Elaine Chao on Immigration Secretary of Labor (Pres. Bush Cabinet)

Immigrated to America at age 8; gained citizenship at age 19

Legality at the heart of immigration policy debate

A: The immigration debate - and I think some people have tried to make it into a racial issue, it is not. The issue at stake is the issue of legality. And so how do we square with people who have come in, you know, not using the legal process? And what do we do about people who do follow the legal process and they're waiting on line? And so that's why I think we have to have a complete reform of our immigration policy and not just do it on a piecemeal basis.