12th Congressional District

Jason Plummer, R-Fairview Heights: "Our first priority is stopping illegal immigration by securing our borders. For any immigration system to work, we must know who is crossing our borders and how long they are staying in our country. America has always been a beacon to immigrants, and that should continue through legal channels."

Bill Enyart, D-Belleville: "No one disputes our immigration system is broken and is in dire need of reform. Any kind of reform must start with tougher border security. A weak link in the border puts our entire nation at risk. I believe we have to end the underground economy that permeates throughout our country. We must have an earned path to citizenship, which includes paying a penalty, paying back taxes, and going to the back of the line."

Paula Bradshaw, G-Carbondale: "The best way to deal with undocumented immigration is to address both ends of the issue. Repealing NAFTA is essential to stop to the increasing poverty in Mexico, which pushes people to leave the country. Enforcing labor laws in the U.S. will stop the exploitation of undocumented labor here. I do not support police state measures such as road blocks, random ID checks or racial profiling. If immigrants were brought to the U.S. years ago, when they were children, I support their right to become citizens."

13th Congressional District

Ken Hartman, I-Edwardsville: "We need to be objective about what's good for our economy in the amount of people we let in. You have Bill Gates on Capitol Hill trying to convince legislators that in order to be competitive, he needs to let people in. ... Meanwhile, we need people to pick the fruits and vegetables. A huge shortcoming in the U.S. is that employers have been able to hire people illegally. The best way to keep the rule of law from being broken is to go after the employers. We need to enforce it much better than we have; this lax enforcement is a huge part of the problem. Regarding DACA, most Americans don't hold them responsible for what their parents did. For children who feel that this is their country and have grown up here, I think they should be allowed to stay."

Dr. David Gill, D-Bloomington: "I support the DREAM Act and I commend U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for his sponsorship and tireless efforts on behalf of this legislation. I do not believe that we should punish undocumented young people who were brought here by their parents through no choice of their own. Many of these young men and women have gone on to excel as students and serve in our military. We should utilize their talents and allow them to contribute to our society. Because Congress has failed to act on this issue, as it has on so many critical issues such as the Farm Bill, I support President Obama's decision to sign the memo on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA bridges the gap until Congress does its job and passes comprehensive immigration legislation."

Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville: "We can't begin to address immigration in this country without first securing our borders. The United States is a symbol of freedom and democracy around the world and should continue to be open to those who want to become citizens legally."

15th Congressional District

John Shimkus, R-Collinsville: "I have opposed amnesty and other attempts to make those here illegally automatically legal. I do, however, support legal immigration -- including new visa categories -- for agricultural workers and in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. While I sympathize with them, I feel the president's plan for young children of illegal parents has sidestepped the legislative process and changed our immigration policies without congressional action."

Angela Michael, D-Highland: "Immigration reform needs to be implemented and enforced with no exceptions. Our borders have been breached. The security of our nation and its citizens is at risk. ... No to voting privileges, no to food stamps, no to free abortions or other taxpayer-funded assistance. Not only shore up our borders, but equip our border patrol agents with the basic equipment they need to protect the United States. ... Our taxpayers cannot afford to be everyone's daddy."