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Washington, D.C. - Illegal immigration is one of the biggest problems facing our nation today. It is a hot and divisive issue that often sparks a very heated and emotional public dialogue. While I think we can all agree that as Americans, we have always taken great pride in our heritage as a nation of immigrants, the challenge is agreeing on how to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Regardless of where we stand on this issue, now is the time to address this growing threat that affects all of us.
Our forefathers intended our country to be a melting pot of sorts, a place where the promise of opportunity existed for anyone willing to work hard and obey the law. The United States has been strengthened by the generations of immigrants who became Americans through patience, hard work, and assimilation.
However, the foundation of our nation is the rule of the law, and those who enter our country illegally violate the law. Today, there are an estimated 10-12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. I find this number astonishing. What makes this number even more startling is the fact that a recent study found that nearly 10 million illegal aliens have arrived since 1990. That is why immigration reform and securing our borders is one of our most pressing priorities in Congress.
When I last wrote about this issue, I mentioned that the House would hold a series of field hearings over the summer to determine how to best address our immediate need to secure our borders. Based on the outcome of those hearings, in the coming weeks the House and Senate will be working on a bold agenda that will authorize and fund key border security priorities, and send them to President Bush for his signature.
I recently voted on the first critical piece of legislation, called the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This important measure will strengthen operational control of all borders and ports through additional physical barriers and fencing and greater use of state-of-the-art technology and surveillance along the southwest border, including authorizing more than 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing placed at critical, highly populated areas.
The Secure Fence Act also mandates that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will maintain operational control over the entire border through a “virtual fence” that deploys more cameras, ground sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles (uavs), and integrated surveillance technology. Additionally, it empowers DHS with the authority to disable fleeing vehicles, similar to the authority given to United States Coast Guard for maritime vessels.
While there are those who are skeptical about using fencing as a way to secure our borders, I believe this emergency measure is a critical step toward shutting down the flow of illegal immigration to the United States. Consider this: in 1996, Congress mandated the construction of a 14-mile fence along the San Diego-Mexico border to stem drug trafficking and the flow of illegal immigrants. In that region, illegal alien apprehensions have dropped from approximately 200,000 in 1992 to about 9,000 in 2005. Further, crime rates have dropped by 47% since construction of the fence.
In the coming weeks, Congress will continue to work on more than twenty border security priorities. The aggressive agenda includes, among other things, measures to enable the expedited deportation of alien criminals and gang members; increased funding for more border patrol agents; and an initiative that creates criminal penalties for knowingly constructing or financing unauthorized tunnels at the borders to stop smuggling illegal aliens, contraband, drugs or weapons into our country.
I will continue to seek out and support legislation that will protect our way of life and the promise of America. The time to act is now. I look forward to updating you on the progress we make on this pressing issue.
In true American spirit, our nation will always be one that welcomes newcomers. But to protect our liberties here at home, we can only welcome those newcomers who are committed to following the laws and preserving the values of our great nation – just like the generations of immigrants who came before them.
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