Speech #1040206079

In short. Mr. President. we are proud that our country is a nation of immigrants and a land of opportunitybut we will insist that everyone play by the rules. The legislation before us provides for increases in the numbers of enforcement personnel and creates additional detention facilities. Perhaps most important. it provides for the first time some realistic hope that our Border Patrol can cope with the overwhelming nature of illegal immigration by increasing the numbers of agents. The bill. however. also recognizes that fully half of the illegals currently in this country were once here legally under a visa. but then simply stayed. This is not a problem that can be addressed by fences along the borderthis is a matter of the will to enforce our laws. Visa overstayers are here nowwhen we discover who they are they should be sent on their way. The bill also provides strong measures for perhaps the ultimate insult to our national sovereignty. This is the case when those who violate our immigration laws. the violate our criminal laws as well. I am particularly pleased that the Senate adopted the DoleCoverdell amendment which closed some of the loopholes that currently exist in our deportation laws. Under the DoleCoverdell amendment. violations of domestic violence. stalking. child abuse laws. and crimes of sexual violence have been added as deportable offenses. It is long past time to stop the vicious acts of stalking. child abuse. and sexual abuse. We cannot prevent in every case the often justified fear that too often haunts our citizens.