Fighting for Florida

On April 17, my colleagues and I introduced immigration legislation. It marked a first step toward achieving the strongest border security and enforcement measures in U.S. history, modernizing our legal immigration system to unleash strong economic growth and job creation, and dealing with our undocumented immigrant population in a tough, but fair way that is directly linked to achieving several security triggers.

While I believe this legislation will accomplish these things, I am also confident that an open and transparent process – one that engages every senator and the American people – will make it even better. I believe this kind of open debate is critical in helping the American people understand what’s in the bill, what it means for you and what it means for our future.

During my time in the Senate, many of you have written to me about your concerns with our immigration system. Today, I want to share this video with you in which I outline what this legislation sets out to do. And most importantly, I want to invite you to share your thoughts and submit your ideas below, on ways we can improve it.

Note: Fields marked with an * are required.

Comments 426-430 of 5293

Janice Dillard

05/05/2013 05:29 PM

Mr. Rubio. I do feel that we need some way to assist viable people in this country to become citizens. I DO NOT feel that we can give Amnesty to those who are here illegally. Hold a couple of days or weeks for all illegals to come forward to identify themselves and grant them temporary status while we search out all of the others who are here illegally. With today's electronic capability, keeping track of those should be relatively easy. While their temp. status is in force, we search out the others who were not forthright enough to come forward--find and export them immediately. Get the trash off of the American dole. Do not allow anyone here who is not working or contributing to society. If they think they can find 300,000,000+ guns, they should be able to find 11,000+ illegals (a very small moderate number of the actual number, I suppose) After the other illegals are exported and the borders are exceedingly secured, we can begin to work on a path to citizenship for the ones who voluntarily came forward. The ones who genuinely want citizenship should not have a problem coming forward--the others will not come forward.
Sharon E. Puffer

05/05/2013 05:16 PM

You need to round file this entire bill! There should be NO AMNESTY, no free rides, no temporary assistance to get started. Those that are illegally in this country should be deported, period! If they commit crimes, they should deported, period, and not live in a prison here that we, the taxpayer, pay for! We need to focus on SECURING OUR BORDERS, not just between Mexico and the U.S., but from all over the world. Our citizens have more hassle flying within the U.S. than foreigners coming into the country have at entry!!!!
Elise Figurelle

05/05/2013 05:16 PM

My great Grandparents immigrated here legally. I believe it is ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL that taxpayers have to pay for ANY welfare for illegal ALIENS,it is NOT the taxpayer's responsibility to educate their children,pay their medical bills,attend our schools,allow them to use food stamps or qualify for ANY government assistance when they DO NOT PAY ANY federal or state taxes!The illegal aliens are RAPING the economy!!!!!! There will be NOTHING LEFT for my social security when I retire, and FORGET ANY future for my children;THESE PARASITES ARE SUCKING THE ECONOMY DRY!!!!!! Look at the Massachusetts bombers, they were LEGAL immigrants who were getting government assistance for housing,food,child care and look what they did to the people of Boston. YOU AND THE OTHER CRIMINAL GANG OF 8 ARE GIVING CITIZENSHIP AWAY! NO AMNESTY ON ANY LEVEL!!!!!! THEY ARE NOTHING BUT CRIMINALS WHO SHOULD BE DEPORTED!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve Blankenship

05/05/2013 05:10 PM

Dear Senator Rubio,
The way I see it.... We have a huge problem that is not going away! I would not start talking about any type of workers visas, nor any other program, until the border is shut down tight.
If the Democrats are not willing to do this then the discussion is over! we will wait until we have another administration.
There must be NO AMNESTY! There must only be a path that they are allowed to take to become citizens. This must be the one and only time we do this or allow them to make this application! IF, the borders are secure and kept that way we should never need this type of program again!!!
If, and only if, the borders are secure, then we can talk about guest workers permits for those who, have a job, and an employer that will sponsor them. We will need to be able to streamline a process to make this happen. Also, we need NOW, and then, to have a real secure way to keep track of them. Not keeping track of them is worse than having a program at all. We must make employers report, right away, anyone who is no longer employed! Give them no more than 30 days to find another job, and have their new employer sponsor them.
If, for any reason, they no longer have a job, or an employer to sponsor them, or are convicted of a felony, then send them home! Even their dependent families who are here with them!
They must work and pay a fine for illegally interring our country. They must keep on record with immigration a copy of health insurance and, if they have a car, a copy of their vehicle insurance. If they allow either of these to expire, SEND THEM HOME! They must not be allowed to vote, nor to receive any kind of assistance from our government until they become legal citizens! Even then, they should have their voting rights suspended for a period of at LEAST 10 years, after they become citizens, for illegally entering our country!
They have to apply, immediately, or after a period of time agreed upon by Congress, through their country of citizenship for legal entry into our country. Then, they must take the same steps as anyone else to become American Citizens! Including learn English!
We must be sure their country does not just put them at the front of the line. We must not increase the number of immigrants, we allow each year to come to our country, to accommodate them. We should set a time limit for how long they have to get this done.
I respectfully submit my opinion!
Yours Truly,
Steve Blankenship
Donald Alan Westcott

05/05/2013 05:10 PM

Please scrap Section 3403 from S.744 so that Obama cannot admit anymore Islamic terrorists to USA, since FBI is prohibited from using political Islamic phrases to identify the enemy. Also, please seal the southern border of the USA with the Army, just like Mexico does with its southern border.