Speech #1090179807

Mr. President. as I traveled across all 67 counties of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. almost to a person my constituents understand that America is not controlling our borders. From Berks to Butler. from Wayne to Westmoreland and Erie to Philadelphia. and across all income bracket and regardless of race. thousands of people tell me everywhere I go that we have to address our border security now. More than that. they tell me we must not reward or give preferential treatment to illegal aliens whose first step on our soil was a violation of our laws. They are clear. they do not want amnesty. And I hear from all the talking heads and think tank wonks about how our Nation is a nation of immigrants. Well. obviously. except for the Native Americans. we are all immigrants from somewhere. and I am no exception. My grandfather made so many sacrifices to give my family the opportunities we have all had. He left his family back in Riva de la Garda. Italy. to come to America and make a better life for them. He worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines and met the legal requirements to bring over my grandmother and my dad to Pennsylvania but that meant 5 years away from his family to earn the right to bring them over. Yes. immigrants are more than welcome in America. and they have made great incredible contributions to our societybut they have done so legally. My family and millions of others have lived the American dream of finding good paying jobs. better education and safe environments for our children. The key is that it can and must be done legally. The foundation for the American dream must be built on the solid cornerstone of the rule of law. not the leaky sieve that characterizes our current borders. This immigration crisis has been caused by decades of flawed amnesty policies that have left our borders porous and dangerously undermanned. The public is understandably frustrated that in the post9/11 world we live in where our national security depends on our border securitywe still do not know who is coming into our country. where they are from. and what they are doing here. I share their frustration and cannot for the life of me understand why my colleagues continue to put partisanship and posturing over our national security. The 9/11 Commission stated in the preface of its report that "[ilt is perhaps obvious to state that terrorists cannot plan and carry out attacks in the United States if they are unable to enter the country." Unfortunately. many of my Senate colleagues do not think this is so obvious. Well. it is obvious to the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who. in applying for an antigang grant. said that with the influx of illegal immigrants to the 222 Corridor that "the Latin Kings. Bloods. NETA and lately MS13. are recruiting or fighting with local gangs for control of the drug markets. Violence is a daily byproduct." The evidence is clear that the current immigration crisis poses an immediate threat to our communitiesgang violence. drug trafficking. murders. rapes. and the burdensome costs shouldered by our public education. health. and housing systems. Just last week the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 100 criminals. fugitive aliens. and other immigration status violators living throughout Pennsylvaniafrom Philadelphia to York to Pittsburgh. Among those arrested were individuals convicted of sex offenses. burglary. larceny. robbery. criminal trespass. weapons violations. narcotics violations. aggravated assault. shoplifting. fraud. and resisting arrest. It is timewell. frankly it is well past timethat we put first things firstwe must secure our Nations borders now. Our friends in the House passed an immigration bill that understands the urgency of securing our borders. but it is impracticalboth in enforcement practice and in politics. And then the "comprehensive" Senate bill did exactly the wrong thingoffering illegal immigrants amnesty. providing them Social Security benefits. relieving them of tax burdens Americans face. and giving them better worksite employment rights than American citizens enjoy. It was the wrong bill at the wrong time and failed to pass the one real test of securing our borders. Yet as I travel the State. it is clear to me that many people do not know what all is In the Senate bill.