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Cynthia McKinney
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"In the congressional office we had some people who were waiting a decade to reunite with their families. That's wrong, so we ought to have comprehensive immigration reform…"
Vote YES on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would extend by four months a law allowing some immigrants to remain in the country while pursuing legal residency
Voted NO on the Goodlatte Amendment to H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The Goodlatte Amendment would eliminate the visa lottery.
Co-sponsored HR 3553 to provide to nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Haiti an opportunity to apply for legal immigration status.
Co-sponsored H.R. 2092, the Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2005. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust the status of aliens who would otherwise be inadmissible (due to unlawful presence, document fraud, or other specified grounds of inadmissibility) if such aliens have been in the United States for at least five years and meet other requirements.
"I have accepted as the platform of the Power to the People Campaign, the 10-Point Draft Manifesto of the Reconstruction Movement...Among its many specific public policy planks, the Draft Manifesto calls for justice for immigrant workers, including real immigration reform that provides amnesty for all undocumented immigrants."
Voted YES on the Stearns Amendment to H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The Stearns Amendment prohibits any alien from being granted legal immigration status of any kind until criminal record databases are checked.
Voted NO to pass a bill to increase the number of temporary visas granted to highly skilled workers from 65,000 to 115,000
Voted NO to the Pombo Amendment to H.R.2202 which would have allowed agriculture businesses to import up to 250,000 foreign farm workers each year for a period of service of less than a year.
[McKinney] Recognizes that the way to address the problem is to address the cause; repeal NAFTA and CAFTA; in the interim make it easier for immigrants to obtain legal work permits.
Chicago Tribune Issues Comparison
Voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border
Voted YES on the Border Tunnel Protection Act which amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the construction or financing of an unauthorized tunnel or subterranean passage that crosses the international border between the United States and another country. Imposes a 20-year prison term for such offense. H.R. 4830 passed by a vote of 422 to 0.
[McKinney] Rejects the border fence as a wasteful militarized approach to the question. It's not the immigrants who are "illegal"; what is illegal is the way U.S. economic policies treat workers in this country and throughout the world. Supports immigration policies that promote fairness, non-discrimination, family reunification, not preferential quotas based on race, class and ideology.
Chicago Tribune Issues Comparison
Voted NO on H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. H.R. 4437, as amended and passed, includes a mandate that the federal government cooperate with local authorities in enforcing federal immigration law.
Voted NO on H. Amdt. 288 to H.R. 2862, the Science, Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations, 2006 Act. The amendment would deny federal funding to states and cities that violate federal immigration law.
Voted NO on the King Amendment to H.R. 5441. The amendment would deny federal homeland security funding to state and local governments who refuse to share information with Federal immigration authorities.
Voted YES on the Marshall Amendment to H.R. 5441. The Marshall Amendment would increase funding for USCIS' employment verification program by $20 million. This program, which is currently voluntary, allows employers to electronically check the eligibility of new employees to work in the United States.
Voted NO on H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. H.R. 4437, as amended and passed, includes a provisions requiring that all businesses must use an electronic system to check the immigration status of employees.
Voted YES on the Gallegly Amendment to H.R.2202. The amendment would have made pilot workplace verification programs mandatory in five of the top seven immigration states.
We oppose discriminatory English-only pressure groups. We call for a national language policy that would encourage all citizens to be fluent in at least two languages.