Press Release - House Approves Three Bills to Secure Border and Bolster Enforcement of Immigration Laws

House Approves Three Bills to Secure Border and Bolster Enforcement of Immigration Laws

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congressman Todd Akin lauded the passage of three bills by the House of Representatives that will bolster enforcement of our immigration laws and help secure our borders.

"American citizens as a matter of basic fairness to those who have immigrated here legally and out of concern for national security rightfully expect our laws to be enforced and borders secured," Akin said. "The bills passed today are another step toward the necessary goal of proper enforcement of our immigration laws."

Today the House of Representatives approved the following three border security initiatives:

* Community Protection Act (H.R. 6094), introduced by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), allows for expedited removal of criminal aliens and expands the authority to detain and deport alien gang members.

* Immigration Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 6095), introduced by Chairman Sensenbrenner, provides DHS with additional tools to effectively enforce our immigration laws, including ending catch & release, prosecuting smuggling offenses, and enhancing state & local law authority to help enforce our laws.

* Border Tunnel Prevention Act (HR 4830), introduced by Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-CA) and Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), several additional steps to stop illegal entry along the border, including establishing penalties for individuals who construct border tunnels or finance their construction.

http://www.house.gov/akin/release/20060921.html