Thread: Letter from Rep. Shuler explains SAVE Act

Dear (Me),

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on illegal immigration and American border security. Your thoughts are important to me, and I appreciate hearing from you.

Illegal immigration is one of the most important issues facing America today. North Carolina has seen its illegal immigrant population more than triple in the past five years -- the largest increase in the United States. Our state now has the ninth largest illegal alien population in the country and is quickly moving up the list, resulting in additional medical, education and incarceration costs for the state.

I am committed to securing our nation's borders and addressing our nation's illegal immigration crisis. On November 6, 2007, I introduced H.R. 4088, the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act. While researching and writing this key piece of legislation, I had the opportunity to meet with countless federal, state and local agencies, in addition to leading experts in the field. The result of this work is a bipartisan piece of legislation which is cosponsored by 139 Members of Congress and is endorsed by leaders in the business, labor, and law enforcement communities.

To secure America's borders, the SAVE Act provides a three-pronged approach: enhanced border security, expanded employee verification, and improved enforcement of our Nation's existing laws.

The SAVE Act strengthens our borders by hiring 8,000 new Customs and Border Patrol agents and providing the necessary funding to properly train and equip them. Additionally, the SAVE Act invests heavily in infrastructure improvements at the borders to help our officers do their job more effectively. These improvements include constructing all-weather roads, agent facilities, fencing in urban zones, and road barriers in remote zones. The SAVE Act also improves our technological capabilities along the borders by providing drones, infrared cameras, sensors, and mobile lighting units-all critical tools our Border Patrol agents need to protect our country. I am confident that funding these measures will help prevent drug traffickers, human smugglers, illegal aliens, and terrorists from unlawfully entering the United States.

Two years ago, Congress authorized the construction of a border fence, and the President called for several thousand additional border agents. However, there was little funding appropriated, and there was no clear plan to put these additional resources into action. These measures also failed to provide necessary resources for technology and infrastructure improvements. A partial solution to this growing problem is unacceptable. If we fail to stop the flood of illegal aliens from entering the United States, the effects will be devastating to working families across our country.

The second major aspect of the SAVE Act, expanded employee verification, turns off the job magnet that attracts illegal aliens across our borders. The SAVE Act expands the E-Verify program, which 50,000 businesses are already using voluntarily, over a four-year period to equip all employers with the tools they need to ensure that their employees are here legally. The E-Verify program would give employers a simple, effective, and free system to ensure that their employees are legally authorized to work in the United States. It will also assist law enforcement in their task of identifying and penalizing employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.

Currently there are not enough law enforcement officers to properly enforce the law. That is why the final major component of the SAVE Act is improved enforcement of our Nation's existing laws. The SAVE Act increases the investigative abilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement by employing more agents and training additional state and local law enforcement personnel. My legislation also expedites the removal of illegal aliens by expanding detention capacity and increasing the number of Federal District Court Judges.

Finally, the SAVE Act rejects all calls for amnesty. I do not believe that we should reward those who have broken our Nation's laws with our most precious gift, American citizenship. Providing amnesty now to those who have entered the country illegally would also provide an incentive for future law breaking.

Again, thank you for sharing your views about this important matter. Please check my website at http://shuler.house.gov/ for continued updates on my work, and do not hesitate to contact me again about those issues that are important to you.

It is an honor to serve you in the U.S. Congress.

Sincerely,

Rep. Heath Shuler

MEMBER OF CONGRESS

They took the money for the fence and didn't they send 800 border agents to Iraq to "teach" them how to secure their borders?

This might also be of interest with respect to the current thread.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-105883.html

Glenn Beck is on now. You must watch the show tonight. He touches on different things about Nafta and illegal immigration, the virtual fence delay, etc. He is hot on it tonight.

"Carolinamtnwoman" Nice letter and so glad he wrote this bill sure hope we can get it passed...the one thing I wish it had was to make it a felony to come here illegally, but then it probably would have had no chance at all of passing.



>>>(3) NEW "ACTION ALERTS" 2/28<<<<
PLEASE TAKE ACTION.....NOW!!!!!
Lou Dobbs considering run for President (see at link)
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-105435.html
Kansas Needs calls!! LETS HELP THEM OUT!!
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-58979.html
" ALIPAC FUND RAISER LAUNCHED" !
"PLEASE HELP US REACH OUR GOAL" !!
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-105713.html

I'm so gratified that this kind of Democrat still exists today, a man with honor.

wish there were many more like him.