Vibrant and Safe Communities
Immigration
The rich tapestry of our country came together through immigration. We are a unique country precisely because we embrace so many differences. Our diversity makes us stronger, more innovative, and more creative. My son-in-law and the father of my three grandchildren immigrated here as a young adult. His story and countless stories from millions of other families reach back for generations, creating our uniquely American story. We weave together in new ways and it helps keep us vital.
We need common sense, comprehensive immigration reform. Any reform should have three components:
- It must uphold existing laws, protecting our borders and enforcing our laws against recruiting, hiring, and exploiting undocumented workers.
- It needs to be fair to all taxpayers and to legal immigrants. There should be a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, but one that would require them to pay taxes and go to the back of the line.
- It needs to help us retain talent trained at our world-class institutions and support job creation.
That kind of immigration reform would be true to the rule of law, to our tradition as a nation of immigrants, and to our need to invest in the future.
Crime & Public Safety
There is nothing so important as the safety of our families and our neighborhoods. Trust and cooperation among neighbors, police, and government are essential for creating a welcoming community for everyone. Businesses can prosper and our families can thrive when communities are safe.
The first step toward making us safer is continuing to support our first responders. They work hard every day to keep us safe. Many of them put their lives on the line each and every day. We owe them our thanks and our strong support. It is critical that we listen to them to learn what they need to do their work and that we provide them the resources they need to do their jobs.
We must enforce and toughen our gun laws, but we also need to develop new strategies to tackle the problems that so many communities across the Commonwealth are facing. Massachusetts has been a leader in community policing and other innovative strategies to reduce crime. All of us must work together to make our communities safer.
In the Senate, I’ll fight for the resources we need to improve safety in our cities and towns. I’ll work with local first responders, as well as with the FBI, DEA, and other agencies to ensure the safety and security of Massachusetts’s families and communities.
