Vitter's View: Pushing Back Against Amnesty

Statement

Vitter's View: Pushing Back Against Amnesty

This month, President Obama recently issued an executive order that ended the critical "no match" rule to prevent Social Security fraud by illegal aliens.

But I pushed back against this executive order that weakened employer enforcement and introduced an amendment to require the Department of Homeland Security to overturn President Obama's order and continue this important fraud catching program. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved my amendment this month.

But our immigration reform efforts should not stop at employee enforcement measures. That is why I am a lead co-author of the bipartisan, comprehensive immigration enforcement legislation known as the SAVE Act.

The Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act will encourage immigration reform by securing America's borders, clarifying and enforcing existing laws and requiring an inexpensive and accurate program for employers to verify the residency status of potential employees.

The bill also increases the current number of border patrol agents by 6,000 and provides them with new technology and fencing to secure our northern and southern borders. It also expands current specialized enforcement programs, such as the Tunnel Task Force, which actively seeks out underground passageways used to illegally enter the United States.

The SAVE Act also addresses interior enforcement, providing for the employment of additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents within the Department of Homeland Security. It provides for the training of additional state and local law enforcement personnel, which will allow them to participate in regional activities in support of federal law enforcement professionals. And it increases the number of immigration judges in major illegal migration zones as well as expands existing detention facilities for illegal aliens - thus allowing for the expedition of the deportation process.

We should be doing all that we can to fight the growing problem of illegal immigration, and with the passage of my amendment continuing the no-match program, we took a step in the right direction toward doing just that. The SAVE Act will bring us even closer to true, comprehensive immigration reform.

Please let me know about any issues of importance to you and your family by contacting me at any of my state offices or in my Washington office by mail at U.S. Senator David Vitter, U.S. Senate, 516 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510, or by phone at 202-224-4623. You can also reach me on the web at http://vitter.senate.gov.

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