Speech #1090099417

It should not be taking on other duties. Besides that. with the enactment of S. 2117. that would not be necessary. Illegal immigration is at an alltime high. with around 1 million illegal aliens infiltrating our borders each year. My legislation focuses on empowering our citizens and law enforcement officers to fight this flood of illegal immigration. First of all. I want to make it clear that I honor the millions of immigrants that have come to this Nation. waited their turn. and gone through all the requirements to become American citizens to make our great country what it is today. I have spoken at many naturalization services and seen what these people have gone through to become American citizens. I agree with the 1997 U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform that measured. legal immigration has "led" to create one of the worlds greatest "multiethnic nations." I also agree with the Commission that immigrants who are "Americanized" help cultivate a shared commitment to "liberty. democracy and equal opportunity" in our Nation. However. I cannot stand idly by and watch this great Nation collapse under the pressure of uncontrolled illegal immigration. Roy Beck. Executive Director of Numbers USA. a nonprofit organization dedicated to immigration reform. stated that "a presence of 8 to 11 million illegal aliens in this country is a sign that this country has lost control of Its borders and the ability to determine who is a member of this national community ... a country that has lost that ability increasingly loses its ability to determine the rules of its societyenvironmental protections. labor protections. health protections. safety protections." Beck goes on to say. "In fact. a country that cannot keep illegal immigration to a low level quickly ceases to be a real country. or a real community. Rather than being selfgoverned. such a country begins to have its destiny largely determined by citizens of other countries who manage to move in illegally." My bill. the ENFORCE Act. works to solve the illegal immigration problem in several ways. It will provide a way for more civilians and retired law enforcement officers to help the Border Patrol in stopping illegal border crossings and reduce the illegal immigration rate. Through the creation of the National Border Neighborhood Watch Program. NBNW. retired law enforcement officials called the Border Regiment Assisting in Valuable Enforcement. BRAVE. Force agents. will come and work alongside Border Patrol agents. Civilian volunteers. much like the now wellknown Minutemen. will be able to report immigration violations to assigned BRAVE Force agents.