Washington, D.C. -In the wake of protests of those opposed to border security reforms, Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) today reaffirmed his commitment to border security and continues to support the provisions of the House's Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 that was passed by the House late last year.
The House version of immigration legislation being considered by Congress is more targeted against illegal immigration and will combat the hiring of illegal workers by providing a reliable method of determining whether persons are legally eligible for employment. It also ends the "catch and release" practice for illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico. In the past year alone, an estimated 120,000 illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico have been released due to the lack of mandatory detention prior to adjudication. The building of 700 miles of fence along the U.S. border with Mexico to prevent illegal crossings is also authorized.
"Illegal immigration is an affront to our nation's laws and must be addressed in a meaningful way," said Akin. "The enforcement of immigration law is not only crucial to national defense, but is also an issue of basic fairness to those immigrants that have rightfully chosen to follow our nation's laws and for all citizens who should not be exposed to an unfair tax burden by having to provide services to those who are here criminally."
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