America has a rich tradition when it comes to immigration. Over the years, people from every nation have come to the United States in search of freedom and to pursue their dreams. The immigrant story is one of hope: hope for a better life for oneself and for one’s children. The immigrant story is also one of assimilation and contribution to our great nation. By contributing to our country, immigrants have helped create an America of which we can all be proud, a society where we respect life and value liberty. These common values have brought us together as a people in times of crisis and help us appreciate the people of each nationality who have contributed to our great society.

That said, there are many challenges facing our country with respect to legal and illegal immigration. Because of these challenges, I believe that America should adopt immigration policies that are based, first and foremost, on meeting America’s needs and the challenges we face. I support policies that would attract immigrants who will come to America to contribute to our society. There are many men and women serving in our nation’s armed forces who are immigrants. They serve because of their love for this country and respect for our nation’s values. They truly deserve to be called American. There are also people who have highly sought-after skills, such as advanced degrees in science, math, or super-computing. These immigrants represent hope for continued scientific advancement, such as finding a cure for certain cancers. I believe that America is stronger because of immigrants like these, and I believe that America should seek them out and welcome them.

America is a nation of immigrants but also a nation of laws. Our immigration policy must also demand accountability from those who hire illegal workers by creating a national employee verification system that employers would be required to use to verify the legal status of their employees and imposing severe penalties for employers who hire illegal workers. We should welcome those who want to enter the country legally, learn English, maintain employment, pay taxes, and contribute to our communities. We should not have to accept those who are not working full time; who have committed a crime or may present a danger to American citizens or legal immigrants; or who go on, or are likely to go on, public assistance or become dependent on any other government program.