Speech #1090099418

Program is modeled after the National Neighborhood Watch program. a collaboration between law enforcement. businesses. and concerned citizens who watch for and report suspicious criminal activity in neighborhoods to the local police. The Neighborhood Watch Program has proven effective in reducing the crime rate in areas where it is implemented. I am hopeful that the National Border Neighborhood Watch Program will have the same effect in reducing illegal border crossings as the Neighborhood Watch Program has had in reducing crime. I also believe that the BRAVE Force will provide significant assistance to the Minutemen. who are sacrificing their time and energy as they work to preserve our liberties and enforce our laws. Another provision of the ENFORCE Act will make it a felony to be illegally present in the U.S. Under current law. It is only a misdemeanor to be unlawfully present in the U.S. This means that if illegal aliens are caught in the U.S. today and are deported. most of the time. they can turn around and come right back into our country legally. without consideration of the fact that they were previously in our country illegally. By making unlawful presence a felony under the ENFORCE Act. when caught. illegal aliens will be entered into the National Crime Information Center. NCIC. database. a computerized index of criminal justice information (i.e.. criminal record history information. fugitives. stolen properties. missing persons). available to Federal. State. and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies. They will also be banned from legally entering the U.S. for 5 years. My bill will also establish another Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE. office in Tulsa. OK. We only have one ICE office in the whole State of Oklahoma and this is not enough to do the job of enforcing our immigration laws. For example. in September 2004. 18 illegal aliens were riding in a van in Catoosa. OK. The police pulled them over and found several illegal minors. as well as cocaine in the van.