Border Security
Our nation was founded and built by immigrants “yearning to breathe free.” I believe we should continue building on that proud tradition by welcoming newcomers into our nation while insisting that they learn and follow our language, laws, and history.
The federal government is directly responsible for enforcing existing laws to secure our borders and ensure the safe and legal movement of people, goods, and commerce across our borders. I have been successful in pushing a zero tolerance program that is dramatically reducing crime and illegal immigration along our southern border (see chart below). Under this strict enforcement policy, everyone caught crossing the border illegally is arrested, prosecuted, and jailed for up to six months. I helped to implement the program in the Laredo Border Patrol Sector recently and I am working to expand it from Brownsville to San Diego.
I am strongly opposed to amnesty for illegal immigrants. Respect for the rule of law is a hallmark of our democracy, and one of the reasons America has the largest immigrant population in the world. We must work to streamline and improve our visa system so that people who want to come to our country legally through the proper channels are able to do so without unnecessary delays. As a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, I am working with my colleagues to overhaul our visa system.
I also believe that employers should be required to verify the legal status of all employees using the national e-verify database. This requirement will reduce the incentive for illegal immigration and provide employers with the information they need to hire legal, documented workers.
I just watched Sarah Palin on O’Rieley tonight. What I came away with and what a truly believe by the way is that we need a plan. The first problem is the under ground nature of the illegal Hispanic community. One, we bleed tax revenue two ways. First by servicing them, which if F.A.I.R. numbers are correct are currently costing the US tax payers 129 billion annually. Secondly, is the economic dollar which is sent back to Mexico and is essentially a dead dollar in terms of cycling through our economy. In the post 9/11 world it is foolish to think our good fortune is going to last forever in terms of being attacked once again by Al Qaeda. Enough attempts by enough people, no matter how stupid they are, eventually just like a salmon run up the river, eventually one will get through. Obviously the border must be secured. Which means to read tighter than a frogs butt sealed. Nothing gets through that we don’t know about.
Each group is going to have to give a little and that includes conservatives. I like the idea of former military personal, especially those wounded in a combat zone being groomed as mini immigration judges, federal Marshals and port security personnel. As far as I’m concerned military personnel, retired or wounded and in fair standing should have first pick of any jobs formed in this effort.
1. There must be incentive for the illegals to come out of the shadows. I for one believe the benign argument from the left is bunk. Every dollar we spend servicing them is a dollar cheated from something else. I just read that there will be a big budget cut for a state hospital in Tyler. So from my perspective, the illegals just cheated those being serviced in Tyler their fair shot of services which they are entitled.
A. You got ninety days to get registered and in line. You go to the back of the line in terms of legal aliens applying. You will be issued a visa and allowed to continue working if you pass a back ground check. If you are out of work, if your children have a poor attendance record, you lose. You go back.
B. Up the anti. If you are caught unregistered past the ninety day window, all bets are off. Your due process is one of these new mini immigration judges and a one way bus ticket across the boarder. Children, they have the choice of going into an adoption agency or go back with their parents. As U.S. citizens being born here, they will have the option of coming back when they are eighteen.
C.If you are an employer caught with an illegal alien on your property you will be penalized at 150% of you after tax profits from the previous year. If you had no profits you will be penalized 25% of your businesses net worth.
D. Tie the cost of enforcement to the penalties. Every time one of these businesses gets caught and fined, the first cut of the fines goes to the law enforcement team(s) who caught them. The second cut goes into the cost of servicing the illegals with the due process in the mini immigration courts.
E. Any Illegal caught after the ninety day window, unregistered and out of grace with the criminal justice system, or their children are out of grace at the public schools losses it all. State government confiscates it all and sells it off. Lock stock and barrel. Property. Bank accounts, everything.
F. Those Illegals who register, and are in good standing will pay annually an extra 5% on their 1040. That 5% will go directly into the cost of enforcement and the immigration courts. The IRS will report annually on the amount payed in. Congress, what ever sub committee is evolved will report on the record, how much came in and how much went out. From My perceptive, we start with 129 Billion annually. F.A.I.R. ’s estimate on the annual cost of servicing the illegals.
