Speech #1090048624

It is as if it happened just yesterday. And everything we do in this Congress is to provide the tools necessary to ensure that another 9/11 never happens again in this country. The need for this hardhitting legislation comes from the United States grave and growing problem with undocumented aliens. An estimated 8 to 12 million undocumented aliens are here in the United States. and it is also estimated that two slip across the border for every one that is apprehended. That means that almost 3 million undocumented aliens enter our country every year. to put it in perspective. roughly the size of the city of Dallas. And in the post9/11 world. these figures no longer represent just an immigration problem. but rather one of national security. This Nation is being compromised by our inability to identify those who are coming into our country. And I am convinced that the first step we need to take to solve this problem is to secure our borders and to better enforce the laws currently on the books. Congress knows that immigration plays a major part in our national security. Accordingly. we have provided more than $1.5 billion in spending for border protection. immigration enforcement. and related activities in the 109th Congress. When combining the homeland security authorization and appropriations bill that the House has passed. Congress has supplied funding for all 2.000 new border patrol agents that were recommended by the 9/11 Commission and fully authorized by last years intelligence reform bill. These agents will have greater authority to detain and incarcerate illegal immigrants. instead of sending them back into our communities with a notice to appear in court. something very few abide by. Indeed. we do not have to look too far back in history to see an example of this when Ramsey Yusef entered our country in 1992 and was apprehended. He too was given a notice to appear.