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Bobby Jindal on Immigration
Republican Governor; previously Representative (LA-1)
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Mexico is effectively exporting its unemployment to us
Our southern border is the only place in the world where a highly developed country shares a long border with a developing country. Unable to produce enough jobs for its roughly 100 million residents, Mexico is effectively exporting its unemployment to
us. The income gap between the US & Mexico is the largest between any two contiguous countries in the world. This dichotomy has created the current immigration crisis, with an estimated 10 to 12 million illegal immigrants now residing in America.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.133
, Nov 15, 2010
Enforce existing laws & refocus on high-skill immigrants
The inscription on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," is a beautiful sentiment. I wish it were as simple to apply it today as it was in past centuries, when we welcomed to our shores just
about anyone who could get here. We need to find a controlled way to continue welcoming immigrants. That approach would require three main things: first, to ensure that our borders are secure--not talk about it or study it, just do it; second, enforce
our existing immigration laws; and third, refocus our legal immigration policy to encourage high-skilled immigrants who embrace American values. I also think we need to continue to be a place where refugees fleeing persecution can find safe
harbor and a new home. Immigration should help our country compete in the world and improve the quality of life for US citizens while offering unlimited opportunity to hard-working immigrants looking for freedom.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.130
, Nov 15, 2010
Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border.
Within 18 months, achieves operational control over U.S. land and maritime borders, including:- systematic border surveillance through more effective use of personnel and technology; and
- physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful border entry
Defines "operational control" as the prevention of all unlawful U.S. entries, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, narcotics, and other contraband. Proponents support voting YES because:
It is obvious there is no more defining issue in our Nation today than stopping illegal immigration. The most basic obligation of any government is to secure the Nation's borders. One issue in which there appears to be a consensus between the Senate and the House is on the issue of building a secure fence. So rather than wait until comprehensive legislation is enacted, we should move forward on targeted legislation which is effective and meaningful. The legislation today provides over 700 miles of
two-layered reinforced fencing, and for the rest of the border provides a virtual fence, via integrated surveillance technology.
Opponents support voting NO because:
Just to build the fence is going to cost us at least $7 billion. Where is the money coming from to pay for it? How much is it going to cost to maintain this 700-mile fence? Who is going to do it? This bill contains no funding.
This bill also ignores real enforcement measures, like hiring more Border Patrol personnel, and instead builds a Berlin Wall on our southern border. So long as employers need workers in this country, and while our immigration systems impede rather than facilitate timely access of willing workers to those opportunities, undocumented immigration will never be controlled.
Walls, barriers, and military patrols will only force those immigrants to utilize ever more dangerous routes and increase the number of people who die in search of an opportunity to feed and clothe their families.
Reference: Secure Fence Act;
Bill H R 6061
; vote number 2006-446
on Sep 14, 2006
Voted YES on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project.
Voting YES on this amendment supports the Minuteman Project, a group of volunteers who have taken on surveillance of the Mexican border for illegal immigrants. The amendment states that US funds will not be used to tell the Mexican government about the whereabouts of the Minuteman Project volunteers. Proponents of the Minuteman Project say that they are volunteer citizens doing what the federal government SHOULD be doing, but has failed to do. Opponents of the Minuteman Project say that they are vigilantes at best and anti-Mexican racists at worst. The amendment states: None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to provide a foreign government information relating to the activities of an organized volunteer civilian action group, operating in the State of California, Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona, unless required by international treaty.
The amendment's sponsor said on its behalf:- What this amendment does is it clarifies Congress' position on a Border Patrol
practice or a practice of the US Government that tips off illegal immigrants as to where citizen patrols may be located.
- As a response to the lawlessness along the Mexican border, a group has sprung up called the Minutemen Project, and the Minutemen Project is definitely not politically correct in Washington DC. However, they filled a void which the government was unable to fill.
- There are over 7,000 volunteers in the Minutemen organization, and their help has been productive and good.
- What my amendment does is simply says that the U.S. Government cannot tip off the Mexican officials as to where these folks are located. Plain and simple, nothing fancy about it. I am sure the Border Patrol will say, oh, no, we are not doing that, and yet one of the Web pages of the Secretary of Mexico had the information very explicit, and we just do not believe that is a good practice.
Reference: Department of Homeland Security appropriations;
Bill HR 5441 Amendment 968
; vote number 2006-224
on Jun 6, 2006
Rated 100% by USBC, indicating a sealed-border stance.
Jindal scores 100% by USBC on immigration issues
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 USBC scores as follows:
- 0%-30%: open-border stance (approx. 197 members)
- 30%-70%: mixed record on open borders (approx. 70 members)
- 70%-100%: sealed-border stance (approx. 202 members)
About USBC (from their website, www.usbc.org): U.S. Border Control, founded in 1988, is a non-profit, tax-exempt, citizen's lobby. USBC is dedicated to ending illegal immigration by securing our nation's borders and reforming our immigration policies. USBC [works with] Congressmen to stop amnesty; seal our borders against terrorism and illegal immigration; and, preserve our nation's language, culture and American way of life for future generations.
Our organization accepts no financial support from any branch of government. All our support comes from concerned citizens who appreciate the work we are doing to seal our borders against drugs, disease, illegal migration and terrorism and wish to preserve our nation's language, culture and heritage for the next generations.
Source: USBC website 06n-USBC on Dec 31, 2006
Government services in English only.
Jindal co-sponsored bill requiring government services in English only
A bill to provide that Executive Order 13166 shall have no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.
Be it enacted that Executive Order 13166, 'Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency' (August 16, 2000), is null and void and shall have no force or effect.
On August 11, 2000, the President signed Executive Order 13166. The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to examine the services they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), and develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP persons can have meaningful access to them.
Source: S.2719/H.R.768 08-S2719 on Mar 5, 2008
Declare English as the official language of the US.
Jindal co-sponsored declaring English as the official language of the US
This bill declares English as the official language of the United States, establishes a uniform English language rule for naturalization.
- The United States is comprised of individuals from diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds, and continues to benefit from this rich diversity.
- Throughout the history of the United States, the common thread binding individuals of differing backgrounds has been the
English language.
- Federal Representatives of shall have an obligation to enhance the role of English as the official language of the Federal Government.
- The official functions of the Government of the United States shall be conducted in English.
- All citizens should be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the laws of the US.
- All naturalization ceremonies shall be conducted in English.
Source: English Language Unity Act (H.R.997) 2007-HR997 on Feb 12, 2007
Page last updated: Mar 14, 2012