US Congressman Henry E. Brown

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The U.S. House of Representatives Privacy and Security Policy

Securing Our Borders & Addressing Illegal Immigration

I believe that we must take action to prevent those who seek to exploit the freedoms of our country by entering illegally. I am proud to have a strong record of supporting efforts to secure our borders and reduce illegal immigration to protect our national security and economic stability. Cooperation on enforcing immigration law between local and federal law enforcement to secure our borders is critical. We already have immigration laws on the books, but my colleagues and I must give law enforcement the tools to enforce them, in addition to forcing the construction of a fence on our southern border. We must also ensure that illegal immigrants are not provided with benefits that are paid for with American tax dollars, declare English as our nation’s official language and end the abused practice of birthright citizenship.

As a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, I support the construction of a fence on our southern border and believe that until we secure the border and effectively enforce the immigration laws on the books, illegal immigration will continue. I have been a proud cosponsor of legislation that will finally build the border fence between the US and Mexico.

During the 109th Congress, I voted for the Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 which gave authority to State and local law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws, to provide for effective prosecution of alien smugglers, and to reform immigration litigation procedures. I am a cosponsor of the CLEAR Act and support the SAVE Act which will also increase the size of the Border Patrol. We must also allow our Border Patrol Agents to do their jobs, which is why I signed onto legislation and letters to former President Bush which resulted in the pardoning of imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.

Since coming to Congress, I have supported legislation to declare English as our nation’s official language and to end the abused practice of birthright citizenship.

I believe that blanket amnesty is not the answer. Amnesty rewards illegal behavior and passes on huge public costs to the American people. Instead, Congress should work to improve and enforce existing immigrant programs, such as the H-2B Visa and other guest worker programs that fight illegal immigration.

I have also supported efforts to provide businesses with the ability to verify employees’ legal status. The E-Verify program helps tens of thousands of companies insure the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. I have been a consistent supporter of legislation to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses or using non-US issued ID for financial purposes.

Border Security and Immigration in Congress

Border Security and Immigration Legislation Supported by Congressman Brown
Immigration Reform Caucus
House Committee on Homeland Security (Republicans)
House Committee on the Judiciary (Republicans)

Federal Border Security and Immigration Resources

US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) - responsible for protecting our nation’s borders in order to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Learn more about CPB's border security efforts:
- US Border Patrol
- DHS - Secure Border Initiative (SBI)
- CPB Air and Marine

US Citizenship and Immigration Services - responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - combats illegal immigration by investigating smuggling, fraudulent documents and illegal border crossings. Also responsible for ensuring that deported aliens leave the US as soon as possible.