Sen. Ernst: ‘No’ Pathway to Citizenship For Immigrants Who ‘Knowingly Broke Our Laws’

(CNS News) — When asked whether illegal aliens should be given a pathway to citizenship, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said, “For those that knowingly broke our laws, no.”

At the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, CNS News asked the senator, “Should illegal aliens be given a pathway to citizenship?”

Senator Ernst said, “No, I disagree with those that have knowingly broken our laws. I do have a little different feeling for babies that are brought here — they don’t have a choice in the matter. So, I think it’s something that we do need to debate, but for those that knowingly broke our laws, no.”

In a follow-up question, CNS News asked, “And is our southwest border secure now?”

“No, it is not, not at all,” she said.

Senate Democrats are pursuing a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 8 million illegal aliens, or “undocumented immigrants,” as part of a $3.5 trillion budget resolution aimed at achieving many items on President Joe Biden’s agenda. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said they will act on the resolution before the extended August recess.

As part of the broad economic package, the Senate Judiciary Committee was charged with crafting a $120-billion bill for “making improvements on U.S. ports of entry, clearing out a backlog of visa applications, or other changes,” a Senate Democratic aide working closely on the plan told Bloomberg News. There was no mention of any funds going towards border security.

“Of the 8 million immigrants that Democrats want to aid in the economic package, 3 million would be young, undocumented immigrants known as ‘Dreamers,’ migrant workers, and some with ‘temporary protected status’ because dangerous conditions present risks, if they return to their home countries, the aide said,” according to Bloomberg News. “The other 5 million would be ‘essential workers’ who have yet to be defined.”

This immigration piece apparently is becoming increasingly crucial for the Senate Democrats to secure, as several House Democrats have said they will not support the larger economic package unless it is included.

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