Candidate Positions

Original source: http://kucinich.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=1562

Congressman Kucinich is deeply concerned about the plight of immigrants in this country, whether immigrants are joining close family members, fleeing their home countries as refugees, or coming for legal employment. He advocates for a fair and compassionate immigration policy that promotes human rights and family values. He is committed to working in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that our nation always extends a helping hand to its immigrants. Additionally, Congressman Kucinich believes that America must have in place a balanced system that carefully screens those who wish to come into the United States and admits only those who do not pose a security risk and who can contribute to our society.

Refugees

Congressman Kucinich is a strong advocate on behalf of refugees, who flee their homelands because they fear persecution on account of their race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion or national origin. He has sponsored several bills to make it easier for refugees, who make up 6% of all immigrants, to come to the United States. Congressman Kucinich believes that if refugees can demonstrate that they have a well-founded fear of persecution, then the United States has a moral responsibility to assist them.

Defending the Rights of Legal Immigrants

Congressman Kucinich was an original cosponsor of legislation that would prohibit the use of “secret evidence” in trials conducted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. He believes that the cornerstone of our judicial system is that evidence cannot be used against someone unless he or she has the chance to confront it. Congressman Kucinich strives to ensure the rights of all citizens regardless of race, religion, creed, ethnic orientation, sexual orientation, disabilities or age.

Original source: http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3824

I agree with the President’s stated goal of achieving comprehensive immigration reform this year. With over 12 million undocumented workers in our country, the American people expect Congress and this administration to find a workable solution to this longstanding problem - one that protects American jobs and security while providing a pathway to earned citizenship for undocumented workers, many of whom play an important role in our economy. Unfortunately, last year, efforts to pass an immigration reform bill were blocked by the Republican-controlled House. In this Congress, we have an opportunity and an obligation to tackle this issue head-on on a bi-partisan basis. But without Presidential leadership, comprehensive reform will not be possible. Hopefully, this time the President will have the courage to stand up to members of his own party who fought against reform last year.