John McCain has taken positions on immigration that many immigration restrictionists criticize. McCain's co-sponsorship in 2006 of a comprehensive immigration reform bill with Sen. Edward Kennedy made him a target of restrictionist wrath. Although still supporting "earned legalization," McCain now insists that the U.S.-Mexico border must be secured before there is comprehensive immigration reform. McCain favors temporary work programs and supports an electronic employment verification system to discourage illegal immigration.

General position

• "Things are terrible, and we've got to fix it. But we're not going to fix it until we have comprehensive immigration reform. When there's a demand, there's going to be a supply. There are jobs that Americans will not do, so we have to make it possible for someone to come to this country to do a job that an American won't do and then go back to the country from where they came."

• "The proposal that we had would require fines, would require getting back in the line, would require deportation for some. It would require others to go back to the country of their origin. It would require an enormous amount of time, as long as 13 years, before anyone could even be eligible for citizenship in this country."

• "Our legislation does account for people who are here illegally, it does have an employment verification system, and it weeds out those who shouldn't be here, and it gives others a chance to remain in this country. Look, this is a national security issue first and foremost. What we have done is come together with the president and the leaders of both parties, and sit down and figure out an approach to this problem. It is a serious national security problem. We need to act, and if someone else has a better idea, I'd love to have them give it to us."

• "We've been working very hard for a couple of months with Democrats and Republicans, led by the president and his Cabinet, to come up with a comprehensive solution and resolution of this terrible problem of illegal immigration. One thing we would all agree on, the status quo is not acceptable. We have to secure our borders. But we also need a temporary worker program, and we have to dispose of the issue of 12 million people who are in this country illegally. This issue needs to be addressed comprehensively."

Border security

• Border Patrol agent along the U.S.-Mexico border. © Christian Ramirez / American Friends Service Committee "I will secure the border and I would have the border state governors certify that their borders are secure," he said. "Then, we would move onto other issues," such as what to do about those illegal immigrants already in the country.

• "I have always believed that our border must be secure and that the federal government has utterly failed in its responsibility to ensure that it is secure. If we have learned anything from the recent immigration debate, it is that Americans have little trust that their government will honor a pledge to do the things necessary to make the border secure."

"Amnesty" and legalization

• "... we never proposed amnesty. But then you've still got two other aspects of this issue that have to be resolved as well. We need to sit down as Americans and recognize these are God's children as well. And they need some protection under the law; they need some of our love and compassion. I want to assure you that I'll enforce the borders first."

• "Very seldom have I seen an issue that aroused this much passion with the American people. No one is for amnesty. I and the president came forward with a plan that we thought was comprehensive and workable with the priority being border security, which remains my position. Why we failed is because the American people have lost trust and confidence in us. We have to succeed, because there's 12 million people who are in this country illegally, which is de facto amnesty, and we need a temporary worker program. I commit to securing the borders first. We can secure those borders. As president, I would have the border state governors certify that those borders were indeed secure."

• "Anything short of rounding up 12 million people and deporting them is called amnesty by the opponents of this legislation ... I'll point out that [illegal immigrants] will have to pay back taxes, they'll have to pay a fine, they'll have to go back to their country of origin, and it's at least 15 years before they are in anyway eligible for citizenship."

• "We have to stop the illegal immigration, but we've had waves throughout our history. Hispanics is what we're talking about, a different culture, a different language, which has enriched my state where Spanish was spoken before English was. In Washington DC, go to the Vietnam War Memorial and look at the names engraved in black granite. You'll find a whole lot of Hispanic names. They must come into the country legally, but they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them."

English as official language

• "I would like to remind you that we made treaties with Native Americans, such as the Navajos in my state, where we respect their sovereignty and they use their native language in their deliberations. Everybody knows that English has to be learned if anyone ever wants to move up the economic ladder. That is obvious. And part of our legislation, by the way, is a requirement to learn English."

Immigration and foreign policy

• "But a secure border will contribute to addressing our immigration problem most effectively if we also recognize the importance of building strong allies in Mexico and Latin America who reject the siren call of authoritarians like Hugo Chavez, support freedom and democracy, and seek strong domestic economies with abundant economic opportunities for their citizens."

Guest worker program

• "I still believe we have to have a temporary worker program that works and addresses the issues of the 12 million people that are here illegally."

From: Americas Policy Program

Sources:
North County Times; 30 May 2007
www.johnmccain.com; 22 January 2008
AZ Senate Debate, in Tucson Citizen Oct. 16, 2004
2007 GOP debate at UNH, sponsored by Fox News Sept. 5, 2007
Associated Press; 21 May 2007
GOP YouTube debate in St. Petersburg, Florida Nov. 28, 2007
ABC News; 26 Dec. 2007
GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007