Marco Rubio Tries to Win Conservatives On Immigration Reform

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to try to win conservatives over to his immigration reform bill. On Monday, Rubio took to the pages of Human Events which, for decades, has been a leading conservative journal. Rubio returns to the theme of American exceptionalism in his essay:

America is a special country. Its so special that people want to come here from all over the world, and they are able to because we have always been a welcoming society. In fact, over 1 million people come legally every single year. No other country comes even close to us, and we are a stronger, more prosperous and more dynamic country because of it.

We also understand that America is so special and unique that some people are willing to risk their lives to come here illegally. And as compassionate people, we understand that reality and the desperation that usually drives it, and our heart breaks at the stories of what people have to go through to come here.

But we also understand that the United States of America is a sovereign country. Every single sovereign country on the planet tries to or does control its borders and who comes into the country and who leaves. Every country in the world does that, and the U.S. should not be any different. At the end of the day, we have a sovereign right to protect our border.

Unfortunately, decades of broken promises have led to a crisis on our southern border and an illegal immigrant population of 11 million people living in de facto amnesty. This situation hurts America, and its why strong border security and enforcement measures must be an important part of the Senate immigration bill currently being debated.

The rest can be read here.