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Quote by William J. Clinton

“Most illegal immigrants are not by nature lawbreakers. Most are looking for the chance to live in dignity. Nevertheless we must continue to discourage illegal immigration for it undermines control of our borders...and even more punishes hard-working people who play by the rules and who wait for their turn to come to the United States. Therefore we must enforce our laws, but we will do so with justice and fairness.”

Quote by William J. Clinton

Author

William J. Clinton

William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was born on August 19, 1946. His presidency was marked by economic prosperity and a series of achievements in domestic and foreign policy. Despite controversies, including a sex scandal and impeachment, Clinton's economic legacy and foreign policy initiatives continue to be widely discussed and studied. more

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“I support lowering the level of legal immigration by a moderate amount at this time. Legal immigration reform must be based upon principles that are pro-family, pro-work, and pro-naturalization, retaining opportunities for family reunification as the levels are lowered. We must not let this issue become divisive in this country.”

Country Opportunity Levels Principles Support Issues Amount Immigration Reform Moderates Immigration Reform Retaining Legal Immigration Reunification

Author:William J. Clinton

“Let me be clear: we are still a nation of immigrants, and we honor all those immigrants who are working hard to become new citizens.”

Stills Hard Nations Clear Citizens Honor Let Me Immigration Immigrants

Author:William J. Clinton

“[Illegal immigration] costs the taxpayers of the United States a lot of money. And it's unfair to Americans who are working every day to pay their own bills. It's also unfair to a lot of people who have waited in line for years and years in other countries to be legal immigrants.”

People Years Country States Lines United Pay United States Cost Bills Immigration Immigrants Illegal Lots Of Money Other Countries Unfair Taxpayers Illegal Immigration

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton, 1995, Bk. 1, January 1 to June 30, 1995

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton, 1995, Bk. 1, January 1 to June 30, 1995

“Our immigration policy is focussed in four areas: First, strengthening border control; second, protecting American jobs by enforcing laws against illegal immigrants at the workplace; third, deporting criminal and deportable aliens; fourth, giving assistance to states who need it, and denying illegal aliens benefits for public services or welfare.”

“It simply doesn't make any sense for us to have illegal aliens in our custody in our courts and then let them go back to living here illegally. That's wrong and we should stop it.”

Should Court Immigration Aliens Illegal Custody Illegal Aliens

Author:William J. Clinton

“Our policy is guided by the principle that we will keep unauthorized aliens out of the United States, welcome legal immigrants, and protect refugees from harm. Our solutions rely on working in partnership with States and communities.”

States Community United Principles United States Policy Protect Solutions Harm Immigration Welcome Aliens Rely Immigrants Partnership Refugee

Author:William J. Clinton

“We are a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years, and we must do more to stop it.”

Years Kind Has Beens Made Self Facts Law Nations Too Much Serious Abuse Immigration Administration Immigrants Permit Employers Sanctions Immigration Laws

Author:William J. Clinton

“All Americans, not only in the states most heavily affected but in every place in this country, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public services they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That's why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens.”

“In the budget I will present to you, we will try to do more to speed the deportation of illegal aliens who are arrested for crimes, to better identify illegal aliens in the workplace as recommended by the commission headed by former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. We are a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years, and we must do more to stop it.”

“I recently spoke with Barbara Jordan of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, and I increasingly believe we need a system to verify employment eligibility. The Commission's recommendation of a national registry may be the way to go.”

Way Needs Believe May Immigration Employment Reform Spokes Jordan Recommendations Immigration Reform Barbara Verify Eligibility

Author:William J. Clinton