GOP Convention Platform Takes Tough Stance on Illegal Immigration

Even though the Republican Party Platform won’t be cemented until next Monday prior to the start of the convention, their hard-hitting stance towards illegal immigration is getting a great deal of attention.

During Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, Kris Kobach, the author of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 convinced the Republican platform committee to strengthen the rhetoric in immigration.

According to Politico, Kobach told the committee, “We recognize that if you really want to create a job tomorrow, you can remove an illegal alien today. That is the way to open up jobs very quickly for U.S. citizen workers and lawfully admitted alien workers.”

The committee agreed to include in their platform a proposal to complete a fence which would span the border of the U.S. and Mexico.

Among the other immigration stances the Republican committee intends to take includes forbidding in-state tuition for illegal immigrants; a blow to Dreamers, a ban on policies which create sanctuary cities, requiring all states to participate in e-verify.

E-verify is a federal database which verifies the immigration status of people who are seeking employment. Thus far participation in this program has been left up to the states, and some have opted out of participation.

In addition to the more stringent immigration proposals, they will also call for a reformed guest worker program to help those industries which rely on immigrant labor such as agriculture, though they weren’t specific on the details.

Immigration attorneys help thousands of immigrants with obtaining the temporary or HB-1 visas which allow them to work and live in the states illegally, but there are limits and many people including NY Mayor Bloomberg have suggested more of these visas be granted.