BOOZMAN SUPPORTS LEGISLATION TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

States News Service
July 23, 2009 Thursday
WASHINGTON, D. C.

The following information was released by the office of Arkansas Rep. John Boozman:

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) announced his support for key legislation to combat illegal immigration.

Boozman, a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, signed-on as an original co-sponsor of the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2009, introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) and touted its importance at a press conference in Washington, D.C.

"This is an important piece of legislation that my constituents in the Third District of Arkansas have been calling for. This balanced approach to securing our borders, holding employers accountable and increasing efforts to enforce our current laws is a common sense approach to stopping illegal immigration," Boozman said.

The SAVE Act would increase border security by adding 6,000 Border Patrol agents, provide employers with the tools they need to verify the work eligibility of their employees by expanding and mandating the E-Verify program to all businesses, and increase resources available to federal and local law enforcement agencies to investigate illegal immigration.

The SAVE Act would require companies to use E-Verify, a government program for employers to use to ensure their new hires have the legal right to work in the U.S. Currently, more than 100,000 employers voluntarily use E-Verify, but the SAVE Act requires all companies to use the program within the next four years or face penalties.

"We are faced with an increasing unemployment rate nearing 10 percent nationally and just above seven percent in Arkansas. We need to enforce our laws that will allow legal American workers to get jobs to provide for their families," Boozman said. "I appreciate Congressman Shuler being a leader on this important issue and working toward solutions for illegal immigration reform."

The SAVE Act has broad bipartisan support with 74 members signing onto the bill. Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor is introducing a companion bill in the Senate.

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