Thread: Tancredo: Putting Immigration Back on Track

Putting Immigration Back on Track

by Rep. Tom Tancredo

Regardless of which political party controls the next Congress, America needs true immigration reform. Congress needs to complete the job of guaranteeing genuine border security, and once that is achieved, we can turn our attention to a much needed overhaul of the immigration system.

The specter of amnesty was dangerously close to becoming a reality in the 109th Congress. President Bush proposed, and the Senate approved a broad-based amnesty for the twelve to twenty million illegal aliens currently in the United States. That legislation would have proven to be disastrous for a system that is already dysfunctional, corrupt and in desperate need of an overhaul. Thankfully, that legislation was blocked by an enforcement-minded Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Without question, however, amnesty advocates are already gearing up to renew their push in what they hope is a more “amnesty friendly” 110th Congress.

Border security is a goal that unites all Americans, and Congress needs to finish that job. Building a 700-mile fence is only a first step, and no one believes a fence is a panacea. We need to see substantial progress on border security before tackling more complex matters.

The first goal of any comprehensive reform must be to enforce the law. This means creating reliable and verifiable identification documents and to give employers a simple, efficient and mandatory method to determine the eligibility of any job applicant.

A second component must be full implementation of the US-VISIT program to provide a secure and reliable identification and tracking system for all foreign nationals entering and leaving the country. That program has suffered too many delays and must be completed.

A third component must be a total overhaul of the Citizenship and Immigration Services division of DHS, the agency that processes applications for Legal Permanent Residency and all other benefits. Numerous GAO reports and other investigations have shown massive corruption and incompetence, and until that agency is reformed it would be both foolish and dangerous to burden it with new responsibilities.

A fourth component must be to end "birthright citizenship" for children of illegal aliens and non-immigrants. Federal judges have created this presumed right by misinterpreting the 14th Amendment, and Congress must correct this error.

A fifth goal must be to clarify the role of state and local law enforcement agencies and enlist them in the task of assuring the viability and integrity of our immigration system. The CLEAR Act sponsored by Representative Norwood (R-Ga.) should be enacted as a key part of immigration reform.

Beyond these reforms of our immigration laws and policies, we must rethink our relationship with Mexico, a nation that habitually makes many demands of the United States but refuses to accept its own responsibilities for controlling its side of the border. We can be a partner with Mexico in helping solve its problems, but we cannot continue to allow America to be simply a convenient export market for Mexico’s social and economic problems.

You can write Congressman Tancredo at 1130 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515-0606 or call his district office at (720) 283-9772.