Hatch Reintroduces Bill to Address Major Immigration Woes in U.S.

Targeted News Service
February 15, 2011
WASHINGTON, D.C.

The office of Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, issued the following news release:

With illegal immigrants flooding over U.S. borders and severely draining federal and state welfare coffers, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today reintroduced a bill that addresses several major immigration concerns raised by Utahns and other Americans throughout the U.S.

Hatch's bill, Strengthening Our Commitment to Legal Immigration and America's Security Act, addresses a wide range of actual and potential immigration woes, including the possible misuse of the parole and deferral process to grant mass amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.

It also will crack down on identity theft, make the U.S. visa system more efficient, trace the amount of federal welfare dollars diverted to illegal immigrant households, and help put a halt to Mexican cartels using our national parks and public lands to grow marijuana and other drugs.

"Everywhere I go in Utah and across the U.S. - from Salt Lake City to St. George, Parowan to Price and Moab to Milford - the message I am receiving from Utahns and American citizens is the same: We need to fix the immigration problems that are caused by the flood of illegal immigrants spilling over our nation's porous border with Mexico," Hatch said.

"My bill is not the end-all and be-all for every immigration problem," the senator added. "But it represents a very important beginning in what needs to be an ongoing process to enforce the immigration laws already on the books, draft new ones to tackle fresh challenges and to regain control of our nation's borders. It was drafted in consultation with law enforcement officials and concerned citizens across Utah and throughout the nation."

One of Hatch's chief concerns is that the Obama administration has been quietly exploring the feasibility of having the Department of Homeland Security use the parole and deferral program to grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants.

Hatch's bill puts a stop to this potential abuse of executive power.

Another provision bars members of gangs and other known criminal organizations from receiving visas to enter the U.S.

"Violence and other crimes are spilling over our borders and into our communities," Hatch said. "We should not be rolling out the red carpet to welcome people involved in organized crime to our country and into our communities, where they can wreak havoc and undermine the rule of and respect for law."

The legislation also would tighten the allocation of federal resources to Secure Communities and the 287 (g) programs, which are highly touted U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) initiatives that the senator has brought to many Utah cities and counties. In particular,

Hatch's bill would require law enforcement agencies that are selected and enrolled in the 287(g) and Secure Communities programs to fully comply with the requirements of such programs or risk losing federal reimbursement for incarceration expenses.

The bill further limits states' ability to receive federal dollars to provide Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program services to children and pregnant women who are not U.S. citizens.

It also requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to submit an annual report to Congress outlining the total dollars of federal welfare benefits received by households of illegal aliens, as well as the amounts the states spend on welfare benefits.

"Before providing federal dollars for health coverage of legal immigrants' children, it is vitally important that we ensure the needs of uninsured, low-income children who are U.S. citizens are met," Hatch said.

"We also need to know just how much in federal dollars is being spent on illegal aliens to better understand the drain they are having upon our welfare system."

Identity theft is a very huge problem in all states.

Many in the illegal immigrant community purchase fake IDs from document mills and the identity theft they commit very often affect very young victims who, in many cases, don't discover the problem for years.

Hatch's bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to notify employers when employees' Social Security numbers are found to be inaccurate.

If employers fail to correct the problem within 60 days, the IRS will be required to notify the card holder or, in cases involving minors, the parents of cardholders, along with relevant credit and federal agencies when fraud is suspected.

Another major concern is that the U.S. lacks a visa exit procedure for foreign visitors. This bill would assist in determining when foreign visitors have overstayed their visas. It would further strengthen penalties against drug cartels and other illegal immigrants who grow and manufacture marijuana in our national parks and on other public lands.

The Strengthening Our Commitment to Legal Immigration and America's Security Act will:

* Specifies that illegal aliens may only be paroled or granted deferred action on a case-by-case basis; mass paroles and deferrals would be prohibited;

* Requires law enforcement agencies that are selected and enrolled in the 287(g) and Secure Communities programs to fully comply with the requirements of such programs or risk losing federal reimbursement for incarceration expenses;

* Precludes applicants who are members of known criminal organizations and gangs from getting visas to come to the U.S.;

* Requires the Homeland Security Secretary to create a mandatory exit procedure for foreign visitors to the U.S.;

* Eliminates the Diversity Visa Program unless Congress signs off on changes to combat fraud and eliminate abuse in the program;

* Requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to submit an annual report to Congress outlining the total dollar amount of welfare benefits received by households of illegal aliens in every state and the District of Columbia;

* Limits all states' ability to receive federal funds to provide Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program coverage to children and pregnant women who are not U.S. citizens;

* Amends the criminal code to clarify that defendants who possess or use another person's identity in the commission of a felony are punishable for aggravated identity fraud, regardless of their "knowledge" of the victim;

* Requires the IRS to notify Social Security holders within 60 days after a "no-match" letter is sent to the employer - if the employer fails to contact the IRS and correct the conflicting information;

* Requires the Treasury Secretary, Federal Trade Commission Chairman and Social Security Commissioner to conduct a study on the most cost-effective ways to protect the credit of individuals, especially children.

* Toughens penalties for drug offenses such as cultivating marijuana on federal land and using booby traps, poison and other hazardous substances to cultivate or manufacture illegal drugs on federal land;

* Direct the National Drug Control Policy Director to formulate a Federal Lands Counterdrug Action Plan for preventing the illegal production, cultivation and manufacture of controlled substances on federal lands.

Originally introduced in September 2010, Hatch's bill garnered good reviews from Janice Kephart, director of national security policy for the prestigious nonprofit and nonpartisan Center for Immigration Studies, who said the Strengthening Our Commitment to Legal Immigration and America's Security Act "provides a host of 'plugs' to current immigration failures that would go a long way in helping America take the reins on a soaring border security problem."

Hatch also spoke about his bill to members of the conservative think tank, Heritage Foundation, on Feb. 11, 2011.

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/En ... 53&start=5