Thread: Sue Myrick's Update on Illegal Immigration

House of Representatives "Border Security Now" Agenda



In an effort to tackle the urgent need to stem the tide of illegal aliens entering our country, the House of Representatives began a two-week push to pass legislation critical to border security. The Border Security Now Agenda will also correct loopholes allowing illegals to exploit our immigration laws.



The House of Representatives has passed these four bills as part of the "Border Security Now" Agenda:



1. Secure Fence Act

On September 14, 2006, the House of Representatives passed the Secure Fence Act. This bill authorizes the construction of 700 miles double-layered fence to prohibit illegal border crossings in urban areas. Furthermore, this legislation will require the use of cameras and sensors to create a virtual fence around the US borders.




2. Community Protection Act

On September 21, 2006, the House of Representatives the Community Protection Act. This legislation will give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to extend the length of detention, beyond the current six month maximum, for criminal aliens who are otherwise unable to be deported. The Community Protection Act ends the practice of allowing violent criminal illegals back onto the streets simply because they cannot be returned to their countries of origin.



This legislation also gives the Department of Homeland Security authority to apply the same expedited removal procedures available to deport aggravated felons for other criminal aliens. Furthermore, the Community Protection Act will toughen laws against illegal alien gang members by making them subject to detention and deportation.



3. Immigration Law Enforcement Act

Rep. Myrick voted in favor of the Immigration Law Enforcement Act, which passed on September 21, 2006. This legislation reaffirms the authority of State and local law enforcement to voluntarily investigate, apprehend and transfer illegal aliens to federal law enforcement.



The Immigration Law Enforcement Act also authorizes an increase in the number of lawyers to prosecute the human smugglers who lead scores of illegal aliens into our country. Our legal system is often too bogged down to prosecute human smugglers, leaving the Border Patrol to apprehend the same smugglers time after time. Increasing prosecutions of human smugglers will create a disincentive for the coyotes to continue leading groups into our country.



This legislation also ends the "catch and release" policy, which allows illegal aliens to be released from detention while they await deportation proceedings. Instead, illegals who are apprehended will be held until their removal cases are heard.



Finally, this legislation ends an outdated court injunction that prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from removing El Salvadorians.



4. Border Tunnel Prevention Act

Currently, there are no clear laws prohibiting the construction of tunnels that cross into the United States. Rep. Myrick voted in favor of legislation, which passed in the House on September 21, 2006, that criminalizes unauthorized tunnels across the US border. The Border Tunnel Prevention Act would allow for penalties of up to 20 years in prison for individuals caught constructing tunnels into the United States.



Additional Immigration Action



Congressional Field Hearing On Illegal Immigration
On August 25, 2006, Rep. Myrick hosted a field hearing focused on Illegal Immigration held by the House Committee on Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. The hearing was held in Rep. Myrick's Gaston County Office. Witnesses included Alan Cloninger (D- Sheriff of Gaston County), Michael Lands (R- District Attorney of Gaston County), Jim Pendergraph (D- Sheriff of Mecklenburg County), and Ms. Emily Moose (Mother of Scott Gardner). Reps. Myrick, McHenry, Foxx, and Chairman of the Subcommittee Mark Souder were all in attendance. More than 200 people attended this hearing, and listened to testimony about the 287 (g) program and the Scott Gardner Act . To read Rep. Myrick's prepared statement, please click here. To read the testimony of the other people who participated in the hearing, please click here.



Click this link to see a picture of the hearing: http://www.myrick.house.gov/imm%20heari ... te%201.JPG



New Technology To Secure The Border
On September 21, 2006, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Boeing had been awarded a $2.5 billion dollar contract to implement the SBInet component of the Secure Border Initiative. SBInet will use a combination of advanced technologies to provide surveillance and detection of individuals trying to enter our country illegally. Once completed, SBInet will give the Department of Homeland Security greater ability to control our borders.

For more information about the Secure Border Initiative - a comprehensive DHS plan to get control of our borders and reduce the number of illegal aliens - and the SBInet contract, please visit: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/e ... l_0868.xml


New Fences Going Up Across The Border

Earlier this year, Congress passed an emergency supplemental bill that provided resources to construct new border fences on our southern border. As Congress continues to debate illegal immigration, know that your phone calls and letters have already made a difference. Over the past weeks and months the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense have been building border fences. You can look at pictures of these fences being built by clicking on the links below. There is still more work to be done to ensure the border is secure, which is why Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, but these pictures are proof that there are Members in Congress fighting to make sure border security is real.



http://majoritywhip.house.gov/media/fencepicsdhs.pdf



http://majoritywhip.house.gov/media/fenceDOD.pdf

Thanks Dianne for posting this. I wish my Rep had a conscience and was concerned about protecting the welfare of Americans.

My reply to Sue Myrick:

That is a great start !!! Now we need to be sure there is funding in place to accomplish these things quickly, then go on to deportation of all those here illegally.

By the way, is there any way possible I can ask for a police escort to the N.C. License tag office? I'm terrified to go to the state license plate office, not to mention getting my driver's license renewed. Both those locations are absolutely loaded with illegals. I am a law abiding, productive, tax paying legal citizen that should not be forced to be confined in line for hours with lawbreakers.

Thanks for anything you can do to help.