G. After four years and completion of a GED and civics course, and you are proficient in English, and your children work hard in the pubic schools, you win. You are now a citizen. Might take a while to get all twelve to twenty million accounted for, but it is doable.
threetoedpete. pct 509, Katy
I want the border fence . I want the TX national guard to control our border and to offer help to Arizona on there border problem. The state of Arizona is under invasion and the president of this country is playing politics.The president should be impeached for failing to do his duty. But we as Texans and Americans should stand and be counted . I don’t care about any sob stories .The children of illegals have there parents to blame for there situation. They have the government of there fathers to blame. Mexico has more natural resources then the U.S. and only a few percent of the people are rich and Look how that works. I say stop the insanity. Build the fence kick out the illegals and dump the scum we’ve elected that cater to there own best interest instead of Texan and American citizens.
Jan Brewer calling for completion of the fence. What is the problem with Culberson on completing the Texas Fence. We need for him to step up or get out.
I feel certain this administration will do everything in their power to grant amnesty to illegals. After all, it’s the only way the Obama Nation will survive in 2012.
Ms. Napolitano was all over the news this past weekend saying that the federal government was applying all available resources to secure our border. Well, if that is true then why is anyone angry at Arizona?? She essentially admitted that the fed cannot handle the problem. So what are we to do? I have already contacted all of my state representatives, including our cowardly governor, and asked that a type of Arizona Law be passed here Texas.
I support border control and I agree with Arizona heading up protecting legal citizens. I understand J.G. Escamilla position put had his wife done the right thing from the beginning then he would not had to “gone through all the proper channels, filled out all the forms, paided the fees, only to be denied and a penelty of 10 years before she can apply for a visa.” There would not had been a 10 year penalty. She broke the law and we are not suppose to penalize anyone now. I know many immigrants from Germans to viatnese and they seem to be able to come here with papers in hand before arriving. I do not understand why we are excusing breaking the law. Image if all the illegals went back home and used their efforts here in their land how our world would be better. I do not think it is fair that illegals march around freely speaking poorly of MY country while they are here breaking the very laws that protect them.
I was born and raised in Texas as well as my parents. I served my country in the U.S. Army. As of 2 1/2 years ago I got married to a wonderful woman. She enterd this country illegal, I have gone through all the proper channels, filled out all the forms, paided the fees, only to be denied and a penelty of 10 years before she can apply for a visa. I say is this right? To me this is wrong. Our country was formed by immigrants and we should never forget this.
They very idea that there is debate on border security and illegal immigration is at the very least amusing. One only has to spend time in cities like Houston, Phoenix and San Diego to see that it just isn’t happening. There are parts of Houston that you would swear you are in Mexico, there is not even an attempt to show English on signs or speak English. I don’t blame people for wanting a better life and coming here but the cost is out of hand. Until we stop people from hiring cheap illegal labor the tide will continue. Our current administration will never stop it, if anything the illegal population will be given amnesty and become a huge voting block for the ObamaNation!
I came to this country as a Legal Immigrant. Now, I am a Permanent resident on path to become a naturalized US Citizen. I am a Strong believer in enforcing existing rules and laws to ensure that immigration flow is legal, as designed by US lawmakers. Justice delayed in justice denied. The current immigration system was drafted in the 1960s. It is time to look into the immigration system unemotionally and make decision that’s best for USA.
Unfortunately, we cannot have any debate of meaningful reform without the cacophony of illegal immigrants already in the country. In my opinion, there should not be debate about people who broke the law. The penalty for breaking the law should be high enough to deter future repeat breaking of the same law. Unless we make a stand, we will lose control of our borders.
And as for the real immigration policy, lets have a debate on what types of immigration to allow. Current system is skewed towards family immigration. While having immediate family members over is good, everyone inviting their brothers, sisters and their spouses will create a chain of only family based immigration.
Employment based immigration works as it reacts to the needs of the market. Small tweaks in this system will help us attract the best and the brightest.
I respectfully urge you to vote YES to the border fence amendment #1399 offered by Senator DeMint which requires DHS to complete 700 miles of double layered, reinforced fencing along our southwest border by 2010.
The House version DOES NOT contain the DeMint amendment! I urge you to SUPPORT the DeMint border fence amendment adopted by the Senate as part of the FY2010 DHS appropreations bill!
It is NOT acceptable to strip this important border security measure from this bill during
BACKROOM, CLOSED DOOR NEGOTIATIONS!