Immigration
As the child of immigrants, I recognize that legal immigrants have always been important to America. However, porous borders and inefficient bureaucrats enable undocumented aliens to enter our country illegally and even legal temporary visa holders to overstay their visas. Illegal immigration undermines the American workforce and creates real national security risks for the United States.
Securing our border is the first step to ending illegal immigration into the United States, and can be accomplished through increasing and empowering our border patrol, using advanced technology, and building physical barriers where necessary. Maintaining a secure border also requires better tracking of immigrants' visas to cut down on the number of visa overstays.
More on Immigration
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) is leading an effort to urge the Administration to grant additional H-2B Visas. Rep. Harris organized a bipartisan letter signed by 151 Members of Congress and 38 Senators, requesting the release of 64,716 additional visas. These guest worker visas provide temporary, seasonal workers to employers who are unable to hire employees locally. The visas are utilized extensively by seafood processors and crab houses, among others, on the Eastern Shore.
Congressman Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st, answered questions and listened to his constituents' comments at a Town Hall on Monday evening, Dec. 30 at the American Legion in Cambridge.
Among those top concerns, Second Amendment rights, school discipline and sanctuary county laws.
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) made the following statement on a fiscally irresponsibe bill that offers Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan Immigrants:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives is considering a bill, H.R. 3401, that allegedly attempts to address the humanitarian crisis along the southern border of the United States. However, the bill fails to provide funds to the Department of Defense for assistance with border security or to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency for additional beds for detained immigrants, and limits the ability of the Department of Homeland Security to enforce immigration laws.
WASHINGTON, DC: On Tuesday, June 11th, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) cosponsored an amendment, which preserves the president's ability to release more H-2B visas next year, passed by the Committee on Appropriations. The H-2B visa program is a crucial resource for the seafood industry, the tourism industry, and other seasonal employers across the First District and supports thousands of related jobs held by American citizens.
Rep. Harris made the following statement:
WASHINGTON, DC: On May 6th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the imminent finalization of the rule providing for the release of 30,000 additional H-2B visas for the summer season of Fiscal Year 2019. Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) has spearheaded the effort to secure these extra visas both in the House of Representatives and in the Maryland delegation, and made the following statement supporting the DHS' decision to increase the allotted amount of H-2B visas:
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) will join Vice President Mike Pence at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office in Baltimore, Maryland on Wednesday, May 1st. Rep. Harris will accompany Vice President Pence on a tour of the ICE Baltimore Field Office and meet with ICE employees.
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) made the following statement regarding his support of President Trump on the vote to override the President's veto of a bill that would block his declaration of a national emergency:
Washington, DC: Representatives Steven Palazzo (MS-04) and Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) Members of the House Appropriations Committee introduced the Border Bonds for America Act of 2019 to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to sell revenue bonds that will financially support construction of the southern border wall and improve security infrastructure at the southern border.
WASHINGTON, DC: On July 25, the House Appropriations Committee passed the FY19 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, its final bill for this year. This bill includes $17.8 billion in discretionary funds for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and $7.4 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Included in CBP's funding is $5 billion for border security assets and infrastructure. This funding will be used to construct more than 200 miles of new physical barrier construction along the southern border and to invest in new border security technology. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D.