Thread: Georgia senators are in right place on immigrat

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Georgia senators are in right place on immigration Editorial
Story updated at 12:20 AM on Wednesday, June 7, 2006

At least for now, Georgia's two U.S. senators find themselves in the minority in that body as Congress wrestles with the thorny issue of illegal immigration into this country. But the minority is not necessarily a bad place to be, particularly if it's the right place to be. And Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss are most decidedly in the right place on illegal immigration.

Both men - Isakson, in particular - understand the central fact about getting a handle on illegal immigration along the southern border of this country: The absolute first thing to do is to get control of that border.

Surprisingly, that simple idea seemed entirely lost among many of Isakson's and Chambliss's Senate colleagues. Late last month, the Senate passed an immigration reform bill that did not even address the issue of border security. Instead, the Senate bill, as passed, would establish a temporary guest worker program and provide permanent legal status for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for a minimum of five years.

Isakson and Chambliss voted against the bill - which prevailed in the Senate with a 62-36 vote - precisely because it didn't address border security. Here's Chambliss' reaction to that vote, in a statement issued from his office after the bill passed: "If we do not secure the border and have serious interior and worksite enforcement, then we have accomplished nothing. The magnitude of the flow of illegal immigrants is astounding, and we must work to provide more Border Patrol agents, better infrastructure, additional checkpoints and the use of the latest technology available."


Isakson took his commitment to securing the border a step further. During Senate debate on the bill, Isakson offered up an amendment that would have required full funding for security operations along the U.S.-Mexico border, and would have further required that those operations be in place before implementation of any guest-worker program. Incredibly, Isakson's amendment went down in flames, losing by a 40-55 vote.

The news from the U.S. House of Representatives on immigration reform is a bit better. The House has approved legislation that would add hundreds of miles of fencing along the Mexican border, make it a felony for an immigrant to be in this country illegally, and boost sanctions against employers who hire illegal immigrants.

The competing bills are now headed to a conference committee, where members of the Senate and House will work to reconcile their clearly divergent approaches to the illegal immigration issue. In comments this week to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Isakson sounded a couple of optimistic notes, saying his approach to illegal immigration has "unanimous" support in the House, and adding that he doesn't believe the conference committee will send out a bill "that doesn't incorporate securing the border first."

That's certainly good news. The question of what to do about the millions of illegal immigrants already in this country is a ticklish one, but securing the border is clearly the only way to stop the illegal immigrants who continue to come into this country from the south.

Isakson and Chambliss know that, and it's time for their Senate colleagues to reach that same conclusion.



Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 060706

Both North Carolina senators (Dole & Burr) also voted against S. 2611. To my knowledge, they voted as twins on every issue that would benefit illegal immigrants on the amnesty bill the senate passed. Basically, Georgia is not alone.

Now we could just get Rep. Price (D-NC) on board the no amnesty train!

I encourage all North Carolina residents to work on him (even if you're not a NC resident, it wouldn't hurt to flood his email box):

nc04ima@mail.house.gov