Assessing Overall Candidate Promises

EDITOR'S NOTE: All of a candidates' actions and promises on immigration are considered in these three overarching categories --

• what do you do with the 12-20 million illegal aliens already here;
• what do you do to stop future illegal immigration, and
• what do you do to protect American workers and communities from the current peak flood of foreign workers?

Amnesty & Attrition Through Enforcement

1996: Voted against H.R. 2202 to increase interior enforcement
Former Rep. Richardson voted against H.R. 2202, a large omnibus bill with dozens of provisions aimed at reducing illegal immigration. Among the interior enforcement measures included in the bill were restrictions against sanctuary cities for illegal aliens. H.R. 2202 passed by a vote of 333-87. 

Click here for more INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT actions.

Assessment of Past Immigration Actions
in Political Office

1990: Voted for a bill that included an amnesty
Rep. Richardson voted for H.R. 4300, which provided an amnesty for up to 165,000 spouses and minor children of illegal aliens who were granted amnesty in 1986. Ultimately, the 1990 bill passed. 

1990: Rejected amendment to reduce chain migration
Rep. Richardson opposed an amendment to H.R.4300 that would have placed an overall ceiling on family, worker and lottery immigration of 630,000. The amendment was defeated 266 to 143. Immigration has increased to about one million a year due to Rep. Richardson rejection of this amendment.

Click here for more CHAIN MIGRATION actions.

1990: Rejected amendment to reduce lottery visas
Rep. Richardson voted against an amendment to H.R.4300 that would have limited family, worker and lottery immigration to 630,000 a year. The amendment would have reduced the lottery category by almost 77,000 over a 10-year period. It was defeated 266 to 143. 

Click here for more VISA LOTTERY actions.

1996: Voted against the Gallegly Amendment to H.R. 2202 to increase interior enforcement through mandatory workplace verification pilot program
Rep. Richardson voted against the Gallegly Amendment to make the pilot workplace verification program mandatory in five states. This would have helped reduce illegal immigration by reducing the job magnet for illegal aliens. The amendment failed by a vote of 86-331. 

Click here for more WORKPLACE VERIFICATION actions.

1996: Voted against H.R. 2202 to reduce rewards for illegal immigration
Rep. Richardson voted against H.R. 2202 that denied illegal aliens in-state tuition, in addition to almost all forms of federal welfare.

1996: Voted against H.R. 2202 to increase interior enforcement Rep. Richardson voted against H.R. 2202, a large omnibus bill with dozens of provisions aimed at reducing illegal immigration. Among the interior enforcement measures included in the bill were restrictions against sanctuary cities for illegal aliens. H.R. 2202 passed by a vote of 333-87. 

Assessing Specific Stances on LEGAL IMMIGRATION

EDITOR'S NOTE: Unless the following four categories of legal immigration are changed, current policies will add 100 million additional people to the United States over the next few decades.

CHAIN MIGRATION

VISA LOTTERY

IMPORTING FOREIGN WORKERS

Citizenship for Births to ILLEGAL ALIENS

Assessing Specific Stances on ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

EDITORS NOTE: Here are 8 very important steps needed to halt illegal immigration. Aspects not included in this section are included in the section above about Overall Policies on Future Illegal Immigration.

MANDATORY WORKPLACE VERIFICATION

We should offer informant visas and cash rewards for aliens who provide law enforcement with credible information on human traffickers and document forgers. As President, I would establish a fraudulent documents task force to constantly update law enforcement and border officials on the latest fraudulent documents being marketed for entry into the United States. In addition, I believe we must improve identification documentation of immigrant workers.

Eliminate One of the Prime Attractions for Illegal Workers

We must crack down on employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants and enforce the laws already on the books.  After establishing a national ID system, employers will have no excuses. RichardsonforPresident.com

1996: Voted against the Gallegly Amendment to H.R. 2202 to increase interior enforcement through mandatory workplace verification pilot program
Former Rep. Richardson voted against the Gallegly Amendment to make the pilot workplace verification program mandatory in five states. This would have helped reduce illegal immigration by reducing the job magnet for illegal aliens. The amendment failed by a vote of 86-331.

