Graham Press Conference on Immigration Reform

senators really started this process and they have the smallest egos among us nnj

and they would wear it better than the rest of us but this I hope the third time is a charm this is the third time I've been involved in trying to fix this problem I

think twenty thirteen is the year of immigration reform I really do believe it we've got Baptist ministers Catholic priest union bosses chamber representatives we're

going to get a bill have one hell of a fight stuff are why do we have eleven million illegal immigrants more people can get here for

whatever reason America is an idea no one owns it it's not owned by racers ethnic

group for any particular religion as an idea for two hundred times two hundred years is groaning gotten better we

will always have a problem as long as we keep that idea intact of people wanting to come here that's

the good news the bad news is we have a right and responsibility to control who comes here for

the good of our nation for the world at large so the fact that we have so many people want to come here anyway they can come here if they have to walk through the desert or swam the river with

a kid on the back they will come and that's a testament to what we've done as a nation for two hundred years and

all we're telling the world in our neighbors and our friends and our fellow citizens we've got to create order

out of chaos because if you're here illegally it's not much of a stretch for a guy from South Carolina to imagine what life must be like to live in this country legally not

knowing at the next stop knock on the door is somebody come to take you and your family away it's not much of a stretch for a guy from South Carolina understand what it's like to live along the border of Arizona Texas and

for the eleven million Bob I think we provided a solution worthy of this nation about the pathway to citizenship learn

of my family would be excluded this is no easy task nnj I am glad we're not applying it to ourselves and

the hope is that America I know is ready for immigration reform you look at all the polling all

the polls is the Congress ready to do something that we should have done a long time ago I really believe we are if

a cheap labor coming in your country we have an idea to prevent that if you're in the shadows and you worry about what's going to happen to you we

have a solution you're going to have to earn the right to be an American fair is tough but it's going to be available I've

got one goal when this is all said and done there will not be a third wave of illegal immigration Ronald

Reagan gave amnesty to three million people trying to do the right thing and the Congress failed to follow through if

we give the eleven being a second chance and we don't secure our borders and fix a broken immigration system to provide access to legal labor and

do all the things that we should have done twenty years ago shame on us this bill fixes the problem in my opinion I'm

one paragraph with always welcome newcomers the United States and will continue to do so but

in order to qualify for the honor and privilege of eventual citizenship our laws must be followed the