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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
IMMIGRATION BILL IS NO REAL SOLUTION
Author: Sen. Elizabeth Dole
Publication: Greensboro News & Record |
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June 19th, 2007 - In 1986, when Congress passed an immigration bill, an estimated three million illegal aliens residing in the United States were granted amnesty. At that time, promises to secure our borders and enforce our laws were made…but not kept. Today, an estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens live in the United States. The U.S. Senate now has an opportunity truly to address the past failures that have put us in the current crisis. Unfortunately, the Senate immigration bill again puts the cart before the horse.
This bill rushes to legalize millions of illegal aliens, which is not the urgent matter at hand. We must first focus on securing our borders and enforcing our laws. I have heard from thousands of North Carolinians who ask me what is being done to address these pressing needs and to make our communities safer. Understandably, folks have no confidence that this is occurring.
Consider last year's authorization of 700 miles of border fencing -- astoundingly, just two miles have been constructed! And, the catch-and-release of aliens who are committing crimes, such as drunk driving, has become commonplace.
Given that the Senate immigration bill was crafted in secret sessions by just a handful of senators, pertinent amendments deserved a place in the debate -- for example, my proposal to ensure that illegal aliens convicted of drunk driving do not become repeat offenders. But when I tried to fix this serious problem, my commonsense amendment was blocked. Similarly, many of my colleagues had worthy, enforcement-focused amendments that were denied a vote.
When I saw a chance to derail this fundamentally flawed immigration bill, I acted on it. I stand ready to work to first address the real crisis -- the security of our borders and the enforcement of our laws. We must not ignore history's lessons -- we must get immigration reform right this time.
The writer is a U.S. senator from North Carolina.
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