October 19, 2005
CONTACT:
Alex Carey
(202) 225-2211
alex.carey@mail.house.gov
Download our Media Kit (Adobe PDF)
In response to his recent trip to America’s southern border, Congressman John Sullivan (R-OK) introduced H.R. 4079, the Secure our Nation’s Interior Act of 2005. Earlier this month, Congressman Sullivan visited the southern border in Douglas and Nogales, Arizona to examine first-hand America’s
southern border crisis. Though the Congressman has long worked to combat deficiencies
in interior enforcement, he was nevertheless shocked by its neglected condition
and the ease with which illegal aliens can permanently settle in our nation.
Congressman Sullivan’s legislation aims to reduce the number of illegal aliens
who overstay their visa and ensure that illegal aliens are apprehended, detained,
and removed as rapidly as possible.
“For too long, the vast majority of the
public has been frustrated, watching helplessly as their federal government fails
to enforce the immigration laws already on the books or to control our borders,” said the Congressman.
“Simply
put, interior security is national security. In my district, residents complain
as truckloads of illegal aliens are released into their neighborhoods rather
than being detained. Border towns are not the only areas affected, as illegal
aliens are constantly finding new areas in the interior of our country to reside.” Rep.
Sullivan’s legislation expands mandatory deportation nationwide under the expedited
removal authority of the Department of Homeland Security for illegal aliens who
fail to prove they have resided in America for more than one year.
The bill clarifies the inherent authority of state and local police to enforce immigration laws and mandates that federal authorities be required to respond to state and local police either by taking custody of, or reimbursing for, the detention of illegal aliens. Congressman Sullivan described how
“the
federal government will have a choice between taking immediate custody of illegal
or criminal aliens, or paying for their continued local detention.” One of the most telling statistics with regards to the failures of our present system is that close to 90 percent of illegal aliens apprehended and released under current policy never show up for their scheduled immigration hearing, instead disappearing into our communities. Sullivan said
“no longer will it be an option to put illegal aliens back on our streets, because with my legislation, ‘catch and release’ will give way to ‘deter and remove.’” Tulsa County Sherriff Stanley Glanz said
“this legislation addresses the frustrations I have experienced with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The problem doesn’t
end with the capturing of illegal aliens, we must have some mechanism in place
to detain and deport these offenders.”
Paul Egan, Director of Government Relations from the Federation for American
Immigration Reform (FAIR) says “the potential force multiplier effect of having
state and local law enforcement agents assist in the enforcement of immigration
laws could pay important dividends in preventing terrorism, apprehending criminal
aliens and generally helping to discourage illegal immigration.”
The Congressman’s bill also requires that all aliens go through the US-VISIT
entry-exit system. Rather than the mere 20 percent of non-immigrants who currently
are being processed through this system,
“registering
the entry and exit of all non-U.S. citizens will close off a major homeland security
vulnerability. This bill holds the strong promise of bringing a halt to these
practices and helping to discourage illegal entry.”
Roy Beck, Executive Director of NumbersUSA, a nonpartisan immigration-reduction
organization, said “this bill's provisions in short order would allow conscientious
local officials across the country to prove that with moderate efforts they can
cause whole illegal populations to leave. It would make the federal government
a partner of local Americans in re-establishing the rule of law, instead of the
current federal role of enticing citizens of other countries to break our laws."
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