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DEMOCRATS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION |
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Written by Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX)
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Thursday, 22 November 2007 |
Most Americans clearly want their government to secure the
borders and enforce immigration laws. They understand what many elected
officials still don't: rewarding lawbreakers with amnesty only encourages a new
flood of illegal immigrants.
In September, New York Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced a plan to allow
illegal immigrants to obtain New York drivers' licenses. The proposal has been
sharply criticized across the nation. A recent poll found 77 percent of
Americans oppose drivers' licenses for illegal immigrants.
Despite overwhelming opposition, the proposal still has supporters, including
many of the Democratic presidential candidates. Democratic presidential hopeful
Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York found out the hard way that the American
people are unwilling to accept anything but a public denouncement of this
proposal.
The public outcry ultimately forced Mr. Spitzer to withdraw his proposal, but
the damage was done. With the 2008 elections less than a year away, senior
Democratic leaders and members of Congress are desperately trying to strike the
right tone on immigration. But efforts by Democrats to toughen talking points
against illegal immigration are disingenuous at best.
In fact, Democrats and various interest groups have never been serious about
reducing illegal immigration. In the last two years, an overwhelming majority
of House Democrats voted against almost every piece of legislation aimed at
reducing illegal immigration. For example:
• 80 percent of House Democrats said no to enhanced border security and
increased enforcement of laws prohibiting the employment of illegal immigrants.
The proposed bill required the use of a basic pilot program, which helps
employers determine whether their employees are legal.
• 74 percent of House Democrats said no to national security standards
for drivers' licenses to prevent alien terrorists from getting identification
documents. The REAL ID Act aimed at keeping out and removing alien terrorists
from the U.S.
• 63 percent of House Democrats said no to strengthening border security
by constructing reinforced fences along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Senate Democrats also have refused to reduce illegal immigration. For example:
• 75 percent of Senate Democrats said no to enforcing immigration laws
before beginning the legalization process for the 12 million illegal immigrants
now in the U.S. By opposing the common-sense Coburn Amendment, many Democrats
rejected the American public's call for immigration enforcement.
• 86 percent of Senate Democrats said no to increasing the number of
detention beds, allowing for the confinement of illegal immigrants to ensure
their appearance for immigration hearings.
• 84 percent of Senate Democrats said no to funding 800 more immigration
investigators.
Compare those numbers to the 69 percent of Americans who said they want illegal
immigration reduced.
Refusing to enforce immigration laws simply maintains the status quo. Democrat
proposals that reward illegal immigration, like Gov. Spitzer's plan in New
York, only exacerbate the problem and encourage illegal immigration. Reducing
illegal immigration requires increased border security, effective enforcement
of immigration laws and an end to the job magnet that entices illegal
immigrants to come here and stay.
The Bush Administration has begun to respond to the convictions expressed by
the American people. But its efforts are blocked by interest groups like the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, and the American Civil Liberties Union,
which have filed lawsuits to block the implementation of a key enforcement
measure.
Specifically, they hope to block the Homeland Security
Department's "no match" rule, designed to identify illegal immigrants
using fraudulent Social Security numbers to obtain jobs. It is no surprise that
these same groups favor amnesty.
The American people understand that illegal immigration is just that, illegal.
They understand laws are meaningless unless enforced. But they can't understand
why so many elected officials pay lip-service to immigration enforcement back
home while voting against it in Washington.
On illegal immigration, it's time for Democrats to take a lesson in Civics 101
and start representing the views of the American people. It's time Congress got
serious about immigration enforcement.
Lamar Smith is the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee.
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