I wanted to update you about the ongoing immigration situation here in Washington. Following the collapse of the Senate immigration compromise, the conversation on immigration has stalled as many Members of Congress have decided that the problem cannot be solved or it is too politically sensitive of an issue. Unfortunately, although the political will to address this crisis has waned, the urgency of the problem has not and it will only grow more desperate with inaction.



Our immigration system is clearly broken and I see three distinct courses of action needed to solve it. First and foremost, we must secure the border. Then, we must create a rational, non-amnesty, temporary worker program. Finally, the entire bureaucracy and rule-making structure needs to be overhauled to better reflect the current realities we face. I believe that there are enough votes in Congress to pass legislation focusing on all three of these areas, just not in one massive bill as the Senate attempted to do.



All people, illegal or not, respond to the incentives around them to create the best possible situation for their future. If we arrange our laws in a way that benefits illegal aliens, we should not be surprised to see individuals attempting to sneak into the country illegally - the significant risks are worth it because of the clear rewards at the other end of the ordeal. There are several pending bills before Congress which will reduce the incentives for illegal crossings.



The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007, H.R. 1940, would extend citizenship at birth only to children that have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or a lawful permanent resident in the United States, or an alien performing active service in our armed forces. We can no longer continue to confer citizenship without regard to the status of the parents of a child; it is bad policy that encourages illegal behavior. Eliminating future "anchor babies" is one less incentive for people to illegally cross our border and one less hurdle for deporting those who do.



We must also make justice swift and certain for criminal immigration cases. The current situation is anything but expedient, as federal courts in Texas and the Southwest are paralyzed by the backlog of immigration related cases before them, accounting for roughly half of their workload. I have cosponsored H.R. 1909, the Federal Criminal Immigration Courts of 2007, to end this unacceptable situation. H.R. 1909 would create eight new permanent Federal judgeships across the American southwest, including one in West Texas. More judges will enable the courts to resolve criminal immigration proceedings faster and cheaper than we are currently able. If potential illegal aliens know that they will face certain punishment for breaking our laws, they will be less likely to enter our country illegally.



Finally, I have cosponsored H.R. 332 to close a loophole that allows illegal aliens to use their wages to count toward future Social Security benefits. We are rapidly approaching a financial crisis with Social Security and we should not provide benefits on wages earned illegally.



In a related but separate issue, we must continue to refine our temporary immigration policy to take advantage of our strengths in the global market place. This year US colleges and universities will educate hundreds of thousands of foreign students, many of who desire to stay and make there home in the United States. These highly educated potential immigrants can enrich our society and economy by sharing their talents and skills with the U.S. firms who hire them, making our nation more economically competitive.



In an effort to increase our ability to retain foreigners who were educated in America, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative John Shadegg (R-AZ) have worked together to introduce the Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership (SKIL) Act, H.R. 5744. This legislation would allow foreign nationals with student visas to stay in America after they graduate and join the workforce. The SKIL Act works to keep one of the most valuable resources for an economy in the country, a motivated, highly educated work force.



Our immigration crisis will not be solved by putting our collective heads in the sand and keeping the status quo. Clearly we need a new approach to tackling this issue. I will continue to urge my colleagues to make two changes in this debate. First, we should use our oversight power to ensure that the current laws are being enforced. And second, we must change our tone and have an honest, levelheaded conversation on how we can again make immigration work for our country. As Congress returns to the business of legislating, I will continue to remind my colleagues of the urgency of this issue and press for significant immigration legislation to be passed. If you have any further questions or concerns about immigration or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. For more information on my work in Congress or to sign up for my weekly email, please visit the 11 th District's website at www.conaway.house.gov.


Mike

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to email me through my website at www.house.gov/conaway. This email address goes to an empty email box and cannot be responded to.