Congress's Top 9 Excuses For Not Fixing Immigration System

The U.S. has a broken immigration system that slows our economic growth, jeopardizes our security, and has resulted in 11 million people living here illegally with no path to legal status. There is broad support across the political spectrum for reform, but Congress has repeatedly failed to act, citing a host of different excuses. Find out whether their excuses are grounded...or unfounded.

1. Immigrants take jobs from the millions of unemployed Americans.

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UNFOUNDED: Research shows that both high-skilled and low-skilled immigrants create jobs for American workers. Immigrants also initiate job growth through high rates of entrepreneurship. In fact, 40% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.

2. We need to address border security first.

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GROUNDED (sort of): This is a great idea, but border security is not just about big fences and border patrol. 40% of undocumented immigrants in America didn't cross the border illegally - they overstayed their visas. And as long as employers keep hiring undocumented immigrants, people will keep coming here. To really secure the border, Congress needs to address all the causes of illegal immigration.

3. Supporting immigration reform will alienate GOP voters.

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UNFOUNDED: Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) and Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), both vocal supports of immigration reform, won their primaries against anti-reform challengers. Furthermore, polling in Ellmers’ district and three Texas districts revealed that candidates’ views on immigration did not impact voters’ decisions at the polls.

4. The Obama administration cannot be trusted to enforce changes to immigration law.

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UNFOUNDED: A July 2014 poll demonstrated that nearly 3 out of 4 voters reject the argument that distrust in the President is grounds not to pass immigration reform.

5. Supporting immigration reform will hurt GOP fundraising.

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UNFOUNDED: In July 2013, more than 100 prominent GOP donors sent a letter to Republican members of Congress urging them to take action on immigration reform.

6. The Tea Party is against reform.

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UNFOUNDED: A May 2014 poll showed 71% of Tea Party voters want Congress to act on immigration reform this year. That same month, Tea Party Express founder Sal Russo wrote an op-ed expressing his support for immigration reform.

7. Immigration reform will lead to the creation of 11 million Democratic voters.

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UNFOUNDED: Proponents of this view often point to the fact that many immigrants are Hispanic and Hispanic voters have overwhelmingly voted Democratic in recent elections. But this was not always the case. In 2004, George W. Bush, a proponent of immigration reform, won between 40% and 44% of the Hispanic vote.

8. Democrats will reform immigration once they control Congress.

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UNFOUNDED: Democrats have promised immigration reform for decades and have controlled both houses of Congress on multiple occasions. In 2009, they even had supermajorities in both houses.

9. "For every [undocumented immigrant] who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there who weigh 130 lbs - and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 lbs of marijuana across the desert" - Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

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UNFOUNDED: And just weird.