Speech #1090138924

If you are a convicted child molester. the Tax Code doesnt change because of your crime. I would argue that for the crime we are dealing with. coming across the border illegally. jumping in line. a nonviolent offense. we need to have some reasonable punishment and not go too far. If we change the Tax Code because they violated our law. then how do we look people in the eye in the category of illegal immigrants and tell them that they are being punished through the Tax Code in a way a rapist. murderer. or drug dealer is not? That is not proportional. It is a misdemeanor under our law to cross the border illegally with no specified crime. a maximum of 6 months in prison. I have been a prosecutor. Senator SESSIONS has been a prosecutor. I can assure you. there are people who do really bad things that dont have to go through what the Illegal immigrants are going to go through to earn their way back into our good graces. They have to pay a fine consistent with a misdemeanor offense. They have to learn English. If you have committed a felony outside of immigration law. you are not eligible to get in the program. If you have committed three misdemeanors outside of immigration violations. you are not eligible to get in the program. If you fail the English test. if you are out of work for over 45 days. you are subject to being deported. What is left will be hardworking people who are trying to pay their debt back to society and. on top of all that. have to pay all of our taxes. And they should. It would be great if everybody working in America paid their fair share of taxes. It would be unfair. after you try to pay your debt to society by making it right after violating the immigration laws. which is a misdemeanor. to throw on top of that Tax Code treatment that no other felon would get. There is a point in time here where we are going to not just punish people for a violation of the law but declare war on who they are. I dont want to cross that line as a nation.