FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 7, 2007
Contact: Abigail McDonough
202-225-6511
KANJORSKI JOINS 90 COLLEAGUES IN INTRODUCING BIPARTISAN BILL TO HALT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
The Bill Would Mandate Thorough Checks of Potential Employees to Verify Workers' Statuses
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) helped introduce H.R. 4088, the SAVE Act, which aims to halt illegal immigration in the United States through stronger worker verification and increased enforcement of America's borders. The bill uses a three-point strategy to combat illegal immigration by securing the borders through recruitment and increasing the number of border patrol agents, mandating that employers verify work authorization before hiring new employees, and enforcing existing laws pertaining to illegal immigration.
"Illegal immigration is an issue of utmost importance to Pennsylvania and America. Through the SAVE Act we can reduce illegal immigration and greatly improve the security of our borders by incorporating stronger enforcement and verification approaches," said Congressman Kanjorski. "I have consistently voted to bring an end to illegal immigration, and this bill follows such a course to rectify our current immigration policies through multi-pronged, thorough, and bipartisan action."
The SAVE Act would result in the following actions, among others:
- Mandate that within three years, that all employers check the status of potential employees through an online E-Verification system to confirm the potential employee's eligibility to work in the United States,
- Hire 8,000 additional U.S. Border Patrol Agents within 5 years,
- Employ 1,150 additional U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents to enhance enforcement efforts,
- Require that the Department of Homeland Security increase its use of aerial technology, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, cameras, and satellites, among others, to ensure that the borders are watched at all times,
- Provide more facilities and resources for the detention, processing, and removal of illegal immigrants,
- Require cooperation between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to secure the border and share equipment to reduce costs and save taxpayers money.
Congressman Kanjorski maintains a strong and consistent record of voting against illegal immigration, including:
- March 21, 1996 & September 25, 1996 - Improving deterrence of illegal immigration by increasing border patrol and improving the employment verification system (Roll no. 89 & 432, 104th Congress),
- May 6, 2004 - Opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants and favoring an enforcement-only approach (Congressional Record),
- December 7, 2004 - Expanding the grounds of inadmissibility and deportation of illegal immigrants and increased penalties for smuggling aliens (Roll no. 544, 108th Congress),
- February 10, 2005 - Making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses (Roll no. 31, 109th Congress),
- December 16, 2005 - Mandating that employers confirm the authenticity of employees' Social Security numbers against a national database of legitimate numbers (Roll no. 661, 109th Congress),
- December 16, 2005 - Making it a federal crime for illegal immigrants to be in the U.S. unlawfully (Roll no. 661, 109th Congress),
- December 16, 2005 - Increasing systematic surveillance at our borders (Roll no. 661, 109th Congress),
- August 11, 2006 - Supporting the establishment of a Northeastern Pennsylvania office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Letter to Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement),
- September 14, 2006 - Favoring constructing a fence along the Mexican border (Roll no. 446, 109th Congress),
- September 21, 2006 - Clarifying that state and local law enforcement have the "inherent authority" to apprehend illegal immigrants and transfer them to custody (Roll no. 468, 109th Congress),
- September 21, 2006 - Creating new criminal penalties for constructing illegal tunnels under the U.S. border and doubling penalties for smuggling illegal immigrants, drugs, or weapons of mass destruction through an illegal tunnel (Roll no. 469, 109th Congress),
- June 15, 2007 - Providing $8.9 million for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency in 2008 (Roll no. 491, 110th Congress),
- June 15, 2007 - Appropriating $4.8 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for 2008 (Roll no. 491, 110th Congress),
- July 31, 2007 - Excluding illegal immigrants from access to Medicaid, among other actions (Letter to Chairman Dingell, 110th Congress),
- August 2, 2007 - Co-sponsoring legislation to pressure the Bush Administration to enforce current immigration laws and improve border security to reduce illegal immigration (H.R. 499, 110th Congress).
The bipartisan SAVE Act has 90 original co-sponsors, including 44 Democrats and 46 Republicans, illustrating that halting illegal immigration is an important issue across both party lines. The bill will now go to the committee of jurisdiction for further review.
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