No amnesty for illegals

By Brian Bilbray
Thu May 24, 6:56 AM ET

As the Senate considers illegal immigration reform legislation, my office has been inundated with phone calls from constituents asking, "What part of 'illegal' don't senators understand?"


You would think that Congress would learn from the failures of the past. We've all seen how the 1986 amnesty bill became a gateway for illegal immigration. What was promised as a one-time fix that would be matched with real employer enforcement and commitment to securing the border resulted in a public policy nightmare we are almost doomed to repeat. Why anyone thinks that repeating the failed policies of years gone by is the solution to this out-of-control problem is beyond me.


While some may dispute using the term "amnesty" to describe this proposal, that's exactly what it is - a bill that would set aside an exclusive program for 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants that allows them to stay in the country while going through the legalization process. All the while we have millions of immigrants waiting to come to the USA legally. The Senate plan sends the message that these immigrants would be better served by violating our laws, rather than by following them.


Some will say this is different from the 1986 law because the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be required to certify that border security and employer verification programs were in place before any temporary guest-worker program would go into effect.


This is the same department that has lost track of 600,000 foreign fugitives, failed to implement the Real ID bill and has turned the US-VISIT program into the "stay here indefinitely" project. Given that track record, it is easy to see why members of Congress are skeptical of DHS' desire to secure the border and implement a working employer verification program in just 18 months.


Even more telling is the opposition of the National Border Patrol Council, the organization that represents more than 10,000 border patrol agents and support personnel. The NBPC vehemently opposes this bill, saying it would exacerbate the problem - not solve it.


T.J. Bonner, president of the NBPC, said, "Every person who has ever risked their life securing our borders is extremely disheartened to see some of our elected representatives once again waving the white flag on the issues of illegal immigration and border security. Rewarding criminal behavior has never induced anyone to abide by the law, and there is no reason to believe that the outcome will be any different in this case."


We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. This most basic principle is why so many flock to our nation.


It is our right and our responsibility to maintain and defend the laws that govern our land, and no one should be exempt from them.


Rep. Brian Bilbray (news, bio, voting record), R-Calif., is chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/200705 ... orillegals