U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

December 12, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


  Sen. Salazar Sees Swift Action as Further Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar released the following statement today regarding reports that thousands of Swift & Company employees have been detained on charges of identity theft and immigration law violations.

“ICE’s action at multiple Swift plants today is a clarion call for the nation to complete its work on comprehensive immigration reform. We need to have laws in place to take us from today’s chaos and lawlessness to law and order. That law and order system must include: increased border security, strict enforcement of immigration laws including a sound employer verification system, and a realistic method of dealing with the human and economic reality of millions of undocumented workers in America.

“This past year, the Senate passed bi-partisan legislation to address our broken borders. The House of Representatives had an opportunity to enact a law and order system. Unfortunately, they chose not to. The impact of their inaction is not limited to the immigrant community. Today’s action at Swift will have a strong ripple effect on the rest of the livestock industry. Weld County is the most profitable agricultural county in Colorado, with over $1 billion in agricultural sales. Today’s move by ICE will greatly impact the economy there.

“The tragedy of continual inaction towards comprehensive immigration reform has both human and economic consequences. It is what happens when we have a do-nothing Congress which refuses to act. What is happening at Swift today sends a strong signal to Congress that we must act with all due speed to enact comprehensive immigration reform. When Democrats take control in January, I hope today’s occurrences will motivate us to act.”

 

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