The first step to curbing illegal immigration in the United States is to enforce the laws that already exist. I support greater border security and the construction of a fence or other physical barrier to help secure our borders. Businesses that knowingly break the law and hire illegal immigrants should be fined. However, employers need effective tools to determine whether a worker is in our country legally and eligible for work.

Illegal immigration costs American taxpayers an estimated $113 billion a year in education, healthcare, and other publically funded benefits. If amnesty for illegal immigrants is enacted, it could cost taxpayers $2 trillion and higher. I am strongly opposed to amnesty for illegal immigrants and do not believe it is in the best interest of our country.

Porous borders not only are a threat to our national security but also contribute to the associated crimes of human and drug trafficking. A "coyote," or individual who brings illegal immigrants across the border from Mexico to America, frequently turns into a human trafficker when the illegal immigrant must pay for entering the country.

According to the U.S. State Department 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, our nation is a "destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor, debt bondage, and forced prostitution." The report goes on to say that in some human trafficking cases "workers are victims of fraudulent recruitment practices and have incurred large debts for promised employment in the United States, which makes them susceptible to debt bondage and involuntary servitude."

Additionally, illicit drug problems have come with our nation's lax border control. Nevada law enforcement officers have told me that up to 80 percent of the meth in our state comes from Mexico. Mexican black tar heroin is the most prevalent form of heroin in Nevada, and Mexican-grown marijuana is readily available in our state.