America can have safe, secure borders without sacrificing the dignity and humanity of our immigrants.  The Trump border wall and Muslim travel ban provide neither.  Our country is currently experiencing a net outflow of undocumented immigrants back to Mexico, and a border wall would be a literal monumental waste of taxpayer dollars, and an unnecessary insult to our third largest trading partner.

The Muslim travel ban is un-American and glosses over a couple of important facts; our nation already has a robust screening process for refugees, and none of the terrorist attacks that have occurred on U.S. soil would have been prevented if this ban had been already in place, since the attackers came from countries not listed in the ban.

Our country was built by immigrants.  They make us who we are, and are the essence of our national character.  Almost half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by American immigrants or their children.  I will fight tooth and nail against any short-sided policy that treats immigrants like a punching bag, as Trump has tried to do with DACA students. As a college trustee, my first instinct when Trump rescinded DACA was to issue a resolution affirming Mt. SAC’s support and protection of our Dreamers, many of whom are the strongest leaders and contributors to our campus.  I will take that same tenacity with me to Congress, and fight for a path to legal status for our Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants that affirms rule of law as well as the compassionate nature of our country.