Speech #1090176075

Mr. President. like all of my colleagues in this body. I recognize that our immigration system needs vast improvements. While we have spent a great deal of time discussing immigration over the past year. it appears unlikely that this body will pass comprehensive reform before we break for the recess. This week we have been discussing an important bill that would begin the process completely securing our southern border. I support that bill wholeheartedly and I would also hope to make other improvements to our immigration laws we can make before we end this session. Today. therefore. Im proposing four separate bills intended to strengthen our immigration system. One will help military men and women become citizens more quickly. another will make it easier to remove gang members from our country. another will impose tough penalties on people who tunnel beneath our borders. and the fourth will begin an effort to stop illegal immigration at its source. Id like to discuss all four bills briefly ... they have different purposes and will all complement each other in efforts to improve our immigration system. I am introducing the Community Protection Against International Gangs Act. Street gangs remain the bane of our society. Their members sell narcotics. steal. and commit horrific acts of violence. Many of these gangsgroups like Mara Salvatrucha. better known as MS13--draw their membership from immigrants to the United States. While the overwhelming majority of immigrants in the United States obey the law. those who join these gangs wreak havoc on immigrant communities all over the country. To protect our Nation. we need to stop them ... now. Thus. Im proposing the CPAIGA Act. This law will make our policy clear: 52. Pt. 15 19997 immigrants who join gangs are no longer welcome in our country. Under my bill. anyone who joins a gang or helps one faces immediate deportation proceedings. In addition. my bill will let the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security deny visas to the nationals of any country that refuses to take back its own criminals. I am also introducing the Enhanced Border Tunnel Prevention Act. To enhance our crackdown on sophisticated criminal conspiracies. we should also impose tough new penalties on those who construct tunnels under our border.