Candidate Survey 2026: Do you oppose allowing illegal aliens entry into the United States?

Try going into Iran.  You have no rights to be there and they’ll “get rid of you!” in an instant.  So are many other countries.  I’ve spoken with many people who came here legally and they don’t want illegals here as well.

Strong border security also protects families. Parents considering illegal entry should understand the serious risks involved. If they are apprehended and removed after giving birth in the United States, their family may face painful legal complications, including the possibility of separation and difficult custody questions. No family should be encouraged to place themselves in that position. Congress has the constitutional responsibility to establish a clear, fair, and orderly system of naturalization and immigration. We should enforce those laws faithfully while maintaining humane treatment and due process. Legal immigration strengthens both our nation and the immigrants who come here; illegal immigration undermines the rule of law, fuels criminal enterprises, and too often harms the very people it promises to help.

I am for humane immigration. Get the court process going.

Also if we stop destroying the planet, there would not be so many refugees.

We have a racist immigration system that forces struggling families to wait sometimes more than a decade to escape dangerous situations, and that’s why they come here without the proper documentation. People aren’t coming here “illegally” just because they think it’s fun, we’ve set too many hurdles for them to live out the American dream. So I want people to feel welcome to come to this country, and we should feel great pride that so many people believe in the American dream that they would consider risking their lives to live the lives we were born into. Let’s have a system that makes sense. I’m not calling for no borders, I’m saying if this nation is a house we should have a welcome mat and someone at the door to make them at home and acclimated for those that mean well (basic security check, most people just want to provide for their family and put food on the table. Denying someone the American dream is deeply un-American)

At the same time, I support fair, practical, and humane immigration policies. That means improving our legal pathways for work, family reunification, and asylum, while making sure our enforcement is effective, consistent, and respects human dignity.

My focus is on solutions that protect our communities, uphold the law, and strengthen our economy because a safe, orderly, and fair immigration system benefits everyone in Louisiana’s 2nd District.

When the legal process is bypassed, it erodes the faith we have in each other and in our government’s ability to maintain our social infrastructure. Just as we must trust in our medical and scientific professions to guide us during a crisis, we must be able to trust in our legal and border systems to ensure that everyone within our borders has entered into the shared agreement of our society. Allowing illegal entry focuses on individual exceptions rather than the ‘General Will.’ To preserve our civil society, we must ensure that the path to citizenship is orderly, legal, and rooted in a commitment to our unified civic foundation.

The border must remain closed to unlawful crossings. Illegal entry violates federal law, undermines legal immigration, strains public resources, and creates security risks including fentanyl trafficking, criminal gangs, and potential terrorism. No nation can survive without control of its sovereignty.

Recent policy changes under the current administration have proven that strict enforcement, ending catch-and-release, and swift removals can reduce illegal crossings to historic lows without new physical barriers. I support full enforcement of existing immigration statutes: immediate detention, expedited removal, and zero tolerance for illegal entry.

At the same time, I favor expanded legal immigration through a merit-based system that serves American interests first. We should streamline processes for legal entrants while maintaining rigorous vetting and numerical limits.

I will vote for legislation that locks in these enforcement successes and reforms our legal immigration system to be more efficient and selective.

One more point to make about immigration is best said by Pres. Ronald Reagan: “But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it, and see it still.”

Illegal immigration undermines border security and poses a major strain on resources. At the same time, the United States is a nation born of immigrants. We must continue to encourage those who seek to come here legally and welcome those who follow the law and contribute to our robust society.

Illegal immigration undermines the lawful, legal immigration system we have. While improvements can be made to make it shorter, less burdensome, and more efficient, the shortcoming in the system are no excuse for blatantly violating the law.