America is a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. We should not reward those who come to our country illegally. 

In the last five years, North Carolina has seen its illegal immigrant population more than triple -- the largest increase in the United States.  Our state now has the ninth largest illegal alien population in the country and is quickly moving up the list. This illegal immigrant population is costing North Carolina taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars per year for emergency medical care, education, incarceration, and deportation.

We all understand that we must secure our nation’s borders and stop illegal immigration. However, solving the illegal immigration crisis facing our Nation cannot be done on a partisan basis; it will require bipartisan support. I am currently working with members of both parties to find that solution.  

The SAVE Act:

In November 2007 I introduced the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act. Republicans and Democrats joined together to support the SAVE Act because it put aside partisan politics, and instead focused on doing what was best for our Nation. Currently over 150 members of Congress have signed on as cosponsors.

The SAVE Act offers a 3-part plan to drastically reduce illegal immigration: a strict emphasis on border security, the verification of an employee’s legal status, and increased enforcement of existing laws. It provides a sensible solution to the illegal immigration crisis that is affecting every part of our Nation. 

Increased Border Security:

The SAVE Act addresses border security by increasing manpower and making needed technological and infrastructure improvements on America’s northern and southern borders.

It calls for the hiring of 8,000 new Border Patrol Agents and provides the infrastructure – including vehicles, all-purpose roads, facilities, mobile lighting units, weapons, and body armor – they need to be effective. Additionally, it gives a blueprint of how to recruit and retain those agents. The SAVE Act also provides for the acquirement of advanced technologies along the border, including aerial surveillance systems and infrared technology.

Employment Verification

The SAVE Act protects American workers and law-abiding businesses from the unfair competition created by a massive illegal workforce by ensuring that all people working in the U.S. are here legally.

The SAVE Act does this by expanding the E-Verify program to provide all employers with the tools they need to ensure that their employees are here legally.
E-Verify is a quick, easy, and free web-based system that cross-references Social Security numbers, and other pertinent information, to ensure that a worker is legally entitled to be employed in the U.S. It is already being successfully used by 59,000 American employers on a voluntary basis and is required by law in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.

The SAVE Act gradually phases E-Verify in for all employers over four years, allowing businesses time to adapt. The phase-in starts with new hires for the federal government, government contractors, and businesses with over 250 employees in the first year.

Increased Interior Enforcement

To better enforce existing laws, the SAVE Act calls for the hiring of 1,200 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, as well as providing specialized training and support to local law enforcement officers. This increase in manpower will reduce the strain illegal immigration is placing on local police and sheriff’s departments.

The SAVE Act also calls for hiring of thirteen more federal judges to hear cases against those who are arrested along the border, including drug traffickers and so-called “coyotes,” who are paid to transport illegal aliens across the border.

To learn more about the SAVE Act click Here: (Link to press releases, oped, fact sheets, etc.)

To see a list of groups who support the SAVE Act click here: (List of groups supporting including letters of endorsement)

What Congress has Already Done

I was proud to join with a majority of the House of Representatives in making a historic commitment to border security through the Fiscal Year 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. This appropriations bill includes funding for 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents, bringing the number of Border Patrol agents to nearly 18,000. It also improves the ability of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to recruit and retain Customs Officers. The appropriations bill will also allow for the securing of critical border infrastructure and the assessment of security vulnerabilities.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement will also receive $4.8 billion, including $15 million for the Criminal Alien Program. The Criminal Alien Program allows the DHS to contact every prison, jail, and correctional facility in the U.S. monthly to identify incarcerated and convicted aliens who are eligible for deportation and to start deportation proceedings.

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Congressman Shuler chairs a hearing in the Small Business Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship

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