Goode News

Goode News
November 9, 2005

The safety of the United States and the integrity of this nation's immigration laws are at the heart of legislation introduced last week by Congressman Duncan Hunter of California and me. The bill is known as the TRUE Enforcement and Border Security Act. This legislation requires the construction of a land barrier and necessary infrastructure along our international border with Mexico and addresses many of the inadequacies in the enforcement of America's illegal immigration laws.

Over the past few years as it has been demonstrated that the flood of illegal immigration poses a growing threat to our national security, the number of Americans calling for tougher immigration laws and stricter control of our borders has grown. A poll by the Pew Research Organization in 2003 found 80 percent of Americans believing that we should restrict the number of immigrants coming into our country to live more than we do now. Two polls in the Rasmussen Report this year found close to two-thirds of Americans believing that current immigration is a threat to our national security and to our economy. It is estimated that there are at least 12 million illegal immigrants in the U. S. Some estimates put the figure as high as 20 million.

There is no question that the U. S.'s southern border with Mexico is porous, allowing illegal immigrants, drug traffickers and potential terrorists to enter almost at will. The legislation that we introduced last week addresses these pressing needs. First, it requires the completion of a land barrier and necessary infrastructure along our international border with Mexico. Also, it empowers local police to enforce immigration laws and encourages state and local authorities to share information with the federal government. Under this bill, the Department of Homeland Security is required to implement fully the computerized entry-exit system, which allows us to track who's crossing our borders, and it funds thousands of new Border Patrol officers, immigration investigators, attorneys and immigration judges.

As for illegal immigrants already in the United States, the TRUE Enforcement and Border Security Act prevents employers from hiring illegal aliens (using a high-tech Social Security card and computer verification system) and employers and aliens who try to get around the system are punished. Among immigrants, the bill restricts family reunification to nuclear family members, and it denies U. S. citizenship to children born to illegal aliens.

Illegal immigration abuses the social fabric of our system, and our bill addresses those abuses by stopping illegal immigrants from claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, by stopping them from collecting Social Security and by stopping employer deductions for wages paid to illegals. We also put teeth into the bill to punish violators in the following ways: Makes the presence of illegal aliens in the United States a crime; increases penalties for forging immigration and identity documents and for falsely claiming U. S. citizenship; helps law enforcement deport aliens who are criminal gang members; creates penalties for peddling Social Security cards; and increases penalties for smuggling illegal aliens.

I believe that this is the most comprehensive package dealing with illegal immigration to be introduced yet, and I hope it receives a swift hearing and passage by the House of Representatives. As Dan Stein, the President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform said of the bill: "TRUE Enforcement provides the litmus test for President and Congressional leaders who repeatedly pledge to the American public that they are "tough" in dealing with this national crisis."

http://www.house.gov/goode/20051109.shtml