WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) voted against H.R. 6, which grants amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens in the United States. This vote comes as law enforcement and migrant holding facilities struggle to contain a historic crisis of illegal immigration, further exacerbated by the current Administration’s policies.
Following today’s vote, Congressman Wittman stated, “America is a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. Those who wish to come here must do so legally. Right now, we have thousands of children stranded at our southern border. Offering amnesty to the children of illegal immigrants only further incentivizes illegal immigration, sending the wrong message at the wrong time. We can work to find a path to legal status for DACA recipients, but I do not support amnesty for individuals illegally residing in the United States. Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants only further encourages illegal immigration, incentivizes criminal behavior, rewards lawbreaking, and would even provide preferential treatment for illegal immigrants.”
“As we stare down a crisis along our southern border, this bill’s passage represents a step in the wrong direction. Instead of further incentivizing illegal immigration, we must restore the rule of law. Our approach to combatting illegal immigration must be comprehensive and include securing our border, enforcing the rule of law, and reforming current immigration processes. Furthermore, we must provide our border patrol and law enforcement officers with the resources necessary to enforce the laws we already have on the books, as well as deter illegal immigration through systems such as e-verify.”
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the full Committee and Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
