Immigration Reform

Marsha knows that secure countries have secure borders. Today, every state is a border state and every town is a border town. Since coming to Washington, Congressman Blackburn has worked to ensure that our immigration policies are in sync with this new reality.

That is why she has been a proponent of the border fence along our southern border. She is also the sponsor of the CLEAR act which gives law enforcement the tools they need to help the Federal government deport criminal aliens from our country.

Blackburn supported the Real ID Act in 2005 that set minimum standards for every state to follow when issuing drivers licenses. Congressman Blackburn is the author of the Photo Identification Security Act denying illegal immigrants access to the financial sector through the acquisition of mortgages, loans, and credit cards. Her bill requires the federal government and financial institutions to accept only secure forms of identification.

Blackburn is also a strident support of the 287(g) grant program which she helped bring to Davidson County. The 287(g) program facilitates the deportation of criminal aliens from the United States, and is responsible for aiding the Federal government’s deportation of over 3,000 illegal immigrants since 2006.

The Blackburn Record: 2008

• 287(g) Program: In September 2008, Congressman Blackburn criticized the Appropriations Committee’s 287g changes as passed in the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Those changes would have hurt the success 287g experienced in Davidson County. 50 bi-partisan members joined Marsha in her criticism. House Democrats reacted by removing the 287g changes out of the bill that ultimately funded the Department of Homeland Security for 2008.
• CLEAR Act: Blackburn’s legislation to address the issue of criminal illegal aliens continued to pick up support. To date it has 139 co-sponsors and support from groups such as FAIR, 911 Families for a Secure America, Numbers USA, and Americans for Better Immigration. Language similar to the CLEAR Act legislation has been introduced in a companion bill in the Senate.