The candidates for the US Senate in Wisconsin could not be more different. Ron Johnson wants to see immigration reform dealt with in a step-by-step process, while Russ Feingold wants to see comprehensive immigration reform enacted en masse. Both candidates are closely aligned to the general stance of their respective political parties.
Incumbent Oshkosh Republican, Johnson, has started to advocate to have the US border secured before deciding what to do with the millions of undocumented immigrants already in the country. Feingold wants to see sweeping reforms to immigration legislation, including creating methods for undocumented immigrants to achieve US citizenship.
Securing the border has become a major talking point for the Republican Party during this year’s election campaign. Johnson has pushed the issue since becoming Senate Homeland Security Committee chairman in 2015. Last year, he described the US immigration system as being “horribly broken” in a report. He says that comprehensive immigration reform is impossible until the causes of illegal immigration, such as the US demand for drugs, better wages and the unwillingness of the President to turn away border-crossers have been solved, beginning with the securing of the nation’s border.
Johnson also supports removing criminal immigrants and cutting off federal funding to sanctuary cities. Democrat, Feingold, wants to see comprehensive immigration reform as soon as possible. He has already supported the 2012 Dream Act and the executive actions taken by President Obama. It is unclear how invested Wisconsin voters are on either side of the issue.