Updated: 1/22/2016
Democratic Convention:
Month
July
Day
25
Year
2016
Reduce competition from, and enticement for,
ILLEGAL WORK FORCE
ILLEGAL WORK FORCE
Mandate E-Verify-plus,
punish business violators
No single immigration enforcement action will open up more jobs for Americans than enacting an "E-Verify-plus" law that requires every employer to use E-verify to keep illegal migrants and other unauthorized foreign citizens from taking construction, manufacturing, technical and service jobs. Ratings are based on support for that and also for requirements that root out identity theft and fraud.
punish business violators
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
No single immigration enforcement action will open up more jobs for Americans than enacting an "E-Verify-plus" law that requires every employer to use E-verify to keep illegal migrants and other unauthorized foreign citizens from taking construction, manufacturing, technical and service jobs. Ratings are based on support for that and also for requirements that root out identity theft and fraud.
Prevent illegal border
entries & surges
More than half of the millions of U.S. jobs that Americans are denied are held by foreign citizens who crossed our borders illegally. Candidates are rated on their commitment to implementing border-security laws already passed by Congress and on their specific promises about increasing judges to rapidly turn back surges, and about fencing, manpower and equipment for operational control of the borders.
entries & surges
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
More than half of the millions of U.S. jobs that Americans are denied are held by foreign citizens who crossed our borders illegally. Candidates are rated on their commitment to implementing border-security laws already passed by Congress and on their specific promises about increasing judges to rapidly turn back surges, and about fencing, manpower and equipment for operational control of the borders.
Implement Interior
Enforcement
Many of the millions of illegal workers have been rewarded and encouraged to stay in the U.S. because successive Presidents have refused to enforce laws already on the books (a) that penalize sanctuary cities and states that fail to cooperate with immigration officials, and (b) that penalize states and localities that break federal law in providing in-state tuition, driver's licenses and other benefits to illegal workers. We also rate candidates on their plans for the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax incentives that are powerful magnets to draw and keep illegal workers in this country.
Enforcement
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
Many of the millions of illegal workers have been rewarded and encouraged to stay in the U.S. because successive Presidents have refused to enforce laws already on the books (a) that penalize sanctuary cities and states that fail to cooperate with immigration officials, and (b) that penalize states and localities that break federal law in providing in-state tuition, driver's licenses and other benefits to illegal workers. We also rate candidates on their plans for the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax incentives that are powerful magnets to draw and keep illegal workers in this country.
Finish entry-exit system to
track visa overstays
Successive Presidents have refused to implement the law requiring a computerized, bio-metric check-in/check-out system that should be used by the government to track every foreign citizen who enters the U.S. by air, sea or land and to be aware the day that foreign visitors fail to check-out by the exit date on their visa. Visa overstayers account for nearly half the U.S. jobs that are filled by illegal aliens.
track visa overstays
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
Successive Presidents have refused to implement the law requiring a computerized, bio-metric check-in/check-out system that should be used by the government to track every foreign citizen who enters the U.S. by air, sea or land and to be aware the day that foreign visitors fail to check-out by the exit date on their visa. Visa overstayers account for nearly half the U.S. jobs that are filled by illegal aliens.
End automatic birthright
citizenship
Hundreds of thousands of foreign citizens are given lifetime U.S. work visas every year through the practice of granting automatic citizenship to every birth to a tourist, visiting student, temporary worker or illegal alien. Although they obviously don't immediately begin competing for jobs, they eventually do. In the short-term, these children of foreign citizens harm American workers because they are used to excuse their parents' illegal presence here, allowing many to continue to illegally hold U.S. jobs and creating pressure to give the parents amnesty and lifetime work permits to compete with any American for any job.
citizenship
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
Hundreds of thousands of foreign citizens are given lifetime U.S. work visas every year through the practice of granting automatic citizenship to every birth to a tourist, visiting student, temporary worker or illegal alien. Although they obviously don't immediately begin competing for jobs, they eventually do. In the short-term, these children of foreign citizens harm American workers because they are used to excuse their parents' illegal presence here, allowing many to continue to illegally hold U.S. jobs and creating pressure to give the parents amnesty and lifetime work permits to compete with any American for any job.
