Immigration reform divides Roskam, Howland

The candidates vying for the 6th Congressional District both say a wall isn't needed along our nation's southern border.

But five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton and his Democratic challenger Amanda Howland of Lake Zurich disagree on how to reform the immigration system.

Howland wants a legal path to citizenship for some of the millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

"There should be a path to citizenship for people who have been here, who are invested in this country, who are working, who are contributing," said Howland, 63, an attorney.

Roskam, 55, says the federal government must first show it can secure the nation's borders.

He said that will allow other steps to be taken, including creating a guest worker program for low-wage workers and launching an initiative encouraging highly skilled workers from other countries to stay here.

After that, Roskam said, federal lawmakers can "take a step back" and decide what should happen to the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally.

Howland said she wants increased border security. For example, she said authorities must pay more attention to who is coming and going and reduce the number of people overstaying their visas.

Still, Howland said she believes a compromise can be reached on creating a path to citizenship for many.

The 6th District stretches from Naperville to Tower Lakes and includes parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties.