“Bonner Plan” Will Enhance Border Security,
Crack Down on Fraud

Bonner Plan Text
Bonner Plan Summary
The Citizens and Legal Immigrants Text
The Citizens and Legal Immigrants Act Summary

January 5, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, was joined today by Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and T.J. Bonner, President of the National Border Patrol Council in announcing a renewed effort to pass the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005, also known as the Bonner Plan. The legislation, H.R. 98, aims to enhance border security by introducing updated identity technology to the Social Security card system and providing additional resources to the Department of Homeland Security to enforce compliance of laws regulating the hiring of illegal aliens.

“I am proud to be joined today by two men who have dedicated themselves to protecting Americans and our borders,” Dreier said. “We all believe that the men and women of the border patrol need to be able to focus their efforts on protecting us from terrorists and those who would do us harm, not those coming here to seek economic opportunity. The goal of this plan is to use technology to enhance the most critical document job seekers use, the social security card, and make it much more difficult to duplicate fraudulently. This will make it clear to those coming here for work that you can do so, but you must do so legally. And employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants must pay the price for breaking the law. Significantly increased penalties and sanctions will discourage employers from continually skirting the law of the land.”

Original co-sponsors of the Bonner Plan are Congressmen Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Lamar Smith (R-TX), and Tom Tancredo (R-CO). Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is expected to introduce companion legislation to the Bonner Plan in the United States Senate. The bill has been referred to four House Committees: the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on the Education and the Workforce, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on Homeland Security.