Prevent competition from
AMNESTIED WORKERS
AMNESTIED WORKERS
Oppose work permits for
illegal immigrants
Regardless of what candidates may think about the use of deportations to re-establish the rule of law in our immigration system, we are rating them on their commitments about whether they will force Americans to compete in the legal job market with millions of foreign citizens who are in the United States illegally.
illegal immigrants
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
Regardless of what candidates may think about the use of deportations to re-establish the rule of law in our immigration system, we are rating them on their commitments about whether they will force Americans to compete in the legal job market with millions of foreign citizens who are in the United States illegally.
Reduce unfair competition from
FUTURE IMMIGRANT WORKERS
FUTURE IMMIGRANT WORKERS
Support overall reduction in
annual immigration
The most recent bi-partisan federal commission on immigration recommended cutting annual numbers of legal immigration to half the current level in order to protect the jobs and wages for America's most vulnerable workers. It is the flow of legal immigration that is the most harmful to American workers because it adds far more workers to compete for jobs and wages than does illegal immigration. Because every legal immigrant gets a lifetime work permit, the offer of immigration should always be considered very seriously in terms of whether it will make it harder for American workers to gain a job or wage increase.
annual immigration
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
The most recent bi-partisan federal commission on immigration recommended cutting annual numbers of legal immigration to half the current level in order to protect the jobs and wages for America's most vulnerable workers. It is the flow of legal immigration that is the most harmful to American workers because it adds far more workers to compete for jobs and wages than does illegal immigration. Because every legal immigrant gets a lifetime work permit, the offer of immigration should always be considered very seriously in terms of whether it will make it harder for American workers to gain a job or wage increase.
End chain migration
The No. 1 cause of the quadrupling of the number of legal immigrants obtaining lifetime work permits has been new chain-migration categories that allow each immigrant to petition for certain adult relatives, each of whom can petition for their relatives, creating a virtually endless chain of migration into the future. We rate candidates on how much chain migration they recommend eliminating and what they would do with the current backlog.
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
The No. 1 cause of the quadrupling of the number of legal immigrants obtaining lifetime work permits has been new chain-migration categories that allow each immigrant to petition for certain adult relatives, each of whom can petition for their relatives, creating a virtually endless chain of migration into the future. We rate candidates on how much chain migration they recommend eliminating and what they would do with the current backlog.
Protect against unfair
work-visa competition
The government should institute safeguards that will prevent importation of specific foreign workers for specific kinds of visas and jobs any time that would threaten the jobs or depress the wages of American workers in those occupations. Employment-based visas (lifetime and temporary) should be issued only after a job has been posted nationally on the internet for Americans to apply. And the process should be transparent so the public can see which employers are filling which jobs with foreign workers.
work-visa competition
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
The government should institute safeguards that will prevent importation of specific foreign workers for specific kinds of visas and jobs any time that would threaten the jobs or depress the wages of American workers in those occupations. Employment-based visas (lifetime and temporary) should be issued only after a job has been posted nationally on the internet for Americans to apply. And the process should be transparent so the public can see which employers are filling which jobs with foreign workers.
End visa lottery
The government should stop using a lottery to raffle off lifetime work permits to tens of thousands of randomly chosen foreign citizens each year. These work permits are given out without regard to whether a foreign worker has a skill that is needed by this country and without any consideration to the effect on the employment and wages of American workers.
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
The government should stop using a lottery to raffle off lifetime work permits to tens of thousands of randomly chosen foreign citizens each year. These work permits are given out without regard to whether a foreign worker has a skill that is needed by this country and without any consideration to the effect on the employment and wages of American workers.
Martin
O'Malley (DEM)
O'Malley (DEM)
No Action
Harmful
Abysmal
No Action
Abysmal
Abysmal
Abysmal
Abysmal
Abysmal
Abysmal
O'Malley
Tell Martin O'Malley he can do better on immigration:
- Website: https://martinomalley.com/
- Email: info@martinomalley.com
- Phone: 443-552-3526
Rating Sources
Instructions
Click on individual ratings to view quotes and other source materials for that rating.
Mandate E-Verify-plus
- We have not been able to locate any comments made by Gov. O'Malley regarding the E-Verify system. To improve his grade, O'Malley needs to explicitly support mandating use of the E-Verify system.
