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Illegal Immigration As a Member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, I am extremely concerned about illegal immigration and its impact on national security and the economy. Vulnerable borders and porous ports of entry leave our country susceptible to terrorist attacks and illegal trafficking. But, while securing our borders is essential to protecting our homeland security, there is no substitute for enforcement of our immigrations laws. I oppose amnesty for illegal aliens. We are a nation of laws, and we must not reward those that broke our laws and entered this country illegally with the benefits of citizenship. In addition to working hard to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws during the 111th Congress, I will continue to support legislation (as I have in the last two congresses) that: Border Security When it comes to combating illegal immigration, border security must be our first priority. Progress has been made. Since the creation of DHS in 2003, funding for DHS’s Customs and Border Protection agency, the main agency charged with securing the border, has increased by 91% (from $5.24 billion to $9.98 billion) and the Border Patrol has almost doubled, increasing from approximately 9,788 agents in 2001 to more than 18,000 agents today. However, while the government has made strides to enhance U.S. border security, more must be done. I am concerned about the slow pace of fence construction along our southern border with Mexico. As of May 8, 2009, only 323 miles of pedestrian fence had been built on the southwest border. As you may know, the last Congress mandated construction of 700 miles of fence. The construction delays result in part from property rights, land acquisition issues and environmental concerns raised by individuals and local governments. I will continue to closely monitor this crucial border security initiative. Enforcement We must do a better job of enforcing our immigration laws. To do so, we must ensure that our federal, State and local law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to enforce immigration laws, remove illegal aliens from the U.S., target criminal and fugitive aliens, and dismantle the infrastructure that supports illegal immigration. Additionally, we must continue to grow the Border Patrol in order to prevent illegal immigration in the first place. I remain strong in my support of legislation to penalize “sanctuary” cities that flout our immigration laws. Local entities that brazenly ignore federal laws should receive no benefits from the federal government. Birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens I am opposed to birthright citizenship for illegal aliens. To this end, I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 1868, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009. This legislation would allow only children born of a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident alien or an alien performing active service in the armed forces to be eligible for citizenship. English as a national language Throughout our nation’s history, English has been a unifying force amongst a diverse group of people. I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act of 2009 which make English the national language of the United States. Social Security benefits to illegal aliens Individuals should not accrue Social Security benefits for work performed while in this country illegally. During the 111th Congress, I will continue my ongoing support for legislation that prohibits the distribution of Social Security benefits for work done while a person was residing in this country illegally. |
Congressman Geoff Davis : Serving Kentucky's Fourth District
Illegal Immigration
