Immigration Reform & Border Security

Immigration Reform & Border Security

Due to years of extreme neglect by the federal government, our nation is facing an immigration crisis.  Federal laws go unenforced, leaving cash-strapped local and state governments to fend for themselves and use resources they do not have to absorb millions of undocumented immigrants.

Because of our porous borders, many states face increasing levels of border-related violence, and the federal government is simply unwilling to act.  Arizona passed its own immigration law because the federal government refuses to enforce the laws currently on the books.  Other states such as Georgia have followed suit.  The Obama Administration, instead of taking notice and action to seal the border, has taken to the courts to go after states for merely enforcing laws that the federal government is choosing to ignore.

Making matters worse, the President constantly speaks of his desire to offer amnesty to illegal immigrants.  Amnesty is not an option.  We must not reward people for breaking the law.  I will continue to oppose amnesty proposals, as I did while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I remain committed to working towards a real solution that addresses the crisis at our borders.

Real immigration reform starts with securing our borders.  We must stop allowing individuals to enter the country illegally without recourse.  We must hold those who break the law accountable.

This requires allocating the resources, surveillance technology and manpower required to protect our borders.  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.

We must make a foolproof employee verification system mandatory and hold employers who knowingly violate the law and hire illegal immigrants accountable.  Currently, several large businesses across the United States participate in a successful pilot program where they voluntarily double check a potential employee’s Social Security numbers against a national database to ensure the person is a legal citizen eligible for employment.  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.  For this reason, I signed as an original cosponsor of S. 1196, the Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act, which makes this pilot program mandatory for all employers.

We are a nation of immigrants and must remain welcoming to those who want to achieve the American Dream.  However, it is vital that we enforce the law and ensure the safety and security of our nation.

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