Prevent illegal border entries & surges
- In August 2015 Gov. O’Malley sent an email statement to Fusion opposing holding immigrant families in detention centers. He wrote, “Detaining refugee mothers and their children in internment camps is contrary to everything for which our country is supposed to stand..I urge the Administration to agree to the judge’s request to place all refugee mothers and their children into the homes of their relatives or into foster care.” Source: http://fusion.net/story/179831/presidential-candidate-martin-omalley-slams-feds-immigrant-family-detention/
- When Gov. O'Malley announced his candidacy in May 2015, Gov. O'Malley defended his actions to accept UACs during the 2014 border surge. "When nobody else would speak up about the deplorable treatment of the Central American refugee kids coming to our country for sanctuary, I stood up and spoke very directly." Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/martin-omalley-counters-hillary-clinton-im-not-new-to-immigration-reform-118599.html
- While Gov. O'Malley has indicated a reluctance to send border surge children back to their home countries on moral grounds, he has not expressed outright support for a mass amnesty. O'Malley has also made it clear that the large number of illegal workers worsens wages for all involved: "I actually think that when you have people living in the shadows of our society, people living off the books and not being fully recognized citizens, that you create a couple of things that are bad for wages." Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-03-09/martin-o-malley-readies-his-run-as-the-un-hillary
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for an end to the 34,000 bed quota that Border Patrol is supposed to maintain. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
Implement Interior Enforcement
- Gov. O'Malley has signed legislation to give illegal aliens drivers licenses and in-state tuition and prevent Maryland law enforcement agencies from aiding ICE.
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for 1) an end to the ban on DACA and DAPA recipients from receiving ObamaCare, 2) a limit on the detention of illegal aliens, and 3) a limit on the use of detainers and notifications. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
- During a December 2015 conference in New York Gov. O’Malley called for an end to the deportation saying that deportation should be a last resort. “I am writing to respectfully request that D.H.S. reconsider this approach and instead look for ways to humanely treat people seeking refuge and to greatly improve the legal due process necessary for asylum,” he added. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/30/martin-omalley-urges-obama-administration-to-rethink-immigration-raids/
Finish entry-exit system to track visa overstays
- We have not been able to ascertain Gov. O'Malley's position on visa overstayers and implementing a biometric entry/exit system.
End automatic birthright citizenship
- In July 2015 Gov. O'Malley released a statement against the state of Texas for refusing to give birth certificates to some U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants without valid identification documents. “Denying birth certificates to U.S, citizens is not only outrageous, it’s unconstitutional,” the former Maryland governor said in astatement released in English and Spanish. “The 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution could not be clearer. It states that ‘all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside,’ ” he said. “The Texas Department of State Health services should cease this discriminatory and unconstitutional practice immediately. Citizenship is a human right.” Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/24/martin-omalley-sides-illegal-immigrants-lawsuit-ag/?
Oppose work permits for illegal immigrants
-
In January 2016 Gov. O’Malley said that the Central American migrants targeted in the ICE deportation raids should be given TPS status that would make them eligible to work and receive benefits in the U.S. “The answer is not to deport mothers and children who walked thousands of miles to ask for refuge. The answer is to extend [Temporary Protective Status] to those who have fled from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador,” O’Malley said. Source: http://www.latintimes.com/martin-omalley-urges-obama-give-central-american-migrants-legal-status-instead-362906
- During a meeting hosted by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in June 2015, Gov. O'Malley said he "would absolutely do everything in my power" to pass comprehensive immigration reform in his first 100 days. "We need comprehensive immigration reform, and we need to engage with all our members of Congress to make that happen. And that’s what I intend to do," he said. "There’s no magic wand, there’s no easy button for this. We have to talk with one another." Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/3/hillary-clinton-martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-jock/?page=2
- Gov. Malley also said in May 2015, "For the sake of our country's security, and our country's well-being, and our country's economic growth, we must also bring 11 million of our neighbors out of the shadows by passing comprehensive immigration reform." Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/05/30/heres-what-martin-omalley-said-when-he-launched-his-campaign/
- Gov. O'Malley is supportive of allowing illegal aliens to remain in the United States, acknowledging that having illegal workers depresses wages for both American and illegal workers. "I actually think that when you have people living in the shadows of our society, people living off the books and not being fully recognized citizens, that you create a couple of things that are bad for wages. You create an underground economy. It’s bad for our security -- you create an underground society. And that’s bad for our country. One cannot point to an extended period of time in American history when newly arriving groups of immigrants did anything but make our country stronger." Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-03-09/martin-o-malley-readies-his-run-as-the-un-hillary
