[…] We’ll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over.
[…]
Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we’re also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable — especially those who may be dangerous. That’s why, over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80 percent.
[…]
If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.
[…]
The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every single Democratic President for the past half century. And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.
Barack Hussein Obama, November 20, 2014
Source: Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Immigration
See what others have said about illegal immigration.
- Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and Janet Reno on enforcing our borders, August 17, 1993
- Harry Reid: Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants, August 4, 1993
- Harry Reid: No sane country would allow birthright citizenship, September 20, 1993
- Dianne Feinstein on the costs of illegal immigration, 1994
- Barbara Jordan: Press Conference on Legal Immigration Recommendations, June 8, 1995
- Bill Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union address
- Hillary Clinton adamantly against illegal aliens, February 2003 Richard D. Lamm: I have a plan to destroy America, 2004
- Barack Hussein Obama on illegal immigration, 2005
- Barack Hussein Obama, The Audacity of Hope, 2006
- Barack Hussein Obama addressing the Senate, 2007
- Hillary Clinton on driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, January 1, 2008
- Nancy Pelosi opposing illegal immigration, March 6, 2008
- Chuck Schumer on immigration reform, July 2009
- Ted Poe: White House trespassers, December 14, 2009
- Jan Brewer: Mr. Obama, no one in Arizona is laughing, May 7, 2010
- John McCain: Complete the danged fence, May 7, 2010
- Jan Brewer to Obama: Warning signs are not enough, June 25, 2010
- Chuck Schumer on immigration reform, August 11, 2010
- Roy Beck: Immigration by the numbers, September 10, 2010
- Roy Beck: Reducing world poverty through immigration, September 10, 2010
- Lori Klein on the behavior of Mexican kids in U.S. schools, 2011
- Steve King: Death and suffering at the hands of illegal aliens, November 3, 2011
- Crimes of illegal aliens, July 26, 2012
- Chris Crane testimony at Senate immigration hearing, February 5, 2013
- Barack Hussein Obama on illegal immigration, February 12, 2013
- Hillary Clinton on unaccompanied children, June 18, 2014
- Barack Hussein Obama on illegal immigration, November 20, 2014
- Bernie Sanders on open borders, July 2015
- Hillary Clinton supports securing our borders, November 9, 2015
- Donald J. Trump on illegal immigration, August 31,2016
- Donald J. Trump: Immigration reform that will make America great again
- Donald J. Trump: Immigration is a privilege, not a right, March 17, 2017
- Donald Trump or Bill Clinton? Sometimes it’s hard to tell on immigration
- Paul Cook: ‘The Importance of U.S.-Mexico Border Security,’ September 19, 2018
- Homeland Security Advisory Council: Final Emergency Interim Report CBP Families and Children Care Panel, April 16, 2019