U.S. Congressman John Boozman 3rd District of Arkansas

Immigration Reform/Border Security

As you know, our country is currently experiencing an immigration crisis. Our immigration laws are not being enforced and our borders are open to anyone who wants to cross them. I, along with many of my colleagues, believe it is time to reform our immigration policies and strengthen the borders that surround the United States. We can no longer afford to remain lax in our enforcement of immigration laws and we must fix the system by which immigrants come to this country.

In the 111th Congress I am continuing to fight for immigration reform by cosponsoring, the SAVE Act, that provides immigration reform by securing America's borders, clarifying and enforcing existing laws, and enabling a practical employer verification program. I also cosponsored H.R. 994, the LEAVE Act that removes the incentives and loopholes that encourage illegal aliens to come to the United States to live and work, provide additional resources to local law enforcement and Federal border and immigration officers, and for other purposes.

You will also be pleased to know that in the 109th Congress I voted to pass one of the most comprehensive immigration and national security bills to date, H.R. 4437. This bill establishes much needed border security along the U.S.-Mexico border, an employee verification system, and provides local law enforcement the ability to detain illegal immigrants and enforce our immigration laws at a local level. At a time when our nation continues to live under the threat of international terrorism, it is of the utmost importance that we establish border security. Without it, our country is left vulnerable to attacks by foreign terrorists who cross our borders undetected. In addition, border security will prevent millions of illegal immigrants from infringing upon every legal citizen’s right to pursue the American dream. Most importantly, no immigration reform policies we pass will be effective until we establish effective border security.

In supporting strengthened border security, I fully support the use of increased manpower, including the use of military troops, if necessary, to police the border. I also support the implementation of new technologies to assist border patrol and law enforcement detect illegal entry into the country. By implementing new manpower and technology we should be able to dramatically decrease the flow of illegal immigrants, as well as drug smugglers, potential terrorists, and other illegal activity.

We also need to make employee verification mandatory. Currently, several large businesses across the United States participate in a voluntary employee verification system which double checks potential employee Social Security numbers against a national database to ensure the person is a legal citizen eligible for employment. The pilot program is extremely successful, and I believe it is time to require all employers to use it. The employee verification takes only a minute or two and can be completed on-line by any employer. By making this program mandatory, we can ensure that the citizens of this country are employed, rather than employing illegal workers and we can also help put an end to identity theft through Social Security numbers. In many cases, illegal immigrants are stealing identities to obtain employment and drivers’ licenses, as well as open credit card and bank accounts. These numbers belong to legal citizens who have no idea someone else is using their Social Security number. The implementation of a mandatory employee verification program will help protect American citizens from this exploitive practice.

Lastly, and most importantly, I do not and will not support any legislation that includes amnesty provisions.As a member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, I have been an avid supporter of stronger, more effective immigration laws that do not include amnesty for illegal immigrants. I do not believe we should reward people who break the law with amnesty. I also believe that not enforcing the laws on the books is unfair to those who have legally entered this country and to U.S.-born citizens. During my time in Congress, I have consistently voted against amnesty and I will continue to do so. I was extremely pleased that H.R. 4437 did not include amnesty provisions; however, I am concerned that such provisions may appear in Senate legislation. I will continue to closely monitor the debate on amnesty provisions and will oppose any amnesty language that may come before the House of Representatives for a vote.

Immigration reform is an extremely important issue and I maintain my commitment to supporting firm and effective immigration reform legislation. We must hold illegal immigrants accountable; we must hold employers who break the law accountable; and we must hold those elected officials who won’t admit we have a problem accountable. 

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Immigration Enforcement Within the United States  

U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent Admissions