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley expressed his support for amnesty and the use of executive action. "Our fight for immigration reform is about bringing more of our neighbors out of the shadow economy and into the full light of an open and inclusive American economy. Above all, I would use executive action, to the fullest extent allowable of my authority as president of the United States to push Congress to pass comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform because that is best for the people of the United States of America." Source: http://www.latinpost.com/articles/66400/20150716/hillary-clinton-launch-new-immigration-dream-ad.htm
Support overall reduction in annual immigration
- In November 2015 O’Malley said the U.S. should take in more Syrian refugees and said the current vetting process was adequate despite the FBI Director’s warning that the U.S. could not conduct thorough background checks. “We already have probably the most extensive vetting process for Syrian refugees of any country on the planet,” O’Malley continued. "There are 13 steps that they have to go through.” Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/261197-omalley-trumps-muslim-database-recalls-fascism
- In a September 2015 interview with Democracy Now O’Malley said that the U.S. should bring in more Syrian refugees. “And we do best as a nation, and we are most credible in the exercise of our foreign policy, when we act in accordance with our deepest principles. And one of those principles, especially in the context that we’re seeing, the suffering in Syria and the refugee families fleeing with their children, little bodies washing up on the beaches, we need to step up. And I am the only candidate in this race, in either party, that has said that we should accept 65,000 refugees from Syria and step up and do our part in this crisis. I mean, one of the abiding truths of every great world religion is that you shall be kind to strangers, especially when they’re fleeing with their—for their lives and with their children. So, we are a great and a generous, and we are a good and compassionate nation. And the truth can damn well defend herself, but she needs to be stated first, and then the American people will rally to their true selves.” Source: http://www.democracynow.org/2015/9/10/we_need_to_step_up_martin
- During a meeting hosted by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in June 2015, Gov. O'Malley expressed his support to pass comprehensive immigration reform similar to the Gang of Eight amnesty bill. "I would absolutely do everything in my power," Mr. O'Malley said. "I would not give up. ... We need comprehensive immigration reform, and we need to engage with all our members of Congress to make that happen. And that’s what I intend to do. There’s no magic wand, there’s no easy button for this. We have to talk with one another." The Gang of Eight amnesty bill would have tripled legal immigration in the first 10 years after passaage. Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/3/hillary-clinton-martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-jock/?page=2
End chain migration
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for quicker processing of family-based green cards, specifically addressing the backlog of approximately 4 million green card applications. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
Protect against unfair work-visa competition
-
During a January 2016 campaign stop in Iowa Gov. O’Malley said, “And I do not believe that new American immigrants take our jobs. No. New American immigrants make America stronger.” Source:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/01/09/78580674/
- In his immigration plan Gov. O’Malley would make it easier for higher-skilled immigrants in the U.S. to find jobs.“Roughly one out of five highly skilled immigrants in the United States is unemployed or underemployed, unable to fully contribute their entrepreneurial efforts to America’s success. O’Malley would work with states, Congress, and federal agency partners to address barriers for high-skilled immigrant workers, such as credentialing and licensing requirements and policies; and to better provide language and technical training through the nation’s workforce system.” Source: https://martinomalley.com/policy/immigration/
- Gov. O'Malley, when asked by an American about his views of the Gang of 8 amnesty bill that would have increased foreign worker numbers and harmed American workers, said, "I actually think that when you have people living in the shadows of our society, people living off the books and not being fully recognized citizens, that you create a couple of things that are bad for wages. You create an underground economy. It's bad for our security--you create an underground society. And that's bad for our country. One cannot point to an extended period of time in American history when newly arriving groups of immigrants did anything but make our country stronger." Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-03-09/martin-o-malley-readies-his-run-as-the-un-hillary
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for 1) an independent agency to set immigration policy, including levels of green cards and guest-worker visas and 2) make it easier for foreign professionals to work in the U.S. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
- During an August 2015 MSNBC interview O’Malley repeated his support to offer illegal aliens amnesty. “If we want wages to go up again in our country, then let's get 11 million of our neighbors out of the underground economy and into the full light of an American economy where they can work on the books, make contributions to our country, make their families stronger, and thereby make our country stronger,” he said. Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/08/25/martin_omalley_unscrupulous_charlatan_donald_trump_is_scapegoating_other_human_beings_weak.html
End visa lottery
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for the continuation of the visa lottery that randomly grants at least 50,000 green cards each year to foreign citizens regardless of their skills or educational attainment. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
- Gov. O'Malley has signed legislation to give illegal aliens drivers licenses and in-state tuition and prevent Maryland law enforcement agencies from aiding ICE.
