The United States has the most immigrants of any other country, with 44 million living in the nation today, and Congressman McHenry believes that this is a part of what makes America so great. He believes that the country should be welcoming for those who go through the immigration process to obtain legal residency.  

However, while it is true that America is a nation of immigrants, it is also a nation of laws. Illegal immigration is a serious problem in the United States, with the number of illegal aliens growing each year. These illegal aliens stress infrastructure and programs designed to support American citizens. Throughout Congressman McHenry’s time in office, he has supported efforts to strengthen border control and security in order to stem the influx of illegal immigrants across our nation’s borders. 

Congressman McHenry also believes we must reduce incentives for illegal immigrants to come here, which is why he introduced the No Free Rides Act. This legislation prevents illegal immigrants from accessing the Earned Income Tax Credit under President Obama’s illegal executive orders granting amnesty.

Granting any sort of amnesty to illegal aliens would only reward criminal behavior and further encourage the type of actions we are seeing along our borders. Many cities across the nation, including several in North Carolina, have enacted official sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants or have been refusing to comply with detainer requests from the Department of Homeland Security. Sanctuary cities allow dangerous criminal aliens to remain on the streets, creating a dangerous environment for citizens and law enforcement. Congressman McHenry is also a cosponsor of the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2019, which would allow victims of violent crimes and felonies committed by an illegal alien to sue the responsible sanctuary city or jurisdiction. McHenry has and will continue to support efforts to curtail the flow of illegal immigrants into our country and will not support any form of amnesty for illegal immigrants currently in the United States.