Yes, I know, I am shocked as all of you. What is more shocking is who is introducing it. Your favorite Amnesty Senators Kyl (R-AZ) and Graham (R-SC) have had a change of heart
. Maybe they saw their approval polls in their respective states go down the toilet. Maybe they went back to their respective states for vacation and had to wash egg off their houses and peel TP off their trees, whatever worked, worked.
The legistlation actually clamps down on the root of the problem, our open southern border. It actually turns the tap off without ignoring the issue all together.
From Senator Kyl's Senate Website:
The Border Security First Act of 2007 requires and provides funding for the following, among other things:
Operational control over 100 percent of the U.S.-Mexico land border
23,000 Border Patrol agents hired, trained, and reporting for duty
4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles & 105 ground-based radar and camera towers
300 miles of vehicle barriers & 700 miles of border fencing
A permanent end to the “catch-and-release” policy with 45,000 detention beds.
The act contains additional border and interior enforcement provisions necessary for stemming the tide of illegal immigration, restricting immigration benefits to lawbreakers, and further protecting the homeland from terrorists and criminals. Examples of these provisions include:
Increased Personnel: Requires a total of 14,500 new Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) agents through Fiscal Year 2012 – to approximately 30,000 CBP agents overall – as well as increased hires of new Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for interior and workplace enforcement.
Sanctuary Cities: Prohibits cities from banning the obtaining of information on immigration status by their own law enforcement agencies.
Operation Jump Start/National Guard: Provides additional funding for Operation Jump Start to maintain a National Guard presence along the Southern border.
Criminal Aliens: Strengthens laws to deny immigration benefits to aggravated felons, gang members, terrorists, sex offenders, and child abusers. The bill also expands the Institutional Removal Program and gives DHS the ability to detain criminal aliens for an extended period of time before they can be removed.
State and Local Law Enforcement: Gives state and local law enforcement new authorities to detain illegal aliens and transfer them into DHS custody. Moreover, it allows state and local law enforcement authorities to use homeland security grants for 287(g) training and provides funding to cover the costs of detaining and transporting criminal aliens.
Visa Overstayers: Requires DHS to detain aliens who willfully overstay their period of authorized admission for more than 60 days.
Illegal Reentry: Increases criminal penalties and sets mandatory minimum prison sentences for aliens who have been removed and illegally re-enter our country.
Expedited Removal: Restricts the impact of outdated court injunctions that currently prevent DHS from certain illegal immigrants into expedited removal and returning them to their country of origin as soon as circumstances allow.
US-VISIT and Entry Inspection: Clarifies DHS’s authority to collect biometric entry and exit data at U.S. ports of entry, as well as requires the Department to provide Congress a timeline for implementing US-VISIT at all land border points of entry.
Employment Eligibility Verification: Requires DHS to enhance the Basic Pilot Program to help facilitate broader use by employers as well as improved accuracy and efficiency.
Liability Protection for Reporting Suspicious Threats: Grants civil liability protection to those who report possible threats to our nation’s transportation system.
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Well, good for them, actually some enforcement measures that could WORK!
The Democrats have not came out and said they oppose the bill or plan to kill it, but they do have provisions they wish to strip out. The provision allowing law officers to ask immigration status, as well as madnatory jail sentences for border crossers or visa overstayers. They also which to include the DREAM Act (a craptastic piece of legistlation), as well as allow more Ag. worker visas to be distributed. But hey, we have to give a little to get a little, right? I just don't know how far I am willing to go. I'll keep an eye on it in the coming days.
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