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Making America safer by strengthening our borders

Jean Schmidt
U.S. Rep.

WASHINGTON, DC - As Americans, we have always taken great pride in our heritage as a nation of immigrants. Our forefathers intended our country to be a melting pot of sorts, a place where the promise of opportunity existed for anyone willing to work hard and obey the law. The United States has been strengthened by the generations of immigrants who became Americans through patience, hard work, and assimilation. Many of us celebrate our nation's diverse cultural history with parades, festivals, special meals or religious services. The promise of America has always been defined by this rich diversity, compassion, tolerance and equal opportunity.

However, the foundation of our nation is the rule of the law, and those who enter our country illegally violate the law. Today, there are an estimated 10-12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. I find this number astonishing. What makes this number even more startling is the fact that a recent study found that nearly 10 million illegal aliens have arrived since 1990. That is why reforming illegal immigration is one of our top priorities in Congress.

Congress has worked on various pieces of legislation to reform the immigration crisis in our country, but there is still much work to be done. As Congress moves forward on this important debate, members of the Judiciary Committee and Homeland Security Committee recently held hearings to address illegal immigration.

The hearings explored issues such as a relationship between increased border enforcement and violent crime, and how the illegal alien population growth has added to the burden of the American taxpayer. The outcome of these hearings will help us as we draft and consider legislation to address the immigration issue in the coming weeks and months.

I believe that securing our borders is critical to securing our homeland security. Our reforms must be focused on enforcement. Without exception, we must swiftly return every illegal entrant at the border to their country of origin. Since 2001, federal funding for border security has increased by 60 percent. Border agents have apprehended and sent home more than 4.5 million people coming into the country illegally – including about 350,000 with criminal records. Nearly 500 of those detained came from terrorist sponsoring countries of special interest. We have made great strides in the right direction, but we need to continue to provide funding for more agents so that we can enforce the current laws on the books.

I also do not support amnesty for illegal immigrants because I believe it rewards unlawful behavior.

In the coming weeks and months, I am committed to working on reforms that deter illegal aliens from crossing our borders in the first place. We can do this by increasing our capabilities through manpower, innovative infrastructure at our borders, deploying new, state-of-the-art technology and tougher policies.

The time to act is now. By securing our borders, we will protect our way of life and the promise of America. In true American spirit, our nation will always be one that welcomes newcomers. But to protect our liberties here at home, we can only welcome those newcomers who are committed to following the laws and preserving the values of our great nation – just like the generations of immigrants who came before them.

To better represent you, I need to hear your thoughts and concerns. Please contact me at 8044 Montgomery Road, Room 540, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236; 175 East Main Street, Batavia, Ohio, 45103; or at 601 Chillicothe Street, Portsmouth, Ohio, 45662. My address in Washington is 238 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Feel free to call 1-800-784-6366.