John Kerry's position on

Immigration: Immigration in the United States has seen a sever facelift after the events of September 11, 2001. The U.S. government must find a balance that lets those seeking a better opportunity continue to find avenues for a better life, as well as adhere to the safety concerns that have been made by U.S. officials.

Descriptions of candidate's position: If elected, Kerry has stated he will offer a comprehensive immigration reform bill which addresses earned legalization, reuniting families, establishing a visa worker program with protections, as well as strengthening border security&emdash;a bill which will be formed within the first 100 days. Kerry will also support the DREAM Act, which will give foreigners living in the U.S. for five years the opportunity to receive funding for higher education. 

Quotation from the candidate: "As president, I would immediately sign the AgJobs and DREAM Act bills," said Kerry. "More importantly, I will also do what this administration has failed to do in its nearly four years in office: I will address the issue of the millions of undocumented immigrants who labor, often abused, in the shadows of our country." August 28, 2004. Link

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: the National Immigration Forum believes that President Bush's decision to not sign the DREAM Act and AgJOBS bill is counterproductive to the reform of immigration. By not signing these bills, Bush has stood against funding for immigrants that want to achieve higher education and has denied worker's rights and denied them the opportunity to find a better wage.

Negative: Roberto Deposada, President of the Latino Coalition, stated on July 29, 2004, "In twenty years, Senator Kerry has all but ignored the issue of comprehensive immigration reform and he only addresses the issue when speaking to Hispanic audiences."

Comparison: President Bush believes that immigrants that are unregistered should have to pay a fine in order to file for legalization. He does not believe unregistered citizens that have already been living in the U.S. should have the same rights and privileges of the citizens that took the efforts to become legalized. Also, President Bush, in an address on January 7, 2004, stated that "I also support making it easier for temporary workers to contribute a portion of their earnings to tax-preferred savings accounts, money they can collect as they return to their native countries." Information can be found at Bush's website.

Link to Bush's issue page