Congressional Candidate Details Plan to End Illegal Immigration

Editor's Note: The following is a news release from the office of , who is challenging the seat of 2nd District Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat, in the 2012 election.

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Today Larry Smith, Republican candidate for Congress in Maryland’s Second District, announced his Eight Point Plan for finally addressing the chronic problem of illegal immigration.

“It is time for real leadership on the issue of illegal immigration because our states and communities can no longer bear its financial burden. As Maryland’s next Congressman, I will work to resolve this issue once and for all by implementing lasting, common sense reforms,” said Smith. “Above all, we must reserve citizenship’s benefits for our citizens while providing earned equitable pathways to legitimate working status and subsequent citizenship.” 

Smith’s Eight Point Plan would hold all parties responsible for their respective roles in this issue.

Federal Government: Uphold and clarify current law

1. Withhold federal transportation funding from “sanctuary” states that indirectly provide prohibited government benefits to illegal immigrants by refusing to verify their social security numbers.

2. Deploy various Army and Air National Guard units to civilian border patrol agencies each year, while fully leveraging national intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

3. Remove the annual numerical cap on H-1B visas for high-skilled guest workers.  [By 2020, America's schools will provide only about 50 million of the 125 million highly skilled or highly educated workers we will need. Without help from abroad, we’ll be short over 90,000 doctors.]

Employers: Verify worker eligibility or pay a stiff penalty

1. Mandate national use of “E-Verify” to verify every employee’s social security number.

2. Require employers to offer their openings to Americans first and to sponsor their guest workers by paying $1,000 towards each guest worker’s $1,390 H-2B visa petition fee.

Illegal Immigrants: Find employer sponsors or go home

1. Deport illegals who have no employer sponsor, and use 10% minimum payroll deductions (on top of payroll taxes) to pay down $5,000 illegal entry fines on guest workers who arrived illegally. Any immigrant who secures a sponsor and then loses his or her job would be given a four month grace period to obtain another sponsor.

2. Guest workers who enter legally would pay $390 of their H-2B petition fee and then pay regular payroll taxes.  Previously paid income taxes would be credited towards any illegal entry fines.

3. Limit birthright citizenship to the children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.

“Having served our country, I understand how important securing our borders is to our national security. We need ‘high walls;’ but we also need ‘broad gates.’ Allowing illegal immigrants to hold jobs that Americans could perform is just another form of outsourcing…right here at home. And yet, every time a guest engineer fills an otherwise vacant high-tech position, some American company increases its output, and another 8-10 ‘spin-off’ jobs are created,” said Smith. “Smarter immigration policy is essential for our future growth and prosperity.”

Mr. Smith is not a career politician. He is a running as a small business advocate, a friend of the taxpayer and concerned citizen. He was a Maryland racehorse trainer and Army National Guard officer before 9/11 led him to six years of active duty at the Pentagon; tours in Afghanistan and Korea; a master’s degree in public policy; and nine months on Capitol Hill as a congressional staffer.