things, we can take the illegal aliens who are here, get them out of the shadows, make sure that they are subject to a stiff penalty, make sure that they're learning English and go to the back of the line so they're not getting an advantage over people who came here legally.
Undocumented Workers Come Here to Work, Not to Drive
Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada; 11/15/07
When I was a state senator in Illinois, I voted to require that illegal aliens get trained, get a license, get insurance to protect public safety. That was my intention. The problem we have here is not driver's licenses. Undocumented workers do not come here to drive. They're here to work. Instead of being distracting by what has now become a wedge issue, let's focus on actually solving the problem that this administration, the Bush administration, had done nothing about it.
Support Granting Driver's Licenses to Illegal Immigrants
Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada; 11/15/07
Q: In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, do you support driver's licenses for illegal immigrants?
A: Yes. I am going to be fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, and we shouldn't pose the question that, somehow, we can't achieve that. The American people desperately want it; that's what I'm going to be fighting for as president.
Illegal Immigrants' Lack of Id Is a Public Safety Concern
Democratic debate at Drexel University; 10/30/07
There is a public safety concern [with denying driver's licenses to illegal immigrants]. We can make sure that drivers who are illegal come out of the shadows, that they can be tracked, that they are properly trained, and that will make our roads safer. That doesn't negate the need for us to reform illegal immigration.
Immigration System Is Broken for Legal Immigrants
Democratic primary debate on Univision in Spanish; 9/8/07
We've got to fix a broken immigration system not just for the undocumented but for legal immigrants. Because the backlogs are horrendous, the fees have been increased and doubled and tripled, and as a consequence more and more people are having difficulty just trying to reunify their families even if they're going through the legal pathways, and that puts more pressure on people to go into the illegal system. That is something we're going to try to pass.
Reform must Include More Border Security, and Border Wall
Democratic primary debate on Univision in Spanish; 9/9/07
Q: None of the 9/11 terrorists entered the US through the Mexican border. Why build a wall there in the name of national security? I would like to mention that Senator Obama, Clinton and Dodd voted in favor of the wall.
OBAMA: I have been a consistent champion of comprehensive immigration reform. And keep in mind that my father came to this country from a small village in Africa because he was looking for opportunity. And so when I see people who are coming across these borders, whether legally or illegally, I know that the motivation is trying to create a better life for their children and their grandchildren. So I was one of the leaders, along with several other senators, in passing comprehensive immigration reform. It failed in the House. That is going to involve some elements of border security because we've got to make our borders more secure. We can't just have hundreds of thousands of people coming into the country without knowing who they are.
Sanctuary Cities Show That Feds Are Not Enforcing Law
Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College; 9/6/07
Q: Would you allow "sanctuary cities" to ignore the federal law & provide sanctuary to immigrants?
A: The federal law is not being enforced not because of failures of local communities, but because the federal government has not done the job that it needs to do.
Q: You would allow the sanctuary cities to exist?
A: What I would do as president is pass comprehensive immigration reform. And controlling our borders but also providing a rational immigration system, which we currently don't have.
Pathway to Citizenship, but People Have to Earn it
AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum; 8/8/07
Q: Are you going to create a path to the citizenship for undocumented workers?
A: We have to make sure that employers are held accountable, because right now employers are taking advantage of undocumented workers. And we've got to give a pathway to citizenship. But people have to earn it. They're going to have to pay a fine. They've got to make sure that they're learning English. They've got to go to the back of the line so that they're not rewarded for having broken the law.
Let's Be a Nation of Laws AND a Nation of Immigrants
AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum; 8/8/07
I think it's possible for us to be a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. That's what we've always been and that's what we have to continue to be. And that's why I've worked in the Senate and will work hard as president to make sure that we've got comprehensive immigration reform that has strong border security. We need to make sure that it's orderly, that we don't have thousands of people pouring over our borders or overstaying our visas.
Do a Better Job Patrolling the Canadian and Mexican Borders
Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College; 6/3/07
We should certainly do a better job patrolling the borders in Canada. This recent case with the young lawyer who had tuberculosis being waved through by a border guard because, he said, he looked okay is a problem. We've got to strengthen our border patrols on both sides. We are a country of immigrants. We're also a country of laws. And the question is, how do we balance that appropriately? I am hopeful that we can solve this problem constructively.
Give Immigrants Who Are Here a Rigorous Path to Citizenship
Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College; 6/3/07
We want to have a situation in which those who are already here, are playing by the rules, are willing to pay a fine and go through a rigorous process should have a pathway to legalization. Most Americans will support that if they have some sense that the border is also being secured. What they don't want is a situation in which there is a pathway to legalization and you've got another several hundred thousand of folks coming in every year. That is a central position we should be able to arrive at.
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