America has often been called the Melting Pot – a conglomeration of people from every heritage, coming together to live out the American Dream. Our country would be nothing without immigration. Our Founding Fathers were immigrants when they first stepped onto American soil, and the same goes for almost everyone’s families.

However, the United States' Immigration System is broken. We are using an immigration system that is extremely inefficient, and this benefits no one. Democrats believe in fixing our immigration system, and coming together in a bipartisan manner in order to do so.

We recognize that our borders need to be secured, and that our 11 million undocumented immigrants need to come out of the shadows. We need responsibility for all players involved in the immigration progress—our government, employers, and undocumented immigrants themselves—to help us fix the system. This call for responsibility is not a call for hostility towards immigrants, however—we must ensure that those who envision living out the American Dream are treated with responsibility, fairness, and compassion.

Immigrants have the ability to make America a more prosperous nation. Often times, young Americans have to leave the only home they’ve known because of a decision that was made out of their control. That is why Democrats support legislation such as the DREAM Act, which helps undocumented young Americans to gain a path to citizenship by joining the military or getting a college education. By supporting our fellow young Americans, we are preparing them for a better future, and opening the doors for American innovation and invention that will lead to benefits for all.