Speech #1090173499

Mr. Speaker. I am proud that today Congress will pass vital legislation based upon legislation I drafted. the Fairness in Immigration Litigation Act of 2006. to close an egregious loophole that allows thousands of illegal aliens to remain in our country every week. Passage of this legislation will result in safer communities across our nation. Currently. the Orantes injunction mandates that the U.S. Government afford all Salvadoran immigrants the benefit of full deportation proceedings and undermines the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to apply expedited removal procedures. The court order was issued in 1988 when El Salvador was in the midst of a bloody civil war and was designed to protect those seeking refuge in the United States. However. on January 16. 1992. a peace accord was signed ending 11 years of civil war and implementing strict human rights restrictions. Today El Salvador enjoys a democratically elected govemment and a developing economy. 52. Pt. 14 18873 Illegal aliens stream across our border by the hundreds on a daily basis. They present an immediate danger to the lives of people in every Texas community and across the United States of America. For over 14 years I have worked to raise awareness on Capitol Hill about the crisis facing our border communities. I have met with law enforcement officials along the border and discussed this critical issue with my colleagues in Congress. providing those in Washington with a firsthand perspective on how to increase our border security. However. gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha. otherwise known as MS13. and members of drug cartels now exploit this loophole in our legal system to thwart our immigration laws and obtain release into our communities. This legislation removes obstacles that prevent our government from effectively enforcing the immigration laws that Congress intended. The threat of terrorism is real. Each day our border communities witness violence and fear created by ruthless members of drug cartels. We must not allow terrorists and criminals from around the world to abuse loopholes in our legal system. turning our southwest border into a revolving door. The efforts of our law enforcement officials to catch. detain. and deport those who enter illegally must not be obstructed by those looking to abuse the system. I am proud that today Congress will overtum the outdated and obsolete Orantes injunction to protect the integrity of our legal immigration process.