Summary
2006: Pence Said That Undocumented Immigration Was “A Problem That Threatens The Very Fabric Of America.” According to a Mike Pence press release obtained via Congressional Press Releases, “The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that twelve million illegal aliens are currently living in America. Just a few months ago, that estimate was eleven million. In a few more months or years, that estimate will grow to thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, twenty or more million illegal aliens, unless we do something to turn the tide. And, we must do something because this is a problem of epic proportions. It is a problem that threatens the very fabric of America. Every time I am home in Indiana, I hear about this issue from my constituents. Hoosiers are concerned. Americans are concerned. I am concerned.” [Congressional Press Releases, 5/23/06]
Mike Pence: “We Have In Many Ways Subsidized The Avalanche Of Illegal Immigrants In This Country.” According to The Palladium-Item, “‘We have in many ways subsidized the avalanche of illegal immigrants in this country,’ Pence said. He said in the past the Internal Revenue Service gave workers tax numbers even if the immigrants didn't have Social Security numbers.” [Palladium-Item, 1/17/06]
2007: Pence Referred To Undocumented Immigrants As “Illegals.” According to an op-ed by Mike Pence and published by Town Hall, “But the Senate bill only included a requirement that Z Visa holders return to the U.S. Consulate in their country of origin if they wanted to apply for a green card, which was strictly optional. Under the Senate bill, illegals could obtain a Z Visa, which was renewable indefinitely, simply by paying a fine and passing a background check. Z Visa holders never were required to leave the country to get right with the law.” [Mike Pence Op-Ed – Town Hall, 6/11/07]
2010: Mike Pence Said He Supported Arizona’s Stance On Immigration. According to The Star Press, “Pence told the crowd he supports Arizona’s stance on immigration, an issue he’s been working on since 2006. Pence is against giving amnesty to people ‘whose first act was breaking the law.’” [Star Press, 5/18/10]
Pence Called Arizona’s Immigration Laws “A Good Faith [Effort] To Try And Restore Order To Their Communities.” According to a transcript of Fox News Sunday, “PENCE: Yeah. Look, the American people are frustrated with the lack of leadership out of this administration, whether it's the people of Arizona seeing a lack of seriousness about border security or internal enforcement, have made a good faith to try and restore order to their communities, whether it be the people of the Gulf Coast, Governor Bobby Jindal, who's been clamoring now for months for energetic leadership, or whether it's -- or whether it's millions of Americans at the county fair I was at last Friday night that were saying, ‘When is this administration going to focus on getting spending under control and getting this economy moving with the time- honored principles of growth that previous Republican and Democrat administrations have embraced?’” [Fox News Sunday, 7/18/10]
Mike Pence Said That U.S. Citizenship By Birthright Had Served As A Perverse Incentive For Undocumented Workers To Break U.S. Law. According to The Palladium-Item, “When Tucker said she wanted to see the U.S. citizenship-by-birth right end, Pence said that policy has served as a perverse incentive for aliens or immigrants to break U.S. law.” [Palladium-Item, 1/17/06]
Pence Co-Sponsored A Bill To Eliminate Birthright Citizenship. According to The Hill, “The idea also has traction among House Republicans, where Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) is leading the drive for the Birthright Citizenship Act, which would deny citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants by statute instead of repealing the amendment. The legislation has 93 co-sponsors, including prominent members such as Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.).” [The Hill, 8/3/10]
Pence: “We Need To Create A System Where The Illegal Immigrants In This Country Will Self-Deport In An Orderly Way And Return With A Guest Worker Visa. While appearing on CNBC, Pence said, “We need to create a system where the illegal immigrants in this country will self-deport in an orderly way and have an opportunity to come back to this country with a legitimate, guest worker visa. We add that to border security and employer enforcement, and we’ll have that kind of system that Xavier is talking about. One that works and it’ll work for America and the American dream.” [CNBC, 5/24/05]
2010: Pence Voted Against The DREAM Act. In December 2010, Pence voted against the DREAM Act, a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] allow[ed] the Homeland Security Department to grant the undocumented children of illegal immigrants conditional nonimmigrant status if they [met] certain requirements, including that they have been in the United States continuously for more than five years and were younger than 16 when they entered the country, and that they have been admitted to a U.S. college or university or enlisted in the military, and were younger than 30 on the date of enactment. The measure would [have] require[d] such individuals to pay an application surcharge of $525 and, after five years, pay an additional $2,000 to renew their conditional status for another five years, when they would be eligible to apply for legal permanent status.” The vote was on the motion to concur with two Senate amendments to the underlying bill – which dealt with transferring certain cases from state courts to federal district courts – and concur in the third Senate amendment with a House amendment that added the DREAM Act. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 216 to 198, but the amended bill died after the Senate voted against ending debate on it. [House Vote 625, 12/8/10; Congressional Quarterly, 12/8/10; Congressional Quarterly, 12/13/10; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5281; House Report 111-677, 12/8/10]
2012: Pence Voted To Block Implementation Of Obama Executive Order Deferring Deportation Of DREAMers. In June 2012, Pence voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “bar[red] the use of funds in the bill to finalize, implement, administer or enforce Immigration and Customs Enforcement memos regarding prosecutorial discretion to prioritize the removal of certain illegal immigrants.” The underlying bill was on Department of Homeland Security appropriations. The vote was on passage of the amendment, the House passed the amendment by a vote of 238 to 175. The bill was passed by the House, but the Senate took no subsequent action. [House Vote 363, 6/7/12; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5855; Congressional Quarterly, 6/7/12]
May 2007: Pence: “If They [Immigrants] Come Under The Color Of The Law, We Must Require Temporary Workers To Learn The Language Of The American People.” According to a Mike Pence press release obtained via Congressional Press Releases, “‘And if they come under the color of the law, we must require temporary workers to learn the language of the American people.” [Congressional Press Releases, 5/15/07]
2007: Pence Co-Sponsored Legislation Declaring English As The Official Language Of The U.S. According to ThinkProgress, “Pence told Roll Call that CHLI might be honoring him because he helped provide the first-ever Spanish-language GOP response to the State of the Union. Ironically, in 2007, Pence felt the need to co-sponsor legislation declaring English as the official language of the U.S.” [ThinkProgress, 5/21/10]
2004: Pence Voted For Requiring Hospitals To Report Potential Undocumented Immigrants Before Being Reimbursed For Their Care. In May 2004, Pence voted for a bill that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “require[d] hospitals to collect and report information on potential illegal aliens before being reimbursed for treating them. Employers would [have been] liable for the reimbursements if an undocumented employee [sought] medical attention, unless the employer [met] certain conditions for exemption. Hospitals would not [have been] required to provide care to undocumented aliens if they could be transported to their home country without significant likelihood of making their condition worse.” The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the underlying bill; the House rejected the motion by a vote of 88 to 331. [House Vote 182, 5/18/04; Congressional Quarterly, 5/18/04]