By Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski 

If people want to be American citizens, they have to play by the rules.  Illegal immigration is an important issue that must be addressed by the federal government to protect American jobs and ensure America's security.  I have strongly and consistently held this belief and voted accordingly in Congress.

Since the founding of our country, immigrants from around the world have come to our shores to provide themselves and their families with a better life.  Our immigrant heritage has helped make Northeastern Pennsylvania, and the United States, what we are today. And while we must remain true to our historic role as a country of opportunity and freedom, our government must protect American citizens and taxpayers from the real costs and security risks associated with illegal immigration.

The failure of the Bush Administration to enforce our current federal laws is one of the largest contributors to the illegal immigration problem in the United States.  We now have 12 to 20 million illegal immigrations in the United States, with roughly another 500,000 entering our country each year.  Additionally, I oppose the Bush Administration's plans to provide amnesty to the illegal immigrants in our country.  I cosponsored legislation to pressure the Bush Administration to enforce our current laws in order to substantially reduce illegal immigration.

The President's unwillingness to enforce these laws threatens American jobs by reducing wages and decreasing the number of jobs available.  We must shut off the job magnet that draws illegal immigrants to the U.S.  While it is currently illegal for employers to hire illegal immigrants, we do not have a fool proof system to prevent such actions.  The method to determine employees' statuses must be fixed in order to reduce illegal immigration in this country and lessen the impact of it on American jobs. 

Last November, I helped introduce the SAVE Act, which aims to halt illegal immigration in the United States through stronger worker verification.  If enacted, this bill would mandate that employers check the status of potential employees through an online E-Verification system that would quickly assess a potential employee's eligibility to work in the United States.  This system would provide more timely and accessible information on potential employees.

Illegal immigration also poses a national security threat to the United States.  To effectively address this issue, we must increase border security and interior enforcement.  The SAVE Act also aims to combat illegal immigration and address our national security concerns by hiring 8,000 additional U.S. Border Patrol Agents within five years and 1,150 additional U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents to conduct interior illegal immigration enforcement operations.  Additionally, I believe we must secure our borders by building approximately 700 miles of fencing along our southern border and improve surveillance through more effective use of personnel and technology.

Our country's immigration system should protect American workers and ensure our national security.  We must also ensure that, like the many immigrants who came to this country before us, immigrants today have the same opportunities to live the American dream if they respect American laws and come to this country legally.