Immigration
America is a nation of immigrants, and I am proud of our heritage of inclusion that defines us all as Americans. Our district, our state, and our nation are stronger when we embrace diversity and celebrate the contributions of immigrant communities.
Our current immigration system is broken, and I support comprehensive immigration reform to modernize it, including a strict but fair pathway to citizenship. I support the reversal of the Trump Administration’s inhumane and counterproductive immigration policies, and believe we should focus on alleviating the conditions which drive waves of immigrants to leave their home countries.
I am a proud supporter of the Dream and Promise Act, and I will continue to work to protect Dreamers who’ve known no other home but the United States.
More on Immigration
Ellyn Fortino, Progress Illinois
U.S. Congressmen Bill Foster (D, IL-11) and Ted Deutch (D, FL-21) want immigrants protected from fraudulent and unethical legal representation.
Uriel J. Garcia, Associated Press
Tatiana Jimenez left her native Guatemala seven years ago to escape an abusive relationship and begin a new life in America.
But she endured a different kind of abuse after she arrived in Washington, D.C., and sought legal help on her immigration status. With little knowledge of the system, she turned to an unscrupulous lawyer who had her sign a contract to pay $2,800 and charged her hundreds of dollars for immigration documents the federal government provides for free.
Editorial, The Monitor
The problem is all too common in Texas and especially the Rio Grande Valley — so much so that the state attorney general's office has a special office to deal with it, and periodically conducts special sweeps to arrest those who fraudulently promise to process immigrants' documents.
David Iaconangelo, Latin Times
Fraudulent "notarios" - a term coming from the Spanish term for public notaries, and referring to non-lawyer immigration consultants - have long scammed immigrants in need of legal help. Federal authorities have rarely attended to the problem, and there is no federal statue which addresses the practice of immigration law by those unauthorized to do so. Now, with the introduction of a House bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), bills in both chambers of Congress will seek to crack down on scammers amid bigger bills which would reform the nation's immigration system.
Rex Robinson, Times Weekly
A Hispanic group from Catholic Diocese of Joliet visited U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Naperville) on Friday to drop off petitions urging the passage of immigration reform at the federal level and to remind the congressman about why that legislation is so desperately needed.
John Gregory, Illinois Radio Network
One Illinois Democrat says immigration reform isn't just a moral issue-it's good for business. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Naperville) is appealing to business leaders to get behind comprehensive immigration reform, claiming passing the current Senate bill would increase the gross domestic product and reduce the national debt. He says the piecemeal approach favored by House Republicans, on the other hand, would hurt the economy.
James Fuller, Daily Herald
Hailing it as what may be the best shot at meaningful immigration reform in their political careers, Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Bill Foster Tuesday teamed up with local Aurora business and community leaders to trumpet a bill recently passed by the Senate. The group fears a piecemeal approach in the House may tear apart legislation meant to address many of the hot-button issues surrounding immigration reform.
Kalyn Belsha, Aurora Beacon-News
AURORA — At a forum at an Aurora church Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Naperville) urged the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on legislation that would overhaul the nation's immigration system.
The plan would include a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million immigrants who entered the country illegally.
"All we're asking for is a vote," Durbin (D-Ill.) said Tuesday at Ginger Creek Community Church. "We think it will pass."
Jim Anderson, Illinois Radio Network
Mike Riopell, Daily Herald
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster has introduced legislation targeting "notarios" who give immigrants fraudulent legal advice that can, at times, get them deported.
The Naperville Democrat said advertising for services to help immigrants gain legal status has increased, particularly on Spanish-language radio stations. But the advice given by so-called "notarios" can often be bogus, he said.