VP pick Tim Walz earned a career “D” immigration grade.

Timothy Walz’s NumbersUSA grade during his 11 years in the U.S. House of Representatives was a 24%. During that time, he earned a career immigration grade of 24%. By comparison, Kamala Harris’ NumbersUSA grade during her time in Congress was 1 percent, Joe Biden’s Congressional Grade Card was 27% and J.D. Vance’s is 90% (Trump did not serve in Congress). Click on the links to view their full Grade Cards.

NumbersUSA issues a grade for every member of Congress based on their support for lowering immigration numbers to sustainable levels that serve the national interest. During his time in Congress, Joe Biden earned a “D” grade. Kamala Harris was much worse, earning an “F-minus” and a total of 1% (that’s one out of a possible one hundred). 

Walz Grade Card Summary

Walz earned most of his positive marks in the first half of his time in Congress, from 2007-2012. Over his last term in the House, Walz earned an F grade. But for one significant vote (the exception to the rule — see below), his career grade would have been much closer to Harris’s.

During his time in Congress, Walz consistently supported amnesties by executive action, legislative amnesties, restrictions on enforcement, and expanding business’s access to the global labor market.

Although Walz took several more positive actions during his time in Congress than his running mate, his overall positions align closely with Harris’s. From 2017 – 2020, Harris supported:

• nine different amnesties
• doubling guest worker visas for blue collar jobs
• mandating the release of inadmissible aliens if they brought a child with them
• unlimited visas for foreign workers with masters degrees or higher in STEM from U.S. institutions
• legislation to nullify the 50,000 cap on refugee admissions

Both Walz and Harris were reliable opponents of Barbara Jordan’s vision of immigration reform.

In picking Walz, Harris ensures that the Democratic ticket will be running on a record of 1) rewarding illegal immigration, 2) weakening enforcement, and 3) increasing overall immigration and employers’ ability to bypass American workers

With one exception, support for executive amnesties

Walz’s grade earned a boost in 2012 when he voted in favor of amendment to prevent amnesty by prosecutorial discretion (a tactic used by the Obama administration to issue work permits to people in the U.S. illegally). One year later, however, Walz voted against the amendment.

The Biden-Harris administration has released more inadmissible aliens into the country – often with work permits – than any other administration in history, creating a shadow immigration system that is now larger than the one created by Congress. With the rare exception such as his 2012 vote, Walz was consistently supportive of the executive branch expanding immigration beyond the limits set by Congress.

Support for legislative amnesties

Walz cosponsored six different legislative amnesties and was a reliable vote in favor of issuing permanent work permits to citizens of other countries who are in the United States illegally. Amnesty was, in fact, an original campaign issue for Mr. Walz, who ran on a “touch back” plan that would grant amnesty to illegal aliens who returned to their home countries before reentering the United States.

Initial support for E-Verify; current position unclear

In 2008, Walz cast one of 407 votes to reauthorize E-Verify for 5 years. The E-Verify program allows businesses to determine the legal status of new hires and prevents illegal aliens from being hired. Only two representatives voted against the bill.

Two years later, Walz voted for an amendment to require DHS contractors to use the program.

He never cosponsored legislation to require all employers to use the free, online system (a key recommendation of the Jordan Commission).

Support for rewarding illegal immigration as Governor

As Governor of Minnesota, Walz signed bills to grant driver’s licenses, and free college tuition to people of other countries who are in the U.S. illegally.

Related:

Harris’ Immigration Grade: 1% (F-minus); lower than Biden’s

J.D. Vance gets an “A” from NumbersUSA; echoes Barbara Jordan in convention speech

From the archives:

“House approves amendments to Homeland Security bill that increase interior enforcement and help secure the border,” June 8, 2012