For Immediate Release:

Friday, April 7, 2006

Our nation is in urgent need of a new immigration policy.  We need common-sense laws that will crack down on illegal immigration and protect our nation from terrorists. 

 

Since 2001, the number of non-Mexicans detained at the border has risen by 42 percent, yet we have been unable to slow the pace at which illegal aliens are crossing the border. 

In the post-September 11 world, protecting our borders must be a top priority.  As we know all too well, not all who cross our borders want to share in the American dream.  And if we do not know who is crossing our borders, we cannot keep our homeland safe. Border security is first and foremost a matter of national security, and Congress must strengthen our borders.

 

Illegal immigration is also about economic security. While America has always been a welcoming nation, illegal immigration creates an underclass of workers who provide unfair competition with hardworking Americans struggling just to make ends meet.  As a result, undocumented workers have driven down wages, benefits, and working conditions for all workers.  

 

The economic strain of illegal immigration extends to many facets of our state.  The Oklahoma Department of Corrections, for example, spends an estimated $11.7 million annually to incarcerate illegal immigrants convicted of criminal activity. Nationally, the total estimated cost of health care, education, and other services for illegal immigrants is nearly $30 billion per year.  All the while, the American taxpayers are footing the bill. 

 

That’s why I support tough new laws to create an immigration system that is fair to American workers, more consistent, and better enforced. On December 16, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4437, The Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act. I supported this bill because it included provisions to hire more border patrol personnel and build a security fence with lights and cameras along areas of the Mexican border where illegal crossings frequently occur.  It also requires employers to check the immigration status of job applicants and it stiffens penalties for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.   

 

The bill would end the practice of “catch and release,” under which illegal immigrants caught at the border from countries other than Mexico are released into the U.S. once they promise to return for a court date. Not surprisingly, over 75 percent never show up and remain in the country illegally.

 

While more needs to be done, this legislation was a good first step towards securing our borders and solving the illegal immigration issues our nation is facing. At the very least, it has kick-started a long overdue debate in Congress on immigration.  H.R. 4437 is now being debated in the Senate.

As a national debate on immigration reform moves forward, it is important that we attack the issue without attacking individuals.  Our nation was built upon the hard work and strength of immigrants who helped make America what it is today.  Both parties should work together in producing a comprehensive new law that respects legal immigrants, but tightens our borders and protects our nation.

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