PRESIDENTIAL IMMIGRATION VOTER GUIDE
ON FOREIGN WORKER & ENFORCEMENT POLICIES
Updated: 08/11/16
2016 Presidential Hopefuls
(Click on photos for quotes)
Overall Assessment
Mandate E-Verify to
block jobs magnet for
illegal immigration
Approx. 7 million illegal foreign workers hold non-farm jobs in construction, manufacturing, hospitality and other service occupations. Mandatory electronic verification -- with special provisions to deal with identity theft -- would block most illegal workers from payroll jobs. This would open most of those jobs to the 15 million Americans and legal immigrants already here who want a full-time job but can't find one (disproportionately people with lower education and skills similar to that of the illegal workers). The pool of potential workers for those jobs is much larger when considering that around 60 million working-age Americans do not hold jobs.
block jobs magnet for
illegal immigration
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
Approx. 7 million illegal foreign workers hold non-farm jobs in construction, manufacturing, hospitality and other service occupations. Mandatory electronic verification -- with special provisions to deal with identity theft -- would block most illegal workers from payroll jobs. This would open most of those jobs to the 15 million Americans and legal immigrants already here who want a full-time job but can't find one (disproportionately people with lower education and skills similar to that of the illegal workers). The pool of potential workers for those jobs is much larger when considering that around 60 million working-age Americans do not hold jobs.
Work permits to
11 million current
illegal overstays &
border crossers
The key action in every effort for "comprehensive immigration reform" or other form of amnesty is to immediately give work permits to the illegal population, allowing employers to legally hire them ahead of jobless Americans. This was true throughout the presidencies of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
11 million current
illegal overstays &
border crossers
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
The key action in every effort for "comprehensive immigration reform" or other form of amnesty is to immediately give work permits to the illegal population, allowing employers to legally hire them ahead of jobless Americans. This was true throughout the presidencies of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Lifetime work visas given
by lottery & extended
family chain migration
The visa lottery and extended family chain migration categories add hundreds of thousands of permanent immigrants each year, each with life-time work authorization with no regard to their skills and whether there are jobs that need their skill and labor, or how they would affect Americans with similar skills and education. These categories were not traditionally part of our immigration system. The lottery is restricted to people in countries with the least historic connections with the United States.
by lottery & extended
family chain migration
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
The visa lottery and extended family chain migration categories add hundreds of thousands of permanent immigrants each year, each with life-time work authorization with no regard to their skills and whether there are jobs that need their skill and labor, or how they would affect Americans with similar skills and education. These categories were not traditionally part of our immigration system. The lottery is restricted to people in countries with the least historic connections with the United States.
Lifetime work visas to
refugees and asylees
Because most refugees compete for jobs with America's most vulnerable citizens, it is important that every refugee admission is free of fraud and security risk and that there are not other effective options that would not harm less-fortunate Americans. With tens of millions of refugees and displaced persons in the world, it can be easy to overload local communities with larger and larger levels of resettlement while making no dent in the total challenge, which can ultimately only be met in the home regions of those needing help.
refugees and asylees
(CLICK TO READ FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF RATING CRITERIA)
Because most refugees compete for jobs with America's most vulnerable citizens, it is important that every refugee admission is free of fraud and security risk and that there are not other effective options that would not harm less-fortunate Americans. With tens of millions of refugees and displaced persons in the world, it can be easy to overload local communities with larger and larger levels of resettlement while making no dent in the total challenge, which can ultimately only be met in the home regions of those needing help.
Higher-skill worker visas
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.
(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.
Lower-skill worker visas
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.
(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.
Fencing & other border
issues to control flow
of illegal workers
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.
issues to control flow
of illegal workers
(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 visa-overstay
workers with biometric
entry/exit system
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.
workers with biometric
entry/exit system
(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.
Birthright citizenship
for legal & illegal
foreign visitors
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.
for legal & illegal
foreign visitors
(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.
Local sanctuary policies
that protect ability of
illegal foreign visitors to
remain for jobs, even
with criminal records.
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.
that protect ability of
illegal foreign visitors to
remain for jobs, even
with criminal records.
(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.
Hillary
Clinton (DEM)
Clinton (DEM)
Champions MORE foreign workers
Supports LESS enforcement
YES, BUT -- Her website calls for "national" E-Verify for all employers. She wants E-Verify to deny jobs only to illegal workers who come in the future. As for the millions illegally in the country right now, she wants them to be given life-time work permits to allow them access to all U.S. jobs before the E-Verify requirement is in place.
She promises in the first 100 days to introduce legislation to distribute the work permits to nearly all foreign citizens who are illegally in this country. If Congress refuses to pass her legislation, she pledges to use unilateral executive actions to give out the work permits to a larger portion of illegal visa overstays and border crossers than would have the executive actions of Pres. Obama that were barred by a Supreme Court decision this summer.
An eventual end to the lottery and some of the chain migration has in the past been included in the type of legislation she promises to introduce in her first 100 days. But those reductions in work permits would happen only after chain migration numbers are raised to a much higher level in the first decade. The later reductions would be allowed only if work permits are immediately given to nearly all foreign citizens currently in the U.S. illegally.
She has called for a six-fold increase of Pres. Obama's proposed admissions of Syrian refugees for this year.
Clinton
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Clinton
Donald
Trump (GOP)
Trump (GOP)
Champions MORE foreign workers
Supports LESS enforcement
YES His Immigration Plan calls for "Nationwide E-Verify: This simple measure will protect jobs for unemployed Americans."
He opposes the "comprehensive immigration approach" that starts with the distribution of work permits to illegal residents. However, his comments about mass deportation of illegal aliens have often included a promise to let a lot of them -- "the good ones" -- come back and get jobs.
He has called for a reduction in the overall level of immigration to make it easier for jobless Americans to find work. Nearly all plans for reductions in the past have included an end to the lottery and chain migration, but he has not specifically talked about what he would do with those two categories.
His Immigration Plan calls for an increase in "standards for the admission of refugees and asylum-seekers to crack down on abuses." He has called for a halt in refugee resettlement from the Mideast and other countries with terrorist activity until security can be assured.
Trump
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Trump
Gary
Johnson (LIB)
Johnson (LIB)
Champions MORE foreign workers
Supports LESS enforcement
PROBABLY He hasn't talked about E-Verify recently. During his 2012 presidential campaign, he called for enactment of "an application and tracking procedure for guest workers, such as an e-verify system. Procedures must be quick, simple and efficient in providing documentation information, and must meet the needs of both employers and willing workers."
Although his website rejects citizenship for illegal foreign workers, it calls for giving them legal residency and work permits to allow employers to hire them legally. He recently said he likes Pres. Obama's executive orders (blocked by the Supreme Court) that would have given temporary work permits to several million illegal aliens.
He has not mentioned the lottery or chain migration.
He has not mentioned refugee issues.
Johnson
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Johnson
Jill
Stein (GREEN)
Stein (GREEN)
Champions MORE foreign workers
Supports LESS enforcement
????? -- No mention of denying jobs to illegal border crossers and visa overstays.
Website calls for "path to citizenship" which would immediately provide illegal foreign workers with life-time work permits. She has condemned the Supreme Court and other federal court rulings that have blocked Pres. Obama's executive orders to give temporary work permits to several million illegal aliens.
She has not mentioned the lottery or chain migration, but at her nominating convention she called for unlimited immigration.
Her website calls for an increase in foreign aid to reduce the number of refugees.
Stein
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Stein