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for 1) an end to the ban on DACA and DAPA recipients from receiving ObamaCare, 2) a limit on the detention of illegal aliens, and 3) a limit on the use of detainers and notifications. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
- During a December 2015 conference in New York Gov. O’Malley called for an end to the deportation saying that deportation should be a last resort. “I am writing to respectfully request that D.H.S. reconsider this approach and instead look for ways to humanely treat people seeking refuge and to greatly improve the legal due process necessary for asylum,” he added. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/30/martin-omalley-urges-obama-administration-to-rethink-immigration-raids/
Finish entry-exit system to track visa overstays
- We have not been able to ascertain Gov. O'Malley's position on visa overstayers and implementing a biometric entry/exit system.
End automatic birthright citizenship
- In July 2015 Gov. O'Malley released a statement against the state of Texas for refusing to give birth certificates to some U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants without valid identification documents. “Denying birth certificates to U.S, citizens is not only outrageous, it’s unconstitutional,” the former Maryland governor said in astatement released in English and Spanish. “The 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution could not be clearer. It states that ‘all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside,’ ” he said. “The Texas Department of State Health services should cease this discriminatory and unconstitutional practice immediately. Citizenship is a human right.” Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/24/martin-omalley-sides-illegal-immigrants-lawsuit-ag/?
Oppose work permits for illegal immigrants
-
In January 2016 Gov. O’Malley said that the Central American migrants targeted in the ICE deportation raids should be given TPS status that would make them eligible to work and receive benefits in the U.S. “The answer is not to deport mothers and children who walked thousands of miles to ask for refuge. The answer is to extend [Temporary Protective Status] to those who have fled from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador,” O’Malley said. Source: http://www.latintimes.com/martin-omalley-urges-obama-give-central-american-migrants-legal-status-instead-362906
- During a meeting hosted by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in June 2015, Gov. O'Malley said he "would absolutely do everything in my power" to pass comprehensive immigration reform in his first 100 days. "We need comprehensive immigration reform, and we need to engage with all our members of Congress to make that happen. And that’s what I intend to do," he said. "There’s no magic wand, there’s no easy button for this. We have to talk with one another." Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/3/hillary-clinton-martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-jock/?page=2
- Gov. Malley also said in May 2015, "For the sake of our country's security, and our country's well-being, and our country's economic growth, we must also bring 11 million of our neighbors out of the shadows by passing comprehensive immigration reform." Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/05/30/heres-what-martin-omalley-said-when-he-launched-his-campaign/
- Gov. O'Malley is supportive of allowing illegal aliens to remain in the United States, acknowledging that having illegal workers depresses wages for both American and illegal workers. "I actually think that when you have people living in the shadows of our society, people living off the books and not being fully recognized citizens, that you create a couple of things that are bad for wages. You create an underground economy. It’s bad for our security -- you create an underground society. And that’s bad for our country. One cannot point to an extended period of time in American history when newly arriving groups of immigrants did anything but make our country stronger." Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-03-09/martin-o-malley-readies-his-run-as-the-un-hillary
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley expressed his support for amnesty and the use of executive action. "Our fight for immigration reform is about bringing more of our neighbors out of the shadow economy and into the full light of an open and inclusive American economy. Above all, I would use executive action, to the fullest extent allowable of my authority as president of the United States to push Congress to pass comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform because that is best for the people of the United States of America." Source: http://www.latinpost.com/articles/66400/20150716/hillary-clinton-launch-new-immigration-dream-ad.htm
Support overall reduction in annual immigration
- In November 2015 O’Malley said the U.S. should take in more Syrian refugees and said the current vetting process was adequate despite the FBI Director’s warning that the U.S. could not conduct thorough background checks. “We already have probably the most extensive vetting process for Syrian refugees of any country on the planet,” O’Malley continued. "There are 13 steps that they have to go through.” Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/261197-omalley-trumps-muslim-database-recalls-fascism
