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I have held hearings to discuss the problem of our porous borders. During a hearing, "Checking Terrorism at the Border," Members heard that terrorists had defrauded America's border security and immigration system, including many since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. One of the witnesses, an individual experienced as a top security official in the immigration field, told Members in frank terms that top immigration officials aren't taking seriously their responsibility to counter terrorism. The USCIS, the agency that establishes the immigration status of millions of applicants yearly, remains deeply flawed, which a Government Accountability Office report highlighted.

Knowing of the border vulnerabilities America faces I cosponsored the Secure Fence Act, and strongly supported it when it passed by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate. The Secure Fence Act requires double fencing and puts a fence where it is needed most -- in areas that have the highest instances of drug smuggling, human smuggling, and gang activity. However, the omnibus spending bill, passed in December 2007, removes the two-tier requirement and the list of locations. The omnibus also puts up numerous bureaucratic and legal hurdles to undermine the fences completion. I voted against the omnibus bill.

I cosponsored the Fence By Date Certain Act which would largely reinstate language included in the Secure Fence Act. The Fence By Date Certain Act would repeal the omnibus language, reinstate provisions of the Secure Fence Act which required 700 miles of double-layered fencing at specific locations along the border, authorize full funding, and require the fence to be built by June 30, 2009.

I am an original cosponsor of the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act. I am also on the discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor. This bill will secure America's borders, implement mandatory work authorization verification, and reduce illegal immigration through interior enforcement. This legislation provides the tools and resources necessary to enforce immigration laws.

It requires all employers to verify employee's eligibility to work and sanctions them if they do not do so. It requires mandatory notification of Social Security number mismatches and multiple uses and makes the Department of Homeland Security assess the maximum allowable penalties on employers.

This legislation provides the tools and resources necessary to enforce immigration laws. We must begin to restore the integrity of our nation's borders and reestablish respect for our immigration laws.

To view of a list of immigration related legislation I've cosponsored please, click here.