U.S. House Approves Additional Anti-Illegal Immigration Bills

U.S. House Approves Additional Anti-Illegal Immigration Bills

U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (Ala.-05), announced today that the House approved three bills that relate to the growing problem to illegal immigration.

"As a former prosecutor, I understand that the three bills the House considered and approved today are not only anti-illegal immigration bills, but also provide for the general protection and safety of our communities," said Cramer. "I supported these bills to give law enforcement additional resources in the ongoing battles against street gangs, narcotics, and other criminal misdemeanors and felonies."

H.R. 4830, the Border Tunnel Prevention Act, creates criminal penalties of up to twenty years of imprisonment for constructing illegal tunnels under the U.S. border, and up to ten years for anyone who permits the construction or use of such a tunnel on their land. The legislation also mandates the doubling of any penalty an individual would receive for smuggling illegal immigrants, drugs, weapons of mass destruction, or other illegal items through an illegal tunnel.

H.R. 6094, the Community Protection Act, allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants indefinitely if the department certifies that the detained individual has refused to comply with the deportation proceedings, poses a threat to the safety of the community, or their release threatens national security or has serious adverse foreign policy consequences.

The bill also denies members of criminal street gangs entry into the United States and allows the deportation of illegal immigrants who are members of certain street gangs or have been convicted of committing, threatening, or attempting to commit gang-related crimes. It also requires detention for all criminal street gang members pending deportation.

H.R. 6095, the Immigration Law Enforcement Act, clarifies that state and local law enforcement agencies have the inherent authority to investigate, apprehend, detain, or transfer into federal custody any illegal immigrant. It also requires the Justice Department to increase the number of U.S. Attorneys who prosecute cases involving human smuggling into the United States. In addition, the bill expedites lawsuits against the government involving the enforcement of immigration laws.

http://cramer.house.gov/HoR/AL05/News/Press+Releases/2006/09-21-06+US+House+Approves+Additional+Anti-Illegal+Immigration+Bills.htm