“My parents and grandparents who immigrated from Europe never asked for a government handout. They spent an extraordinary amount of money, devoted their time to taking exams and learning the English language to gain citizenship. Now, New York City liberals want to make it easier for illegal aliens to enter our country and remain here even if they have committed crimes. This is an absolute rebuke of federal immigration law and will undoubtedly compromise the safety of our state.”

“I agree that we need to streamline our citizenship process and make it easier for individuals to become productive members of society, but the fact is that some immigrants are looking to take advantage of our nanny-state policies or commit acts of terror. We cannot throw accountability and safety to the wind in exchange for this political grandstanding. These bills are a slap in the face to all immigrants who come to the U.S. through legal channels.”