Op-Ed: Solution To The Illegal Immigration Crisis

Op-Ed

Today, Rep. Gary Miller's opinion editorial, "The Solution to the Illegal Immigration Crisis," ran in both the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and San Bernardino Sun:

Recently, the state of Arizona passed the toughest immigration law in the country in order to respond to our nation's ongoing illegal immigration problem. Following its enactment, congressional Democrats and the Obama administration are renewing their call for "comprehensive immigration reform," which would essentially place an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to U.S. citizenship.

Although both sides of the aisle agree that the federal government has failed to address our nation's illegal immigration and border security problems, granting amnesty to those that have recklessly disregarded our nation's immigration laws is the wrong approach to solving this crisis.

Among its many negative effects, amnesty will further exacerbate the unemployment crisis.

Currently, 15 million Americans are unemployed while an estimated 8 million illegal immigrants are employed. Furthermore, vulnerable and disadvantaged American workers have seen their incomes and job opportunities substantially eroded by illegal immigration. With the national unemployment rate at a 26-year high, citizens and legal immigrants should not be forced to compete with illegal immigrants for jobs.

Rather than reward those who have broken the law, I support an "attrition through enforcement" strategy to solve the illegal immigration crisis. Contrary to short-sighted amnesty legislation, this approach would essentially close the loopholes and end the benefits that drive illegal immigrants to the United States, as well as close the gaps in our nation's border security policies that facilitate this ongoing problem. By simply enforcing immigration laws, 8 million jobs for citizens and legal workers would be created and illegal immigrants would lack the incentive to illegally enter the United States.

To embody this strategy, I have introduced H.R. 994, the Loophole Elimination and Verification Enforcement Act, also known as the LEAVE Act.

Specifically, the LEAVE Act will close loopholes by dramatically tightening the forms of identification that may be accepted by the federal government and financial institutions. As an added barrier to hiring illegal immigrants, the LEAVE Act will also expand the E-Verify program to require all employers to confirm the work eligibility of their employees and prevent illegal immigrants from receiving Social Security credit for illegally working in the United States.

The LEAVE Act will reduce incentives for illegals to cross our borders by ending birthright citizenship and excluding illegal aliens from receiving in-state college tuition. My bill also prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining drivers' licenses.

In addition, the LEAVE Act will also strengthen border enforcement by requiring the completion of the border fence and by adding 8,000 new Border Patrol agents and 3,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents by 2014.

To increase intergovernmental cooperation, the LEAVE Act will empower local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws and reimburse state governments for costs associated with incarcerating illegal aliens. Cities that deliberately ignore our nation's immigration laws by harboring illegals will be barred from receiving federal funds from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

In the end, The LEAVE Act will help Americans and legal immigrants reclaim the nearly 8million jobs that illegal immigrants have stolen. By securing the border and ending the job magnet, illegal immigrants will lack incentives to cross the border and the illegal alien population will begin to dwindle.

Though we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a nation of laws.

Respect for the rule of law is a core American value. While we are a welcoming society, we also have a duty to protect the citizens and legal residents of this country by enforcing our current laws and closing loopholes that facilitate illegal immigration. The LEAVE Act reinforces these American principles and will steadily reduce our nation's illegal immigrant population.

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