America's Voice

COMPREHENSIVE REFORMER. On his campaign website, Udall's immigration position focuses on border security. Udall writes, "Our Border Patrol has been asked to do much to protect our nation, but has been given too little in resources and support. If we are going to get serious about securing our borders, we must give the Border Patrol the equipment and training they need. I support efforts to increase the resources available to secure our borders. Our Customs and Border Patrol personnel need state-of-the-art electronic equipment and monitoring devices to help improve efforts to catch illegal immigrants and those who profit by smuggling immigrants into New Mexico." [Tom Udall for Senate, accessed 9/22/08] However, during his tenure in Congress, Udall has advocated comprehensive reform.

In an interview in 2008, Udall was asked if he thought some kind of wall on the Mexican border would be effective in deterring illegal immigration. He stated, "I don't think we need a wall the entire length of the border. I think what we need is strategic fencing and we need new technology could really make a difference here…The thing that I don't think we've done on a bipartisan basis, and there's been too much bickering, is we haven't really pushed to get the full complement of Border Patrol people that they need on the border." [Federal News Service, MSNBC, 8/26/08]

In a 2006 press release, Udall commended President Bush for outlining his plan on immigration reform. He wrote, "Congress must soon act to establish an immigration policy closely adhering to many of the points the President has enumerated, including increasing the number of Border Patrol officers, creating a temporary worker program, and creating a new biometric identification card for every foreign worker to ensure employer accountability." [Tom Udall Press Release, 5/19/06] In 2005, Udall called a bill to build fences along the U.S.-Mexican border and require businesses to prove their employees were in the country legally a political ploy by "the extreme element in the Republican Party." [Albuquerque Journal, 12/18/05]