Chris Coons on Immigration

No pathway to citizenship; but pathway to legal residency

COONS: No. I support a pathway to being here legally. We've got roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the US today. This is a huge problem. And immigration is a federal responsibility. But we need to recognize the situation we're in. There are whole industries that rely on the labor of those who are here illegally. My path forward on immigration would be, strengthen the borders. Second, hold employers accountable, particularly those who routinely employ folks who are here illegally, by giving them Real ID that can work. And then allow those who are here illegally and do not commit further crimes to come out of the shadows if they will pay taxes, learn English, pay a fine, and go to the back of the line. I would give them a path towards legal residence. I think there's more they'd have to do to ever earn citizenship.

O'DONNELL: Again, he's back tracking on things that he had said earlier on the campaign trail.

Supports comprehensive federal immigration reform

Supports granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.

Faith2Action.org is "the nation's largest network of pro-family groups." They provide election resources for each state, including Voter Guides and Congressional Scorecards excerpted here. The Faith2Action survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants '

Supports full implementation of current border security laws.

Faith2Action.org is "the nation's largest network of pro-family groups." They provide election resources for each state, including Voter Guides and Congressional Scorecards excerpted here. The Faith2Action survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Full implementation of current border security laws'

Allow more visas for STEM college graduates.

• Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make up to 50,000 visas available to qualified immigrants who:
  1. possess a graduate degree at the level of master's or higher in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM degree) from a qualifying U.S. research institution of higher education;
  2. have an employment offer from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree;
  3. are the subject of an approved labor certification; and
  4. will receive a wage for such employment that is at least the actual wage paid by the employer to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications.
• Makes unused STEM visas available for other employment-based visa categories.
• Makes available on the DHS website information regarding foreign STEM employers, the number of aliens granted STEM status, and their occupations.