(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the President's address to the nation detailing action he will take to fix the country's immigration system:
I commend the President for taking this bold step to begin to bring change to our broken immigration system. This action, similar to those taken by previous presidents, is simply the right thing to do in the wake of inaction by Congress. It will help bring millions out of the shadows so they can more fully contribute to our Nation and our economy while allowing officials to focus limited resources on the small handful of individuals who pose a public safety or security threat. New policies laid out tonight are a good start, but there are some who were unfortunately not included in this announcement, including agricultural workers.
I hope Congress will use this action as a starting point to legislate bipartisan, permanent fixes to our Nation's immigration system, while continuing to better secure our borders. America has waited far too long.
