I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for offering this amendment with me. Ill be brief because I dont think many Members here need to be convinced that we need our Government agencies to enforce the laws we give them and that they arent arbitrary. Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the State Department to discontinue the issuance of visas to nations who fail to take back their nationals who have been ordered removed by our Govemnment. Unfortunately. this step by our Govemnment has never been taken. Why? The gentleman trom Colorado and I joined on a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to ask this very question. The chart I have here indicates the response we received and I quote: Department of Homeland Security Response: "While visa sanctions under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act may be an effective tool in obtaining repatriation cooperation. the severity that makes them potentially effective also has the potential to negatively impact other U.S. foreign relations objectives if not used judiciously. When considering the use of 243(d) sanctions. DHS must consider the potential repercussions to U.S. foreign policy.
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