Speech #1100080820

But the Department of Defense. I want you to know. is not the only culprit. This week. a man from Houston was sentenced for harboring illegal aliens. some of whom had access to an Alexandria airbase and Louisiana National Guard facility under a Federal Emergency Management Agency construction contract. The company employed 30 to 40 workers. contracted with FEMA. and was able to send illegal aliens to a worksite where they had access to a National Guard facility and airbase. There were many news stories about undocumented individuals working in the construction industry in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Then there was "Operation Tarmac." launched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2002. to enhance security at our airports and remove undocumented immigrants from these critical facilities. The operation resulted in investigations of hundreds of thousands of people and more than 900 arrests of unauthorized workers. Aliens illegally in this country were working as janitors. baggage checkers. and luggage handlers. Whether it is FEMA or the Transportation Security Administration or Border Patrol or the Citizenship and Immigration Service. we must make sure those hired by the agencies are legally able to work in the United States. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken some steps to find unauthorized workers at secure sites. illegal aliens should not be hired in the first place. We cannot allow people illegally in our county to check our bags or process immigration benefits. One way to get at that problem. then. is to require Departments. particularly the Department of Homeland Security. to use the basic pilot program up front. There is no cost to employers. Instead. the American public will be more protected than it is today. Earlier this year. the Senate voted unanimously to debar employers from Government contracts if they are found to hire aliens illegally in the country. That vote signified an overwhelming opinion that our Government should only be doing business with those who take our immigration laws very seriously. Therefore. this part of my amendment should not be problematic. I hope my amendment can be considered this week.