October 20, 2005

Doolittle: End Flawed “Catch and Release” Illegal Entry Policy
This Year, 68,629 Illegals Have Failed to Appear in Court


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JULY:
  July 24, 2006

MAY:
  May 11, 2006
  May 10, 2006
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MARCH:
  Mar. 1, 2006

JANUARY:
  Jan. 31, 2006
  Jan. 13, 2006

DECEMBER:
  Dec. 14, 2005

NOVEMBER:
  Nov. 16, 2005
  Nov. 10, 2005
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OCTOBER:
  Oct. 27, 2005
  Oct. 20, 2005
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SEPTEMBER:
  Sept. 22, 2005
  Sept. 12, 2005
  Sept. 8, 2005


WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Conference Secretary John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) introduced the Immigration and Nationality Act (H.R. 4032) which would eliminate the flawed “catch and release” policy currently employed by immigration officials and, instead, require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expedite the removal of all illegal aliens caught at points of entry in the United States.

Already this year, 68,629 illegal aliens have failed to appear for their court date.

Under current law, DHS can choose whether to place illegal aliens into expedited removal proceedings or to simply release them back into the U.S. with a date to appear in court. The Immigration and Nationality Act would require DHS to make expedited removal proceedings mandatory.

“The current ‘catch and release’ policy employed by immigration officials is clearly not working. And why would it? People who have been caught breaking the law have no incentive to show up in court,” Doolittle said. “In a post-9/11 world, how can we expect to keep our country safe if we don’t remove those individuals caught illegally entering it?

“The Immigration and Nationality Act corrects our failing system by ensuring that those individuals caught entering the United States illegally are removed expeditiously.”

In California, taxpayers pay $1,200 per household, per year for the education, medical care, and incarceration of illegal aliens.

“It’s time to stop asking taxpayers to shoulder the heavy burden of a flawed immigration policy. Right now, Congress should be doing everything possible to alleviate the tax burden on American taxpayers, not increase it,” Doolittle continued. “The Immigration and Nationality Act puts in place common sense reforms that will ease the undue tax burden placed on American families, help secure our homeland, and encourage future immigrants to enter the U.S. legally.”

In addition, this bill also amends the Truth and Lending Act to bar companies from issuing mortgages to illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, other state governments like the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority are encouraging illegal immigration by helping those illegal aliens with individual taxpayer identification numbers to receive mortgages.

“The government should not be in the business of creating incentives to encourage illegal behavior. Nor should companies be permitted to reward those individuals in clear violation of our laws,” Doolittle concluded.

What others are saying about Doolittle’s
Immigration and Nationality Act:

NumbersUSA:

"Congressman Doolittle deserves great credit for stepping up to the plate to address these important immigration problems. Expanding expedited removal will help speed illegal aliens out of the country – rather than being able to game the system and delay their departure and, in fact, increase the likelihood that they'll never leave the United States. The system should be on the side of law enforcers, not illegal aliens. And it's simply wrong for foreign lawbreakers to be enabled to plant roots in this country, by way of obtaining a mortgage. That adds insult to injury. Congressman Doolittle is to be commended for helping to restore the rule of law to our immigration system." – Roy Beck, Executive Director, NumbersUSA

NumbersUSA is a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy organization that favors an environmentally sustainable and economically just America. It opposes efforts to use federal immigration policies to force mass U.S. population growth and to depress wages of vulnerable workers. NumbersUSA Action is pro-environment, pro-worker, pro-liberty and pro-immigrant. Activists in the NumbersUSA Action network are Americans of all races and include many immigrants and the spouses, children and parents of immigrants.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR):

“The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) applauds Rep. Doolittle’s legislation. It is long past time that the current “catch and release” policy that masquerades as immigration enforcement be ended once and for all. This bill would end the practice by requiring the use of expedited removal of illegal aliens. In addition, banks in several states are increasingly aiding and abetting illegal immigration by providing mortgage loans to individuals, illegal aliens, who can be deported at any time. By barring this practice, the bill adds needed teeth to one of the oldest laws on the books against illegal immigration; harboring.” – Paul S. Egan, Director Government Relations, FAIR.

FAIR is a national, nonprofit, public-interest, membership organization whose belief that the nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest. FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest. With more than 198,000 members and supporters nationwide, FAIR is a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative.

U.S. Rep. John T. Doolittle has served in the House of Representatives since 1991. As Secretary of the House Republican Conference, he is an elected member of the House Republican Leadership. Doolittle represents California’s 4th Congressional District and serves on the Appropriations Committee, Energy and Water, Agriculture, and Interior Subcommittees, and the House Administration Committee.

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U.S. Rep. John T. Doolittle has served in the House of Representatives since 1991. As Secretary of the House Republican Conference, he is an elected member of the House Republican Leadership. Doolittle represents California’s 4th Congressional District and serves on the Appropriations Committee, Energy and Water, Agriculture, and Interior Subcommittees, and the House Administration Committee.