From Senator Durbin on amnesty: Thank you for contacting me about immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you. Illegal immigration raises national security and economic issues that must be addressed. I worked with seven Senate colleagues from both sides of the aisle to write the most comprehensive immigration reform bill in 25 years. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill, and it is being debated on the Senate floor now. This measure would create a tough but fair path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants currently in the U.S. This path would require undocumented immigrants to go to the back of the line, register for legal status, pass a background check, learn English, pay taxes, and work towards citizenship over time. It also would create an effective employment verification system that will prevent identity theft, end the hiring of unauthorized workers, and stop future waves of illegal immigration. S. 744 would increase border security by deploying better technology and focusing enforcement resources on the most serious security threats. Finally, it will create a rational approach to future of legal immigration so that it is better aligned to the economic needs of the country and recognizes the value of strong families. Reducing backlogs and expanding the definitions of who can live in our country will reunite family members who have been waiting for years to enter the United States legally. The bill will create a legal system that will serve as the exclusive means for entry into the United States. Our immigration system must be more focused on recognizing the important characteristics which will help build the American economy and strengthen American families. I have consistently supported efforts to deter illegal immigration and increase the security of our borders. The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2012 provided $400 million in Fiscal Year 2012 funding to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for border security fencing, infrastructure, and technology. I supported this appropriations bill along with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included $680 million in emergency funding to CBP for its mission. The new immigration principles also call for strengthened enforcement against employers who hire illegal immigrants, an essential element of comprehensive reform. The federal government must crack down on employers who ignore our nation’s laws and hire illegal immigrants. If we are serious about reform, we also must adopt a realistic approach to the millions of undocumented immigrants who live and work in our country. Mass deportation of illegal immigrants is impractical and too expensive. Experts estimate that deporting all of the undocumented immigrants would cost more than $285 billion, five times DHS’s budget last year. Instead, we need to offer immigrants who work hard and demonstrate a long-term commitment to be law-abiding, contributing members of our country a chance to pay fines and earn their way to permanent legal status over the course of many years. Some have falsely called this amnesty. I oppose amnesty because it is not right to reward those who have broken the law with automatic citizenship. This proposal will not give amnesty to illegal immigrants. If we do not give people who are already a part of our communities the chance to earn legal status, we will not solve the problem of illegal immigration. Those living here illegally will stay in the shadows instead of coming forward to register. This hurts our national security and hurts American workers, who are being undercut by cheap illegal labor. Our nation faces a host of problems as a result of years of inattention to our immigration policies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that about 11 million people in the United States lack legal status, including those who enter the country illegally and those who overstay temporary visas. There is no perfect solution to the problems we face as a result of our broken immigration system. Today, our borders are not secure, our workplace enforcement laws need reform, and our immigration policy fosters a shadow economy for millions of immigrants who simply want to demonstrate that they can be hardworking contributors to the greatness of our country. I will continue to work for a package of reforms that will protect American workers and that will be tough, enforceable, economically sensible, and morally defensible. I will keep your views in mind as the debate continues. Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to keep in touch. Dick Durbin.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:14:03 +0000
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