Oklahoma State Seal
October 19, 2005

CONTACT:
Alex Carey
(202) 225-2211
alex.carey@mail.house.gov


SULLIVAN INTRODUCES SWEEPING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT LEGISLATION

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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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