From Bryan Townsend:
I was happy for the opportunity to set the record straight earlier this week on Fox Business.
Delaware and other states are having to lead on immigration issues because of Congress’s failure to enact comprehensive federal immigration reform over the past several decades. Last year, I introduced two bills aimed at improving public safety. We successfully passed a driving privilege card, which improves safety on Delaware’s roads. A second bill was meant to enhance trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement and encourage undocumented immigrants to report crimes without fear of detention or deportation solely on the basis of legal status. However, we learned that Delaware police had already adopted these policies and so last year we decided not to advance this particular piece of legislation.
The reality is that we have a broken immigration system and we need members of Congress who are willing to fix it through comprehensive immigration reform. We should know who is in our country, and we should create a pathway to citizenship so that our hardworking neighbors can fully participate and contribute to our communities. What we cannot afford is anti-immigrant sentiment and excuses for inaction. Most of us are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. Our history is built on the spirit and hard work of immigrant communities, and so is our future.