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Washington DC Office
555 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Ph: 202.224.6342
Fax: 202.224.1100
North Carolina Offices
Raleigh Office:
310 New Bern Avenue
Suite 122
Raleigh, NC 27601
Ph: 919.856.4630
Fax: 919.856.4053
Salisbury Office:
225 North Main Street
Suite 304
Salisbury, NC 28144
Ph: 704.633.5011
Fax: 704.633.2937
Western Office:
401 North Main Street
Suite 200
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Ph: 828.698.3747
Fax: 828.698.1267
Eastern Office:
306 South Evans Street
Greenville, NC 27835
Ph: 252.329.1093
Fax: 252.329.1097
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Press Office - Articles
DOLE: DON'T REPEAT MISTAKES OF 1986 LAW
Author: Sen. Elizabeth Dole
Publication: The Charlotte Observer |
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August 14th, 2007 - I am encouraged that The Observer acknowledges that we must strengthen border security to deal with the current immigration crisis. The newspaper's zeal for the twice-defeated amnesty bill, however, continues to cloud its judgment.
I reject the implication that I should have voted for a bill that included some border security provisions -- but in exchange, granted amnesty to millions of illegal aliens! The reality is that bill would have repeated, not remedied, the mistakes of the 1986 bill, which granted 3 million people amnesty. Promises to secure our borders and enforce our laws were made then, but not kept, resulting in the mess we face today.
Your editorial praised an amendment to the immigration bill that would have allocated funding for border security. While I agree that we must increase these resources, this funding need not be coupled with highly contentious measures that further delay action on this front. For example, the Senate recently approved an amendment I cosponsored to the homeland security appropriations bill to provide $3 billion for border security and enforcement initiatives. This bill also included an amendment I introduced to require DHS to spend at least $5.4 million to facilitate 287(g) agreements. This program enables local law enforcement to receive authority from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to process illegal aliens who have committed crimes.
Law enforcement officers must have the tools to keep our communities safe. That's why I'm spending August meeting with our state's sheriffs to hear about the challenges they face when fighting crimes -- such as drinking and driving, drug smuggling and gang-related activity -- committed by illegal aliens. Officials say they're frustrated that federal agents lack the manpower to help, and they're fed up with the "catch and release" of dangerous individuals. I'll be talking with our sheriffs about using 287(g), and how I can assist them in their application process.
To address America's immigration woes, we should start where we have a consensus. Folks need to see a significant increase in the number of people deported when courts say they must be removed, a significant decrease in the number of overstayed visas, and a significant decrease in the number of illegal aliens crossing our borders. We must give the American people confidence that their government is serious about tackling this crisis with real proof, not just more promises.
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