- In a September 2015 interview with Democracy Now O’Malley said that the U.S. should bring in more Syrian refugees. “And we do best as a nation, and we are most credible in the exercise of our foreign policy, when we act in accordance with our deepest principles. And one of those principles, especially in the context that we’re seeing, the suffering in Syria and the refugee families fleeing with their children, little bodies washing up on the beaches, we need to step up. And I am the only candidate in this race, in either party, that has said that we should accept 65,000 refugees from Syria and step up and do our part in this crisis. I mean, one of the abiding truths of every great world religion is that you shall be kind to strangers, especially when they’re fleeing with their—for their lives and with their children. So, we are a great and a generous, and we are a good and compassionate nation. And the truth can damn well defend herself, but she needs to be stated first, and then the American people will rally to their true selves.” Source: http://www.democracynow.org/2015/9/10/we_need_to_step_up_martin
- During a meeting hosted by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in June 2015, Gov. O'Malley expressed his support to pass comprehensive immigration reform similar to the Gang of Eight amnesty bill. "I would absolutely do everything in my power," Mr. O'Malley said. "I would not give up. ... We need comprehensive immigration reform, and we need to engage with all our members of Congress to make that happen. And that’s what I intend to do. There’s no magic wand, there’s no easy button for this. We have to talk with one another." The Gang of Eight amnesty bill would have tripled legal immigration in the first 10 years after passaage. Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/3/hillary-clinton-martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-jock/?page=2
End chain migration
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for quicker processing of family-based green cards, specifically addressing the backlog of approximately 4 million green card applications. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
Protect against unfair work-visa competition
-
During a January 2016 campaign stop in Iowa Gov. O’Malley said, “And I do not believe that new American immigrants take our jobs. No. New American immigrants make America stronger.” Source:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2016/01/09/78580674/ - In his immigration plan Gov. O’Malley would make it easier for higher-skilled immigrants in the U.S. to find jobs.“Roughly one out of five highly skilled immigrants in the United States is unemployed or underemployed, unable to fully contribute their entrepreneurial efforts to America’s success. O’Malley would work with states, Congress, and federal agency partners to address barriers for high-skilled immigrant workers, such as credentialing and licensing requirements and policies; and to better provide language and technical training through the nation’s workforce system.” Source: https://martinomalley.com/policy/immigration/
- Gov. O'Malley, when asked by an American about his views of the Gang of 8 amnesty bill that would have increased foreign worker numbers and harmed American workers, said, "I actually think that when you have people living in the shadows of our society, people living off the books and not being fully recognized citizens, that you create a couple of things that are bad for wages. You create an underground economy. It's bad for our security--you create an underground society. And that's bad for our country. One cannot point to an extended period of time in American history when newly arriving groups of immigrants did anything but make our country stronger." Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2015-03-09/martin-o-malley-readies-his-run-as-the-un-hillary
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for 1) an independent agency to set immigration policy, including levels of green cards and guest-worker visas and 2) make it easier for foreign professionals to work in the U.S. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf
- During an August 2015 MSNBC interview O’Malley repeated his support to offer illegal aliens amnesty. “If we want wages to go up again in our country, then let's get 11 million of our neighbors out of the underground economy and into the full light of an American economy where they can work on the books, make contributions to our country, make their families stronger, and thereby make our country stronger,” he said. Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/08/25/martin_omalley_unscrupulous_charlatan_donald_trump_is_scapegoating_other_human_beings_weak.html
End visa lottery
- In July 2015, Gov. O'Malley published a lengthy position paper on his website, calling for the continuation of the visa lottery that randomly grants at least 50,000 green cards each year to foreign citizens regardless of their skills or educational attainment. Source: https://martinomalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OMalley-Immigration-Reform-Goals.pdf