U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release April 7, 2006		CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852
Sen. Salazar Disappointed in Senate’s Inability to Enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar released the following statement today after Senate negotiations broke down and comprehensive immigration reform legislation was denied. “I have worked closely with a dedicated, bipartisan group of Senators to create comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens our border security, increases enforcement and deals with the economic realities of the situation before us today. Our proposal addressed the Nation’s homeland and economic security and enjoyed wide, bipartisan support because of it. “It was the second bipartisan compromise to be embraced within a week. It still achieved the goals important to me: tough reforms to protect our borders, a crackdown on employers who hire undocumented workers, and a humane and realistic policy to deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants already living in the United States. “I will continue to work on this issue because we cannot continue with porous borders, lax enforcement and with undocumented immigrants living in the shadows.” The core of the compromise proposals Senator Salazar endorsed throughout the week, along with Senators McCain, Kennedy, Specter, Leahy, and others, was: Border Security Adds 12,000 New Border Patrol Agents Creates Additional Border Fences Provides New Criminal Penalties for Construction of Border Tunnels Adds New Check Points and Points of Entry Expands Exit-Entry Security System at all Land Borders and Airports Immigration Law Enforcement Adds 5,000 New Investigators Establishes 20 New Detention Facilities Reimburses States for Detaining and Imprisoning Criminal Aliens Requires Faster Deportation Process Increases Penalties for Gang Members, Money Laundering, and Human Traffickers Increases Document Fraud Detection Creates New Fraud-Proof Immigration Documents with Biometric Identifiers Expands Authority to Remove Suspected Terrorists Penalties & Registration Undocumented Workers Must: Pay $1000 Fine for Illegal Conduct Register with US Government Obtain Temporary Work Visa Pay Additional $1000 Fee Go to the Back of the Line of Legal Immigration Process Pass a Background Check & Remain Crime Free Pay ALL Back Taxes Learn English Learn American History and Government Pass a Medical Exam Prove Continuously Employed with Valid Temporary Visa ###