Democratic Jr Senator; previously Representative (NJ-13)
DREAMer kids have grown up as Americans
Q: Immigration: Path to citizenship for DACA ("Dreamers"), who grew up in US after being brought here illegally?
Robert Hugin (R): Yes. "I support a path to citizenship for people who are here building a constructive, productive life."
Robert Menendez (D): Yes. "These kids have grown up as Americans." Also helped craft broader bipartisan immigration bill.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race
, Oct 9, 2018
Enforcement-only means largest deportation in history
Q: Should illegal immigrants be forcibly deported?
MENENDEZ: An enforcement-only approach-which Kean now supports-has not worked. But last spring, Kean called for a path towards legal status for illegal immigrants if they paid a fine-similar to the
bi-partisan bill I voted for. However, just two weeks later, Kean said the legislation should include deporting all undocumented immigrants. Making a felon of anyone undocumented would bring about the most massive roundup and deportation in the history
of the world.
KEAN: Menendez voted against hiring 10,000 new border agents; voted against a security fence across the US-Mexico border; and voted against enhancing sentences for illegal aliens convicted of a violent crime. That's a dangerous voting
record. My immigration stance can be summed up in two sentences:
Unlike Menendez, I do not support amnesty for illegal migrants.
Unlike Menendez, I do not support giving Social Security and other benefits to illegal migrants.
Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration.
Menendez scores 0% by FAIR on immigration issues
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, non-profit, public interest membership organization of concerned citizens united by their belief in the need for immigration reform. Founded in 1979, FAIR believes that the U.S. can and must have an immigration policy that is non-discriminatory and designed to serve the environmental, economic, and social needs of our country.
FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest�more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year.
With more than 70,000 members nationwide, FAIR is a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative.
The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization`s preferred position.
U.S. Border Control, founded in 1988, is a non-profit, tax-exempt, citizen`s lobby. USBC is dedicated to ending illegal immigration by securing our nation`s borders and reforming our immigration policies. USBC [works with] Congressmen to stop amnesty; seal our borders against terrorism and illegal immigration; and, preserve our nation`s language, culture and American way of life for future generations.
Our organization accepts no financial support from any branch of government. All our support comes from concerned citizens who appreciate the work we are doing to seal our borders against drugs, disease, illegal migration and terrorism and wish to preserve our nation`s language, culture and heritage for the next generations.
Provide lawyers and evidence for children being deported.
Menendez co-sponsored S.2540/H.R.4646
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to appoint or provide counsel at government expense to aliens in removal proceedings.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall provide an alien in removal proceedings with all relevant documents in its possession, unless the alien has knowingly waived the right to such documents.
DOJ may appoint or provide counsel to aliens in any INA proceeding.
DHS shall ensure that aliens have access to counsel inside all immigration detention and border facilities.
DOJ shall appoint counsel, at government expense if necessary, for an unaccompanied alien child or a particularly vulnerable individual.
DHS shall establish a pilot program to increase the court appearance rates of unaccompanied alien children and particularly vulnerable individuals by contracting with nongovernmental, community-based organizations to provide such aliens with case management services.
Source: Fair Day in Court for Kids Act 16-S2540 on Feb 11, 2016
Menendez opposes the CC survey question on border security
The Christian Coalition Voter Guide inferred whether candidates agree or disagree with the statement, 'Increase Border Security Including Additional Infrastructures '
Christian Coalition's self-description: "Christian Voter Guide is a clearing-house for traditional, pro-family voter guides. We do not create voter guides, nor do we interview or endorse candidates."
Source: Christian Coalition Surve 18CC-12 on Jul 1, 2018
Sponsored bill to disallow religion-based immigration ban.
Menendez co-sponsored NO BAN Act
The National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act (NO BAN Act) imposes limitations on the President`s authority to suspend or restrict aliens from entering the US. It also prohibits religious discrimination in various immigration-related decisions, such as issuing a visa. The President may temporarily restrict the entry of any class of aliens after determining that the restriction would address specific and credible facts that threaten U.S. interests such as security or public safety.
GovTrack.us analysis (4/21/21): President Donald Trump instituted a travel ban on eight countries: Chad, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. The Supreme Court upheld the travel ban 5-4 in the 2018 decision�Trump v. Hawaii. Trump`s travel ban was popularly nicknamed `the Muslim ban` by its Democratic critics since most of the countries it applied to were majority Muslim, and because Trump as a 2016 candidate had indeed proposed a Muslim ban.
Regardless, President Joe Biden rescinded the policy on his first day in office. Currently, federal law bans any person from being discriminated against when entering the U.S. on the basis of five characteristics: race, sex, nationality, place of birth, or place of residence. The NO BAN Act would add another category: religion.
Rep. Tom McClintock in OPPOSITION: President Trump invoked this authority against countries that were hotbeds of international terrorism and that were not cooperating with the US in providing basic information about travelers coming from these countries. The left called it a `Muslim ban.` What nonsense. Without this authority, the president would have been powerless to take simple, prudent precautions against terrorists and criminals from entering the US.
Legislative Outcome: Passed House 218-208-3 on April 21, 2021, rollcall #127; introduced in Senate with 42 co-sponsors but no further Senate action during 2021.