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July 2, 2013
By: Jim Kouri
examiner.com

Although the U.S. Senate passed their so-called Gang of Eight immigration bill by a large margin that included many Republicans such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a House of Representatives committee chairman on Monday received an enormous amount of support from the law enforcement community for what's called the SAFE Act.

The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act (H.R. 227, also known as the SAFE Act, was introduced by Immigration and Border Security Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) and approved by the House Judiciary Committee on June 18, 2013.

The act, if passed, is purported to strengthen the interior enforcement of U.S. immigration laws by granting state and local law enforcement departments the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, something that has been fiercely attacked by the Obama administration, according to Gowdy.

Law enforcement groups believe that federal and local cops working together would control the influx of criminal aliens.

Gowdy and the bill's supporters also claim that H.R. 2278 will also bolster national security by increasing border security, making it more difficult for foreign nationals who pose a national security risk to enter and remain in the U.S., improving visa security in high risk countries, and protecting American communities from dangerous criminal aliens.

In a letter to members of the House Judiciary Committee, National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council's Chris Crane said:

“Our initial reaction to the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act or ‘SAFE Act’ is one of great appreciation and support…While S.744 claims to be a ‘comprehensive reform’ it does nothing to reform arguably our nation’s most critical component in need of the most reforms—interior enforcement and the agency tasked with that mission. The SAFE Act, however, takes aggressive steps to fix these problems…It has been our opinion from the beginning that the approach taken in the SAFE Act is the approach needed if as a nation we are serious about fixing our broken immigration system.”

Also, Pinal County, Ariz., Sheriff Paul Babeu, head of the Western States Sheriff’s Association wrote in a letter to lawmakers:

“The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act is the best plan I have seen presented to protect America. The bill, if approved, will give law enforcement agencies across the United States clear direction so immigration enforcement can be consistent throughout all communities…Real border security must begin with effective interior enforcement in every jurisdiction in all fifty states.”

And the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers writing to lawmakers said:

“The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers applauds your undertaking of the monumental task of addressing national security and public safety through immigration law enforcement…We are pleased to see the initial product of your endeavors in the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act. From our view, this is the proper starting point in resolving our nation’s urgent immigration realities.”

"The real question is how many ICE Agents will need to be trained and put in place to handle the sheer volume of Criminal Aliens currently present in the United States. The issue being concealed by the press and Congress is the clear and present danger criminal aliens pose to the American people," said Sheriff Babeu.

"Anything resembling amnesty or a path to citizenship at this point in time will ensure further endangerment of the American family unit, which is the foundation of American society, by enabling the following type of aliens to remain in the United States," he added.

http://www.examiner.com/article/law-...migration-plan