Immigration Policy

Marina Kats will take a firm stance on illegal immigration. Marina immigrated to this country legally, along with many others, from the Ukraine, part of the former Soviet Union, but only after an extensive review process including a verification of her credentials by the US government. She believes that the same should continue going forward for everyone who wants to immigrate to the United States. Historically, the United States has been a melting-pot of immigrant citizens who have enhanced economic prosperity and social foundations, and we must welcome those who wish to come here legally and to accept American values and principles in the process.

Illegal immigration is a huge problem for the United States. It threatens our national security, the very existence of our nation and the American culture as we know it. What’s more, the problem is perpetuated by all levels of government. Blanket amnesty for people who came here by illegal means is wrong, for it is unfair to those who patiently await the opportunity to come here legally.

Marina would like to see a comprehensive policy of immigration reform enacted but not before our borders are under strict control so that we have a very accurate accounting of who is crossing into and out of our country. Legal, controlled, and governed immigration is good for America, but illegal immigration is akin to permitting anarchy and chaos in our society. It is crucial that every newcomer have a stake in making America a better country for all Americans.

Stemming from a fundamental belief in the rule of law, illegal immigrants should not be afforded the same privileges as full citizens (such as unionizing rights). Marina Kats oppose taxpayer-funded housing, education and healthcare for illegal immigrants, as it provides an unfair advantage to those who have broken our laws while those who abide by our laws struggle economically. For example, once illegals have received emergency care, their presence should be made known to federal immigration officials.

Marina Kats will support efforts by the federal government to ensure that the borders are secure. Marina will also fight the efforts of local governments across our nation to circumvent federal immigration laws and act as sanctuary cities. Local agencies that fail to notify ICE when they encounter illegal aliens (some of whom are in police custody, charged with the commission of felony crimes) make a mockery of our legal system and our immigration laws. Marina will support the revocation of federal funding to localities that have sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants. Marina believes that we should not be providing jobs or social services to those who have committed the crime of entering our country without proper permission and who continue to disobey our laws.

Marina also supports using our military assets to secure our southern border with Mexico. The essential role of every nation’s military is to defend its borders and America is no different. Border security could be accomplished more efficiently if this effort received the full backing of the military. We must secure the border promptly, and the military is best suited to undertake this huge project on short notice.

A border fence by itself won't do it.  More border patrol agents by themselves won't do it. More interior enforcement by itself won't do it.  More technology by itself won't do it.  Employer sanctions alone won't do it.  But all those things together will do it, reduce the level of illegal immigration (currently ~800,000 annually) below the level of natural attrition (currently ~400,000 annually), and give us a functional immigration law system. Once our borders are secure, we can then determine the best way to address those who have entered our country illegally, while allowing us to keep our economy vibrant. 

Marina Kats strongly supports legal immigration; indeed, it should be increased to fuel the economy. That is why we should both expand the number of annual visas for skilled workers and establish a guest-working program to provide opportunity for unskilled workers who urgently want to provide a better life for themselves and their families. But cheap labor provided by illegals only serves to hurt American-citizen contractors and union members.

Marina supports expanding the H1 and Guest Worker visa programs as long as doing so does not take away jobs from Americans and as long as the people admitted on these visas are properly screened for potential health and security risks, including industrial spying and espionage. From day one these people will be able to legally contribute to the tax base of our country and will be expected to do so.

Marina also believes that English must be the official language of the United States. It should be the only language used in official government transactions at all levels (local, state, and federal). A multilingual nation really is not a nation if one ethnic group can’t communicate with another because the people are from different parts of the world and don’t speak the same language. Rather, such a condition rapidly deteriorates the core and fabric of a nation. The resulting vulcanized hodge-podge of subcultures occupying the same land mass would result in chaos, resembling a third-world nation. While native languages should be cherished and promoted within families and cultures, we have reached a point where the confluence of immigration rates and modern communications justify the establishment of English as the official language. 

This is how Marina summarizes her perspective on this gut-wrenching concern, and its implications:  “We must be careful not to lose sight of what it is that makes us a nation. To be sure, I’m not saying that one must give up his or her ethnic heritage and pride in order to be a proper American. I am myself an immigrant to this nation and I am quite proud of my ancestry and my heritage. I love the richness of this nation and of the innumerable cultures that have come together to make this nation so great. There, however, must be a common thread that ties us all together as a nation; the English language is one of the essential fibers in this thread that keeps us firmly bound together.”