How Can Republican Voters Judge Candidates on Immigration?

Republicans are confident they can retake the House of Representatives in November, and increasingly hopeful they can flip the Senate, too. One of the main issues giving them an electoral advantage is the disastrous immigration policy of the Biden Administration – a disaster deliberately visited upon the American people. 

Nearly every Republican running for Congress promises to "secure the border" and promote "America First" immigration policies. 

But those are just platitudes. Most candidates offer few specifics about which sorts of measures they support. And all too often, that lack of detail is intentional – far too many GOP politicians remain covertly beholden to the Big Business lobby, which wants to maintain the disastrous status quo on immigration because it increases the supply of cheaper foreign labor. 

Republican voters care about immigration more than any other issue except inflation, according to a recent survey conducted by FiveThirtyEight, the website founded by polling whiz Nate Silver. As those voters decide who to back in upcoming primaries, both in 2022 and in future cycles, they can look at where candidates stand on six key policy proposals to see whether GOP politicians are truly committed to reforms – or if they're merely mouthing empty promises.

Fortunately, voters needn't spend hours upon hours pouring through press releases or roll call votes to figure out where candidates really stand. House conservatives have already introduced six different bills that offer a nearly perfect litmus test for whether candidates are serious about reforming our dysfunctional immigration system. These bills would curtail chain migration, require employers to verify the legal status of new hires, end the visa lottery, eliminate automatic birthright citizenship, crack down on asylum fraud, and reform wage-depressing work visa programs.

Congressman Jody Hice's Nuclear Family Priority Act, or H.R. 4050, would reduce the overall number of "family sponsored" green cards and allow only the immediate family members – meaning spouses and unmarried children under 21 – of current immigrants to apply, rather than their elderly parents, adult siblings, and other relatives. Right now, America's immigration system effectively gives preference to the extended family members of recent immigrants, regardless of whether those relatives have the skills to succeed in the 21st-century economy. H.R.4050 would help shift America's immigration system toward one based on merit, rather than allow previous waves of immigrants to determine future admissions.

Congressman Ken Calvert's Legal Workforce Act, H.R. 78, would require all employers to use the E-Verify system, to confirm that all prospective employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S. It would also increase penalties on companies that refuse to comply or knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Cutting off the "jobs magnet" that attracts unauthorized workers is the surest way to reduce illegal immigration. Senator Chuck Grassley has introduced a similar bill in Congress's upper chamber.

Congressman Bill Posey's SAFE for America Act, H.R.413, would eliminate the "visa lottery" – also known as the diversity visa program – which admits about 50,000 new immigrants to the United States each year for no reason other than that they entered this bizarre sweepstakes, established in 1990, and come from countries with historically low levels of migration to the United States. Senator John Kennedy has introduced a similar bill. 

Congressman Brian Babin's Birthright Citizenship Act, H.R. 140, would clarify that the 14th Amendment only confers citizenship on babies born to U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and non-citizens serving in the military. Right now, anyone born on U.S. soil automatically gets citizenship, regardless of his or her parents' immigration status – not a single European country doles out citizenship so permissively.

Birthright citizenship is not a matter that has been settled by the Supreme Court. It came into being largely by default, and foreigners frequently abuse it. About 20,000 pregnant women journey to the United States each year to give birth and obtain citizenship benefits for their children. This bill would effectively end birth tourism and ensure that only legal residents qualify.

Congressman Andy Biggs' Stopping Border Surges Act, H.R.1901, would tighten the rules around asylum to ensure that only those who are legitimately fleeing violence and persecution gain admittance. If passed, it would help end the havoc at the southern border. Senator Mike Lee has sponsored a similar bill.

Finally, Congressman Jim Banks' American Tech Workforce Act, H.R6206, would nearly double the wage floor for recipients of H-1B visas from $60,000 to at least $110,000. That'd largely deter Big Tech companies from laying off American workers and replacing them with cheaper foreign guest workers, as they currently do under the deeply flawed H-1B program.

My organization, NumbersUSA, has published charts on our website showing where every member of Congress stands on these six bills – making it easy for voters to identify which lawmakers are merely talking the talk, and which ones are walking the walk, when it comes to true "America First" immigration reforms. We also have candidate comparisons showing how each candidate for Congress stacks up on immigration, and grade cards for incumbents. 

Republicans consistently rank immigration as one of their most important concerns. Now, it's easier than ever for those voters to see which candidates share their priorities.

Eric Ruark is the Director of Research at NumbersUSA, an organization that seeks to reduce overall levels of immigration to the United States.