U.S. House of Representative seal U.S. Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz
Representing the 13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2006		 CONTACT:  Rachel Magnuson, 202-225-6111
 

Representative Schwartz Votes for

Tough Border Security Measures
 
Washington, D.C. - Representative Allyson Schwartz voted today for tough measures to strengthen America’s border security. Schwartz voted in strong support of plans to increase criminal penalties for those building, financing, or using border tunnels; to deport illegal immigrants who are members of criminal gangs; and a plan to end outdated catch and release policies and crack down on human smuggling.

 

“Securing America’s borders, and in particular keeping out violent criminal illegal immigrants, has to be a top priority of the government. Despite their rhetoric, we have seen far too little real action on this issue coming out of the Republican-led Congress,” said Representative Schwartz.

                                                                         

Schwartz also voted today in favor of a plan to increase the manpower and resources needed to protect America’s borders. The plan Schwartz supported called for the hiring of 2,000 immigration agents, 250 detention officers, 250 US Marshals and the creation of 25,000 new detention beds. 225 Republicans voted against this plan resulting in its failure to pass.

 

“We passed important efforts today to secure our borders – but we could have done more. I am outraged that 225 Republicans voted against this plan to put critical additional manpower on our borders,” said Schwartz.

 

Schwartz voted for the following key measures today:

 

·        Border Tunnel Prevention Act (H.R. 4830) – this plan enacts criminal penalties of up to 20 years in prison for those who build, finance or use unauthorized border tunnels. Sentences will be doubled for the underlying offense if a person is convicted of using a tunnel to smuggle aliens, weapons, drugs, terrorists, or illegal goods.

 

·        Community Protection Act (H.R. 6094) – this plan would ensure that members of violent criminal gangs who are either illegal immigrants or otherwise non-U.S. citizens are inadmissible for entry into the United States and deportable under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It will also allow for the mandatory detention of alien gang members by the Department of Homeland Security; expedite the deportation of alien gang members by barring most forms of immigration relief; and prohibit alien gang members from receiving Temporary Protected Status.

 

·        Immigration Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 6095) – this plan requires the Justice Department to hire additional attorneys to prosecute human smuggling cases; clarifies that state and local law enforcement agencies have the authority to investigate and apprehend illegal immigrants, and sets new procedures to expedite lawsuits against the government involving immigration law.

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