Instead of the Senate wasting its time on the dangerous and ridiculous pro-amnesty legislation of the Grand Compromisers (a huge step in the wrong direction), the Secure Borders FIRST bill is what is right for America.

Immigration Reform Caucus Chairman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) joined Congressman Peter T. King (R-NY), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, to unveil two new border security and immigration initiatives—a comprehensive border security and immigration reform bill as well as a resolution calling for full enforcement of all current immigration laws. The two new measures represent a strong ‘Security First-No Amnesty’ alternative to the Kennedy-Bush Senate Amnesty bill. The Secure Borders FIRST (For Integrity, Reform, Safety and anti-Terrorism) Act of 2007 will mandate operational control of all our borders and ensure better enforcement of current U.S. immigration laws.

Congressman Peter T. King (R-NY): "First and foremost, we must gain control of our borders, and the Senate bill fails to do this. Furthermore, against the wishes of the American people, the Senate bill would provide almost immediate amnesty for an estimated 12 million illegal aliens here in the United States. These are serious issues that would only serve to weaken the security of our country. The immigration status quo is intolerable. Not because our immigration laws are broken, but because they are not vigorously enforced," Smith said. "Immigration enforcement has failed primarily because Administrations for 20 years have not enforced sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Our resolution calls on the Administration to enforce employer sanctions systematically, not just sporadically."

Congressmen Brian Bilbray (R-CA): "The practice of rewarding illegal behavior and ignoring current immigration laws must come to an end. No one believes that you can grant an amnesty first and enforce the law second. What part of illegal is hard to understand?"

Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX): "The Administration claims we have a de facto amnesty now. That’s true and it’s the result of the Administration’s own lack of determination to enforce the law. We don’t need amnesty to enforce current law; we need to enforce the law to eliminate the need for amnesty."

"The American people understand that, first and foremost, we have to put an end to illegal immigration and gain control of our borders. That is exactly what the King-Smith bill will do. And if Congress is serious about border security, it is time to stop the Senate amnesty bill and take action on the King-Smith legislation." (Congressmen Peter T King).

As for the Kennedy et. al. Grand Compromise, Senator DeMint (R-SC) has exposed that the security benchmark triggers are already implementable under current laws, as are the other border security provisions in this amnesty legislation. And, regarding the money ploy Bush has added, Senator Sessions (R-AL) stated "The only significance of the promised funding is to effectively say ‘we’re going to fund what we already promised to fund.’ The $4.4 billion will not build additional miles of fencing, provide any new technology, hire additional agents or acquire more detention beds than already promised by the President and included in the bill’s provisions that trigger amnesty. Let me emphasize that this money will do nothing more than fund the enforcement trigger in the bill, which was already a solemn promise to the American people. The real problem is that the enforcement trigger does not go far enough. It will not adequately secure the border or restore the rule of law."

Our Senators should not be complicit in the "Grand Deceit" of the Grand Compromise. That bill is nothing more than an award of amnesty to illegal alien lawbreakers. We must secure our borders. Amnesty legislation is not needed to do so. Enforce our current immigration laws and de-rail the illogical and absurd Grand Amnesty Compromise.