3rd Congressional hopefuls outline do-overs for immigration system

Republican John Booras and Democratic U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez share one commonality related to the debate over immigration in the U.S.

Both candidates’ parents arrived in America from distant countries — Ramirez’ from Guatemala and Booras’ from Greece — and worked hard to build lives for their families in Chicago.

That history provides a unique perspective on immigration, the two Chicagoans running for the 3rd Congressional District seat in the Nov. 5 election said at a Daily Herald endorsement interview.

“The largest problem that we have going on at the moment … is the illegal part of immigration,” said Booras, an attorney and former police officer. “Legal immigration has always been a boon to the United States. The problem occurs when you go past the point of recognizing we have to be a country of laws.”

Incumbent Ramirez said, “we have a broken immigration system,” which hasn’t worked for years.

“We actually haven’t passed comprehensive immigration reform in this country since 1986 when I was 3,” she added. “My parents are U.S. citizens as a result of the Reagan administration’s amnesty program.”

Ramirez, a former state lawmaker, supports allowing work permits for undocumented immigrants, saying they pay about $96.7 billion in taxes a year already and that amount would increase with permits.

“It makes sense financially for us to actually pass immigration reform in this country,” Ramirez said.

She also backs passing the DREAM Act, which would provide legal protections for migrants brought to the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers. Her husband, Boris Hernandez, is a Dreamer.

Booras said it’s important to “have a serious conversation with (Dreamers) because a majority have been in the country for a long time, they’re likely paying taxes, having jobs, living successful lives. And when they came into this country, it wasn’t through their own responsibility.”

But first, “we have to stop the unchecked, unvetted process that’s going on at the border,” Booras said.

Ramirez noted that “one of 14 people were on the move across the globe through Italy, China, Venezuela, Haiti … actually come to our southern border.” The crucial issue is “what can we do so people can stay in their own country.”

Booras advocates “deputizing immigration attorneys who are qualified go on small stints and hear asylum cases” to eliminate the backlog of people waiting for their status to be determined. “The majority of people who ask for asylum don’t qualify under the laws.”

The 3rd District includes parts of Chicago plus Cook County suburbs like Bartlett, Hanover Park, Elk Grove Village, Streamwood, Elgin, Des Plaines and Mount Prospect. It also extends into DuPage communities such as Addison, Bensenville, Glendale Heights, and Wheaton among others.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20241001/us-congress-politics/3rd-congressional-hopefuls-outline-do-overs-for-immigration-system/