A new House bill called the "Securing America's Future Act" proposes a legislative solution to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program while making other changes to U.S. immigration policy. The Heritage Foundation’s James Carafano, vice president for the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, and the E.W. Richardson fellow, released the following statement Thursday:

“The Heritage Foundation has long argued that Congress must learn the lesson of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. Amnesties undermine enforcement efforts—and a DACA bill would be an amnesty. Promises of future enforcement are undermined after amnesty deals get cut.

“For this reason, we have recommended addressing policies on their own track, weighing each on its own merits rather than as tradeoffs in a deal that undermines the rule of law for responsible enforcement measures.

“That said, the Trump administration and recent legislation proposed in the House has put on the table a number of strong initiatives to fix our broken borders and flawed immigration system. Our research supports efforts to end chain migration, the diversity visa lottery, expand E-Verify where practicable, and strengthen the border.

“We have compassion for those who have a legitimate case to make to adjust their immigration status. There are already options under existing law to seek relief. It would be better to review and ensure those are fully used first—before creating new laws.

“Our greatest compassion and concern, however, is for all Americans. We need border, enforcement, and immigration policies that keep the nation safe, free, and prosperous. We know that the Trump administration and the authors of the House bill share those goals, as well.”