A seventh generation Texan, Van Taylor is a family man, businessman, and decorated Iraq War Veteran. Growing up, Van earned the Eagle Scout rank from the future President George Bush.
After high school, Van attended Harvard College from which he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in history. After graduating college, Van volunteered to serve his country and received a commission in the United States Marine Corps.
He attended The Basic School, Infantry Officer Course, and graduated first in his class from Sniper Employment Officer Course. He completed Intelligence School as the Marine Honor Graduate and commanded First Marine Regiment’s Reconnaissance Platoon in Camp Pendleton, CA. After completing that assignment, he served as an intelligence officer for an artillery battalion. Van earned the Navy Achievement Medal for devising a quantitative combat power analysis system.
America is a nation of immigrants, and the melting pot of the United States is the foundation of our identity. I believe this must always be a hallmark of our great nation however, our current system is broken.
Illegal immigration benefits no one: it is perilous for the immigrant forced into unimaginable danger on their journey. Tragically, approximately 31% of women and 17% of men are sexually assaulted along the journey, and roughly 68% of all migrants and refugees are victims of violence along the way.1 Illegal immigration jeopardizes the safety and well-being of Americans. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 266,000 illegal aliens with criminal records were arrested by ICE officers over the last two years alone.2
For decades, instead of solving problems politicians in Washington have discouraged meaningful discussion on the issue by lumping discussions on border security, legal immigration, and illegal immigration in to one big omnibus package preventing meaningful progress from being made on any part. By addressing each aspect of immigration policy individually, Washington can build varying coalitions and pass solutions and fix our broken system.