Now here's someone taking action about the border:
Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Chairman of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security subcommittee, introduced comprehensive border security and immigration reform legislation on Tuesday.
The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005 will dramatically strengthen enforcement, bolster border security, and comprehensively reform our immigration laws. The key components of the bill include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability, and reform that addresses temporary workers and the current illegal population.
“This bill strengthens our border enforcement and comprehensively reforms our immigration system,” Sen. Cornyn said. “We need both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws.”
Some of the major factors of this bill:
- Authorizes sufficient resources, including 10,000 Border Patrol Agents and 1,250 new Customs and Border Protection Officers.
Authorizes $5 billion over 5 years for accompanying technology (e.g. cameras and sensors) and infrastructure (e.g. stations and checkpoints), to stop illegal border crossing
- Provides the Department of Homeland Security with 10,000 detention beds over 5 years to eliminate the release of illegal aliens into the country
- Clarifies State and local authority to enforce federal immigration laws
Ed: Boo-Yah!
- Authorizes $4.45 billion to reimburse states and counties for costs related to the incarceration of criminal illegal aliens and $200 million each year for the costs of processing criminal illegal immigrants through local criminal justice systems
Ed: This is a MAJOR factor here in California for enforcing the border - it costs too much to deal with this alone.
- Increases penalties for alien smuggling, document fraud, drug trafficking and gang violence
- Increases the penalties for unauthorized employment of aliens, social security fraud and false claims to citizenship
Ed: One of the other MAJOR factors here in California that needed to be addressed. This does it.
- Requires within one year issuance of secure machine-readable, tamper-resistant Social Security cards
- Establishes new visa category that allows aliens to enter the U.S. to work temporarily when there are no available U.S. workers
Limits the period of visa to two years, after which the alien must return home for one year. Alien may participate up to three times (for a total of 6 years of employment in the U.S.)
I really hope that this passes because the situation is quite frankly getting out of hand. I don't give a rat's ass about '
business will suffer' mantra; deal with the damn border before something heinous happens! Those 'vital jobs' that are filled with illegals can and will be filled with Americans that would love the chance to stand on their own two feet and work instead of getting welfare.
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Comments on Immigration Reform on the Horizon?
I love the "guard the border, nail the employers, pay the states" items. I DO NOT like the "No one will take the job" visas. Raise the wages to American wages, and American's will take the jobs. And I swear, if someone says that will result in a $25 head of lettuce, I'll bitch slap them back to the Rio Grande!
|| Posted by The Other Mike S, July 20, 2005 05:19 PM ||It's about time!
|| Posted by Tetzman, July 20, 2005 08:35 PM ||b-b-b-ut... this is RACIST, mikey! it's anti-IMMIGRANT! these people just want a better life, no crime here! the border agents are just like the gestapo!
/ass hat rant
|| Posted by nathalie, July 20, 2005 11:07 PM ||This is by far the most rational bill to come out of the Congress. I'm totally flabbergasted that it came from two Republicans.
|| Posted by Cait, July 21, 2005 12:04 PM ||