Duncan Reacts to Breakdown of Senate Immigration Talks

Statement

Duncan Reacts to Breakdown of Senate Immigration Talks

Following the defeat of the Kennedy-McCain Immigration bill in the Senate, Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr. made the following statement:

"I am strongly opposed to illegal immigration and to amnesty for those who have come here illegally. Thus, I am pleased that the Senate has failed to pass a bill to which almost 80% of the American people were opposed or with which they had problems.

There is a reason why so many millions of immigrants are referred to as "illegal," and that is that there are already sufficient laws on the books to handle this problem.

However, in spite of huge increases in funding for border patrol agents and immigration officials, the laws are simply not being enforced. And, we should have been allowing our local law enforcement agencies more funding and authority in this area.

The American people do far more, both privately and through taxes, for people in other nations than do the people of any other nation. And, we have allowed many millions to immigrate here legally over the last 25 or 30 years.

However, our entire infrastructure would be overwhelmed by a rapid, massive influx of people from all over the world.

While we all sympathize with people who live under harsh conditions in other countries, we simply have to enforce our immigration laws. If you do not have borders, you don't have a country.

Finally, we need to make sure that we continue to have jobs for our own people before we allow many millions more into this Country."

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