11. Humane, Secure & Fair Immigration and Border Policy
CORE PROMISE: Secure the border, fix the system, protect due process - and stop using people as political props.
America’s immigration system is overwhelmed, outdated, and fundamentally unable to meet the realities of 21st-century migration. Both parties have treated immigration as a political weapon instead of a solvable policy challenge — and decades of congressional inaction have produced a system that is unsafe, inefficient, and unfair to everyone involved.
The asylum process is paralyzed by years-long backlogs because the federal government has far too few judges, officers, and support staff to process cases. Families wait years for a court date while cities and states struggle to absorb arrivals without predictable federal support. This fuels chaos, misinformation, and an unsustainable cycle of crisis-response rather than long-term policy.
Large stretches of the border are effectively “open” not by policy choice but by manpower shortages, outdated equipment, and insufficient surveillance capacity. Meanwhile, the vast majority of illicit drugs, weapons, and human smuggling actually pass through legal ports of entry, where Customs and Border Protection lacks the screening technology and staffing levels needed to detect contraband effectively
Border agents operate under enforcement authorities that are inconsistent, too broad in some places, too narrow in others, and often unclear — creating confusion, civil-liberties violations, and unpredictable enforcement outcomes. There is no coherent national standard for who must be detained, who may be released pending hearings, and how to differentiate asylum seekers fleeing danger from individuals committing serious crimes who must be detained, prosecuted with due process, and removed.
Millions of undocumented residents who have lived in the United States for years — working, paying taxes, and raising families — have no legal avenue to come into compliance with the law. Employers exploit this reality to underpay workers while politicians blame immigrants instead of addressing the system that enables abuse.
Local communities, especially major cities, are overwhelmed not because the border is “open,” but because Congress refuses to provide stable federal funding tied to housing, employment assistance, and municipal capacity.
Every part of the system is failing:
Asylum seekers face impossible delays.
Border communities lack support.
Cities and states receive no predictable funding.
Law enforcement lacks technology and staff.
Long-term undocumented families have no path to legal status.
Criminal trafficking networks exploit the system’s weaknesses.
Businesses face unpredictable labor rules.
Taxpayers pay for a broken system that satisfies no one.
Immigration reform has been promised for decades. Now it must become reality.
HOW I’LL WORK TO FIX IT:
Modernize border security with 21st century technology and smarter screening at ports of entry
End Asylum Backlog by expanding court capacity (judges, staff, facilities, legal access)
Set clear, uniform detention/release standards that protect safety and constitutional rights
Create a fair pathway to legal status for long-term undocumented residents who meet strict criteria
Crack down on employers who exploit undocumented labor (labor standards + enforcement)
Strengthen legal immigration pathways so the system matches real economic and family needs
Support border communities with stable federal funding and planning support
Hold traffickers and cartels accountable with targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement
MD-05 FOCUS POINT:
I will fight to guarantee due process, constitutional rights, and human decency for everyone