Click here for more WORKER VERIFICATION actions.  



"This is what we need to do in immigration my first year. One, yes, more border security, technology at the border. Number two, a stronger relationship with Mexico and Central America, to create jobs so that flow doesn't come here. Third, enforce the law. Those that knowingly hire illegal workers should be punished." September 9, 2007; The Associated Press

PUNISHING EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS  

ENTRY/EXIT SYSTEM AT BORDERS

BORDER SECURITY

OFFICIAL STANCE on the fence and other strengthening of the border:
"I am committed to implementing comprehensive reforms that secure our borders and our ports ... As the Governor of a border state I deal with the effects of immigration, legal and illegal, every day. The federal government has not done enough to solve the problem. In 2005 violent crime, drugs, and crime were out of control along New Mexico's border with Mexico. I took action, declaring a state of emergency along the border, making $1.75 million available to local law enforcement agencies to increase patrols and add personnel. As a result, arrests are up, crime is down, and the flow of undocumented immigrants has slowed. The New Mexico border town of Village of Columbus, for example, saw an 80 percent reduction in crime.

Building a fence will not increase security..."

Secure the Border by Hiring and Training Enough Patrol Guards to Cover the Entire Border

"We must more than double the number of guards, and provide them with the best surveillance technology available."

I Was the First Governor in the Nation to Send National Guard Troops to the Border

"In 2006 President Bush called for the deployment of National Guard troops to fortify the nation's borders and stem the flow of undocumented immigrants. I was the first Governor to honor that request and send National Guard support to the existing border patrol forces, with the condition that the assignment was temporary until the administration could recruit and train a large number of new Border Patrol agents." RichardsonforPresident.com

"I'll tell you what I did as governor. I proposed doubling the number of border-patrol agents, which is consistent with a 9/11 Commission recommendation. I can easily see 15,000 at the border. Right now it isn’t adequately protected. I would extend the tour of the National Guard. Many of us had reservations about using the Guard for this, but it seems to be working; they’re deterring the flow. I would also increase the detection equipment at the border ... My worst nightmare is nuclear material—uranium, plutonium—being transported by a terrorist across the border. And two years ago I angered a lot of Hispanic and immigrant groups by being the first governor to declare a border emergency. At the time, the border patrol was almost nonexistent in my quarter. There were drugs coming in, violence—the flow was huge. I declared a border emergency, which enabled me as governor to hire local law enforcement. I took state appropriations to pay for law enforcement at the border, which is essentially a federal function. Also, I vetoed legislation that said local law enforcement couldn’t cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies.'' November 2, 2007; The Swamp review of Gov. Richardson's interview appearing in the December 2007 issue of Playboy

"Part of that is increased border enforcement with smarter technology and more guards. That is a workable solution. You know what will not work? A wall. I think that Senators Clinton, Obama, and Biden were wrong to vote to build a wall between the United States and its neighbors." October 25, 2007; USA Daily

"New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says a fence at the Mexican border authorized by Congress this fall 'gets in the way' of U.S.-Mexico relations, and he wants the new Democratic Congress to reverse the legislation. 'The fence is very unpopular on the border in Texas and New Mexico, in Chihuahua,' Richardson, a Democrat, said after meeting Wednesday with leaders from the Mexican state of Chihuahua. 'So one of the most significant and constructive acts the U.S. Congress should take is to get rid of it.'" December 6, 2006; The Washington Post

SANCTUARY CITIES POLICIES

DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS

STATE AID TO ILLEGAL STUDENTS

Governor Bill Richardson was elected Governor of New Mexico in 2002 by the largest margin of any candidate since 1964. Governor Richardson just completed his third legislative session.

Governor Richardson currently serves as Chairman of the Democratic Governors’ Association. Governor Richardson is also past chairman of the Western Governors’ Association, Border Governors’ Conference and the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Governor Richardson served for 15 years as New Mexico’s Representative in the 3rd Congressional District. Governor Richardson served in 1997 as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and in 1998, he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Governor Richardson has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize.