Immigration & Border Security

I’m an eighth-generation Texan. My family has been here since it was Mexico. We have deep ties to the border — my mother grew up in Laredo, and much of our family still lives there. We Texans understand immigration better than most Americans — both its challenges and its benefits. 

Most of us agree on what should happen. Our border should be like a front porch — it should have a welcome mat out front and a lock on the door. We can both welcome the stranger — refugees, asylum seekers, and folks who want to contribute to our economy and pursue the American dream — and we can keep people out who mean to do us harm.

We should be cracking down on the cartels, not our communities. We should be deporting gang members, not small business owners. We should be hunting down human traffickers, not moms and babies. We should be stopping illegal immigration, not curtailing avenues for immigrants to legally migrate to America and make our country richer and stronger.

Texans should be the ones to lead our country in finally pursuing comprehensive immigration reforms that keep us safe, live up to our values and shared humanity, and supercharge our economy. Imagine having a U.S. Senator from Texas who will take the charge to get that done.

This is not a comprehensive list! If you have policy ideas you want to see from your next U.S. Senator, please reach out HERE. We want to hear from you!

• Pass comprehensive immigration reform: Secure the border, make it easier to come here legally, and supercharge our economy.
• Focus ICE resources on improving public safety and national security: Prioritize the deportation of criminals, gang members, and human traffickers — not our neighbors who contribute to our communities, pay taxes, and pose no threat to our safety. 
• Hold ICE accountable for abuses: Ban ICE agents from wearing masks or refusing to show identification, and hold them accountable when they break the law.
• Create pathways to legalization for certain undocumented immigrants: Create a path to citizenship for the immigrants who have been here the longest and certain groups like spouses and DREAMers, while allowing those who recently arrived to apply for temporary work permits if they are filling a job that will help lower costs for Americans.
• Modernize ports of entry to better detect threats before they enter the country: Develop and deploy cutting-edge X-Ray and other technologies to better detect drugs at ports of entry, where over 90% of the fentanyl comes into the country.
• Reform the asylum system: Hire more immigration judges to clear the asylum backlog, root out fraud in the system so that only legitimate claims are approved, and ensure legitimate asylees receive protection quickly.
• Create an employer sponsorship program focused specifically on lowering costs for Americans: Make it easier for businesses (particularly small businesses) to hire migrant workers in sectors like housing construction and agriculture to reduce labor shortages, address supply chain issues, and lower inflation.
• Improve standards on guest worker visas: Ensure strong labor standards on guest worker visas and crack down on employers who game the system to exploit immigrants or displace American workers and suppress their wages.

• Authored legislation to increase security at ports of entry by installing advanced X-Ray inspection technology systems at Texas-Mexico border crossings.
• Supported landowners along the border by voting for legislation to compensate them for damage to their agricultural property caused by illegal border crossings.
• Fought against legislation that would increase racial profiling and decrease trust between communities and law enforcement.  
• Strengthened border operations by approving an audit of strategies to strengthen border security, support law enforcement response efforts, maximize safety, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance infrastructure and road technology.
• Approved the creation of a grant program to reduce wait times for agricultural inspections at ports of entry so that we can process products more quickly without compromising security.