There is no
question that the United States must do a better job of
enforcing our immigration laws and securing our borders.
There are approximately 12 million undocumented aliens
living in this country that, under our current system,
we cannot effectively monitor. Illegal immigration is a
security threat; we must know who is crossing our
borders and living and working in our country. The
United States needs comprehensive reform that is both
smart and tough to fix our immigration system.
The Senate Judiciary
Committee has approved a bipartisan, comprehensive
immigration reform bill. The bill is strong on
enforcement and in some ways
is
stronger than the immigration
bill passed by the House. It is tough on employer enforcement
and tough on traffickers, and it includes a key provision that
will make tunneling under our borders a federal crime. The
Committee bill adds new criminal penalties for evading
immigration officers and it adds 12,000 new Border Patrol Agents
over the next five years.
Two issues of concern to
many Vermonters are enforcement along the northern
border, and seasonal guest worker programs. Vermont has
long enjoyed a friendly border with our neighbors in
Canada. I have been discouraged by members of the Bush
Administration and the majority in the House that have
sought to
construct a fence, or
barrier, along our northern border. I was successful in
removing this provision from the bill passed by the
Judiciary Committee. Vermonters, including myself,
enjoy close, family relationships with our neighbors in
the north, and business with Canada accounts for a
significant contribution to our state’s economy.
Addressing border security in the north in the same
manner we deal with it in the south is both shortsighted
and inappropriate.
Vermont’s resort, ski and
lodging industry, as well as the agriculture industry
across the country, also rely on seasonal workers to
successfully operate Vermont businesses. I have
supported past efforts to raise the cap on visas given
to guest workers. I am pleased to support an amendment
to the immigration reform bill introduced by Sen.
Barbara Mikulski of Maryland to extend a provision for
seasonal workers who come to the United States legally,
enabling employers to keep seasonal workers on their
payroll from year to year, through 2009.
The provisions in the
Judiciary Committee-passed bill are not amnesty. The
legislation respects work and human dignity, while
confronting the problem of 12 million undocumented
immigrants who live in this country. Undocumented
immigrants already in the country would not get to cut
to the front of the line, but, in accordance with the
Committee’s bipartisan plan, will need to pay fines, pay
back taxes, work hard, and wait in line for green
cards. Following this plan, we can create an orderly
system for immigration that is consistent with
traditional American values and our history.
Resources from the Congressional Research Service:
The Congressional Research
Service provides members of Congress with non-partisan research and
analysis of legislation and issues. It's my goal to make all of
these reports available to the tax payer. You can read more
about my efforts
here.
Until then, I've made the below reports available in PDF form to help
you research this issue further.
Statements, Letters, And Releases About Immigration