ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW REFLECTS OUTRAGE OVER FEDERAL FAILURES
States News Service
August 24, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The following information was released by the office of Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis:
Over the past several months there has been a great deal of controversy regarding federal and State immigration policy.
Recently, Arizona passed a substantial new law designed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants across the border from Mexico.
It is intended to ensure that individuals in Arizona possess legal status to be present in the United States.
One significant provision in the new law enables State law enforcement officials to verify legal status during their routine activities.
The law also creates new State criminal penalties for alien smuggling and failure to carry or complete alien registration documentation.
Furthermore, the new law contains penalties designed to prevent illegal aliens from working in Arizona.
Arizona's new law illustrates the growing number of Americans who are fed up with the federal government's failure to enforce federal immigration laws or to properly secure our border.
President Obama's Administration filed suit against Arizona at the beginning of July over the new law.
The Department of Justice argues that the law is unconstitutional because the States do not have the power to set immigration policy or enforce it.
As a result of the case, on July 28, 2010, Judge Susan Bolton issued a preliminary injunction against a number of the provisions of the new law including the requirement for officers to check immigration status while enforcing other laws and a section creating criminal penalties for immigrants failing to carry proof of their legal status at all times.
The remainder of the law went into effect as scheduled.
Suing Arizona does little to solve our nation's illegal-immigration problems. In fact, as many as fifteen other States have shown interest in passing legislation similar to Arizona's.
Americans are making their voices loud and clear; they want to secure our vulnerable borders and porous ports of entry that leave our country susceptible to illegal immigration and other national security concerns.
Americans are fed up with the political games being played with the safety of our nation and want to see, at a minimum, enforcement of our existing federal immigration laws.
Rather than recommitting themselves to enforcement of federal immigration law, the Administration has instead dedicated precious federal resources to attacking a State that is under siege and trying to solve the problem on their own as a last resort.
I agree with the majority of Americans who support the Arizona law, which is why I joined eighty other Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief supporting Arizona's right to regulate immigration consistent with federal law.
We must ensure that our federal, State and local law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to strongly enforce immigration laws, target criminal and fugitive aliens, and dismantle the infrastructure that supports illegal immigration.
To effectively address the challenges facing our immigration system, we must first strengthen our nation's borders by ensuring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the manpower and resources to accomplish its vital border security mission.
On August 18, 2010, the President signed the bipartisan H.R. 6080, the Emergency Border Security Supplemental, into law.
This legislation designates an additional $600 million for border security. This bill is paid for by increased visa fees for foreign workers.
The bill provides for the hiring and training of 1,500 new enforcement agents, additional border security fencing, and additional funds for marine interdiction.
Additionally, $10 million of the bill will be devoted to employing more immigration judges for border cases.
This bill is a step in the right direction to secure our nation, but we still have much work to do.
While I strongly believe we should welcome legal immigrants with open arms, our existing laws must be upheld, and we need to ensure that our nation's borders are secure against threats from abroad.
Until the federal government fulfills these obligations, States like Arizona should have the ultimate right to do what is necessary to protect their citizens and enforce existing immigration law themselves.
To read more about the policies I support to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws, visit http://GeoffDavis.house.gov/Immigration.
Additionally, if you or someone you know needs assistance with a legal immigration issue, please contact my Ft. Mitchell office at (859) 426-0080.
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