Speech #1090100527

Chairman. I rise in strong support of H.R. 4437. The Border Protection. Antiterrorism. and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. This is a good bill that takes some important steps to curb illegal immigration. secure our borders and make America safer. The bill takes a broad range of actions to secure our Nation. These include imposing tougher penalties for those who smuggle illegal immigrants into the U.S. and for those who overstay their visas. Individuals involved in making and using fraudulent documents will face stiffer penalties. We also end the "catch and release" policy that allows apprehended illegal immigrants to slip away unnoticed and live illegally in the U.S. as they will no longer simply be released back into the community. With regard to granting immigration benefits. i.e.. citizenship. green cards. permanent residency. the bill ends the practice of granting such benefits to those for whom a background check has not been completed. Immigration benefits should not be handed out simply because a certain number of days have passed since the investigation was commenced. Perhaps the background check approval is being delayed because of the need to fully investigate a possible criminal or terrorism risks. Current law denies immigration benefits to those who are classified as habitual drunkards. but not those affiliated with terrorist organizations. This bill fixes that problem by making sure that illegal immigrants who are deportable on terrorist grounds are deported without delay. H.R. 4437 requires employers to verify that prospective employees are legally employable. The bill ensures that a system is in place for employers to verify the legal status of such job applicants and it provides penalties for employers who violate these laws. The bill also prohibits federal funds provided under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program to any state or local government that maintains a "sanctuary policy" for illegal immigrants. In order to ensure that we have a better understanding of just who is crossing illegally into the U.S. the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security. DHS. to report to Congress on the number of illegal aliens apprehended who are from noncontiguous countries. with a particular emphasis on ascertaining the number of individuals from countries known to harbor terrorists. DHS is also to provide the Congress with a timeline for fully equipping all land borders with the USVISIT entry/exit system. On a 260159 vote. the House mandated the construction of security fencing. including lights and cameras. along the Southwest border in sectors with the highest number of illegal border crossings. drug smuggling. and immigrant deaths. Additionally. DHS will be required to conduct a study and report back to Congress on the use of physical barriers along the Northern border. Mr. Chairman. H.R. 4437 moves us in the right direction of addressing the serious problem of illegal immigration making the United States more secure.