Should undocumented immigrants get a 'path to citizenship'?

• Author: Schumer, Charles E.
• Position: Debate

Most Americans agree that the nation's immigration system needs fixing. But Congress has been unable to pass immigration reform. The major sticking point has been what to do with the 11 million immigrants who are already in the United States illegally. Most Democrats, including President Obama, favor allowing undocumented immigrants to take steps to legalize their status and ultimately become U.S. citizens. But critics, including many Republicans, say that offering a "path to citizenship" is essentially giving amnesty to lawbreakers. Immigration reform is already an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Yes Our immigration system is badly broken. Far too many people illegally cross our borders, and we turn away too many people who want to legally enter our country--people who could invent new technologies, create jobs, and boost our economy.

Perhaps the greatest challenge to immigration reform is this knotty question: What do we do with the 11 million undocumented people who live in the shadows, fearing deportation each day, most of them working to earn their sons and daughters a chance at the American Dream?

The status quo is unsustainable. Without reform, our immigration laws threaten to tear apart families and force our government to expend precious resources to deport millions. Without reform, these 11 million continue to live in a state of uncertainty and fear. The vast majority of them want to get right by the law, but there is no achievable pathway for them to do so.

That's why I've been fighting to pass immigration reform. We need to modernize and fix our immigration system, to ensure that the door to America remains as open to future generations as it was for our ancestors. We also need to give the millions of undocumented workers a chance to settle their debt to society and earn legal status.

In 2013, the Senate passed a bill that would have done just that. Our reform bill would have established a tough but fair pathway to citizenship. By fulfilling reasonable requirements such as paying fines, learning English, and waiting their turn to be considered, these immigrants could become law-abiding citizens.

Unfortunately, the House of Representatives never even voted on this comprehensive immigration reform bill.

From my home in Brooklyn, I can see the Statue of Liberty, which welcomed my ancestors so many years ago. That statue is a symbol of hope to the world. For it to remain so, we must keep fighting to pass immigration reform...