Immigration

There are an estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants now residing in the United States.  Twenty years ago, there were an estimated 3.2 million.  Currently, the number is believed to be increasing by approximately 500,000 a year.  At that rate, in 20 years there would be an additional 10 million illegal immigrants living in the United States with a total population of over 20 million.  Illegal immigration brings with it a host of problems.  First, it costs the American taxpayers a great deal of money.  Illegal immigrants use our medical services, get state and federal assistance, and use our educational system for their children, all at the cost of U.S. citizens.  Many of these illegal immigrants are criminals, and the cost to incarcerate them uses up even more taxpayer dollars.  The cost to federal, state, and local governments, as well as the American taxpayer, is only one facet of the problem, and certainly not the most insidious. Illegal immigrants also pose a security threat to the United States.  As we attempt to combat terrorism around the globe, it is unsettling that so many undocumented persons are able to illegally enter our country with such impunity.

What we need, however, is not amnesty, which sends the wrong message to those who have flouted our nation’s laws, but real immigration reform and meaningful enforcement of our immigration laws.  That is why I am proud to be a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus (IRC).  The IRC is an organization dedicated towards identifying legislative solutions to address the issue of illegal immigration. 

I believe that Congress must authorize and routinely fund adequate border enforcement personnel, technology, physical infrastructure, detention facilities, and judicial and prosecutorial resources.  There should also be enforcement at the worksite.  The ability of employers to rely on illegal labor must be stopped, as it is one of the driving forces of illegal immigration.  In these harsh economic times, it is important to make sure these illegal aliens are not in the workforce.  Employers who knowingly hire illegals must be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions.  I also believe that a compassionate solution for the illegal immigrant population living and working in the United States can be accomplished without amnesty.  To pardon lawbreakers and reward them with the objective of their offence is inappropriate and will accelerate the flow of illegal immigrants.