The old adage of putting the ‘cart before the horse’ seems pretty relevant to the on-going debate about immigration reform in Congress. No plan for immigration reform will work until we control the border. The fact is though; we don’t control our own borders.

Just last week authorities found a 600 foot tunnel under the border from Mexico into Nogales, Arizona. I have to wonder why someone would go to so much trouble when there are still places where you can walk across the border. This is not just an immigration issue; it is also a national security issue. We have to know who is crossing our border and why.

In October of 2006, Congress passed and I supported the “Secure Fence Act of 2006” which calls for 700 miles of fence on the U.S./Mexican border. Congress has provided over a billion dollars to start the project, but I don’t believe we are doing it fast enough. The fence creates an actual border for our border patrol to guard as opposed to an imaginary line on a map.

In this year’s Homeland Security bill we fully funded 3,000 new border agents. By the end of 2008, we will have doubled the number of border patrol agents since I came to Congress. The bill also expands the vehicle barriers, checkpoints and lighting- all of which deters illegal entry into this country.

Offering amnesty to illegal aliens is exactly the wrong thing to do and I will never support such a plan. Instead we need to regain control of our borders and enforce the laws on the books. Until we control our own border, any other plan is simply putting the cart before the horse.

# # #