Text 1800, 204 rader
Skriven 2005-11-28 23:33:04 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0511283) for Mon, 2005 Nov 28
====================================================
===========================================================================
Fact Sheet: Securing America Through Immigration Reform
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 28, 2005

Fact Sheet: Securing America Through Immigration Reform



Today's Presidential Action:

Today, President Bush Outlined The Strategy To Enhance America's Homeland
Security Through Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Addressing the Customs
and Border Protection agents stationed in southern Arizona, the President
discussed the strategy to secure the border, prevent illegal crossings, and
strengthen enforcement of immigration laws. The President also proposed to
take pressure off the border by creating a Temporary Worker Program that
meets the economy's demands while rejecting amnesty for those who break
America's laws.
  þ Securing The Border Is Essential To Securing The Homeland. Since he
    took office, the President has increased funding for border security by
    60 percent. Border agents have apprehended and sent home more than 4.5
    million people coming into the country illegally including about
    350,000 with criminal records. The U.S. border must be open to trade
    and tourism and closed to criminals, drug dealers, and terrorists.

The President Will Work With Congress To Pass And Sign Into Law
Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Comprehensive immigration reform is a top
priority for the Administration. Already, Congress is making great strides
and has a chance to move forward on a strategy to enforce immigration laws,
secure America, and uphold the Nation's deepest values. The President will
continue working with Congress so that he can sign a comprehensive
immigration reform bill into law in 2006.

The President's Strategy For Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Begins With Securing The Border. To secure
the border, the President is pursuing a three-part plan.
  þ First, The U.S. Will Return Every Illegal Entrant Caught Crossing The
    Southwest Border With No Exceptions. More than 85 percent of
    apprehended illegal immigrants are from Mexico, and most are
    immediately escorted back across the border within 24 hours. To prevent
    them from trying to cross again, the Federal government is using
    interior repatriation whereby Mexican illegal entrants are returned to
    their hometowns, making it more difficult for them to attempt another
    crossing. This approach is showing great promise. In a West Arizona
    desert pilot program, nearly 35,000 illegal immigrants were returned to
    Mexico through interior repatriation, and only about 8 percent turned
    up trying to cross the border in that sector again. The Administration
    is working to expand interior repatriation to ensure that when those
    who violate the country's immigration laws are sent home, they stay
    home.

      þ The Administration Is Ending The Practice Of "Catch And Release."
        Because detention facilities lack bed space, most non-Mexican
        illegal immigrants apprehended are released and directed to return
        for a court appearance. However, 75 percent fail to show. Last
        year, only 30,000 of the 160,000 non-Mexicans caught coming across
        our Southwest border were sent home. Addressing this problem, the
        President has signed legislation increasing the number of beds in
        detention facilities by more than 10 percent over the next year.
        The Federal government is also using "expedited removal" to detain,
        place into streamlined judicial proceedings, and deport non-Mexican
        illegal immigrants in an average of 32 days almost three times
        faster than the usual procedure. Last year, more than 20,000
        non-Mexicans caught crossing the border between Laredo and Tucson
        were deported using expedited removal. The use of expedited removal
        is now being expanded across the entire Southwest border. When
        illegal immigrants know they will be caught and sent home, they
        will be less likely to cross illegally in the first place.
      þ The Administration Is Taking Further Steps To Accelerate The
        Removal Process. The U.S. is pressing foreign governments to take
        back their citizens more promptly, while streamlining bureaucracy
        and increasing the number of flights carrying illegal immigrants
        home. Testing these steps, "Operation Texas Hold 'Em" along the Rio
        Grande Valley of the Texas Border recently resulted in Brazilian
        illegal immigration dropping by 90 percent in the Rio Grande Valley
        and by 50 percent across the entire border. These efforts are
        helping change a policy of "catch and release" to a policy of
        "catch and return."

  þ Second, The Administration Will Work With Congress To Reform
    Immigration Laws. The President is seeking to eliminate senseless rules
    that require the government to release illegal immigrants if their home
    countries do not take them back in a set period of time. Among those
    the government has been forced to release are murderers, rapists, child
    molesters, and other violent criminals. The President is also working
    with Congress to address the cycle of endless litigation that clogs
    immigration courts, rewards illegal behavior, and delays justice for
    immigrants with legitimate claims. Lawsuits and red tape must not stand
    in the way of protecting the American people.

  þ Third, The Federal Government Will Act To Stop People From Illegally
    Crossing The Border In The First Place. The Administration is
    increasing manpower, technology, and infrastructure at the Nation's
    borders, and integrating these resources in innovative ways.

      þ Increasing Manpower. Since 2001, 1,900 Border Patrol agents have
        been added, and the President has signed legislation allowing the
        addition of another 1,000 agents in the year ahead. When the hiring
        is completed, the Border Patrol will have been enlarged by about
        3,000 agents from about 9,500 when the President took office to
        about 12,500 next year. This is an increase of more than 30
        percent.
      þ Deploying New Technology. The Administration is giving Border
        Patrol agents the tools to expand their reach and effectiveness
        including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and infrared cameras. In
        Tucson, agents using UAVs to patrol the border have improved their
        interception of illegal immigrants and drugs on the border.
        Legislation signed by the President is providing $139 million to
        further upgrade technology and bring a more unified, systematic
        approach to border enforcement.
      þ Constructing Physical Barriers To Entry. The President has signed
        legislation providing $70 million to install and improve protective
        infrastructure across the border. In rural areas, the government is
        constructing new patrol roads to give agents better access to the
        border and new vehicle barriers to keep illegal immigrants from
        driving across. In urban areas, the government is expanding fencing
        to shut down human smuggling corridors. The Administration recently
        authorized the completion of a 14-mile barrier near San Diego. Once
        held up by litigation, this project is vital to helping border
        agents do their jobs and make those who live near the border more
        secure.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Requires Improved Enforcement Of
Immigration Laws Within The United States. Catching and deporting illegal
immigrants along the border is only part of protecting the American people.
Our immigration laws must be enforced throughout America.
  þ The Federal Government Is Improving Worksite Enforcement. The President
    has signed legislation that more than doubles the resources dedicated
    to worksite enforcement. The government is placing a special focus on
    enforcement at critical infrastructure. This year, Operation Rollback
    the largest worksite enforcement case in American history resulted in
    the arrest of hundreds of illegal immigrants, criminal convictions
    against a dozen employers, and a multi-million dollar payment from one
    of America's largest businesses. Worksite enforcement is critical to
    the success of immigration reform.

      þ To Help Businesses Comply With Immigration Laws, The Government Is
        Addressing Document Fraud. Even the most diligent employers find it
        difficult to spot forged employment documents and verify workers'
        legal status. So the Administration is expanding the Basic Pilot
        program enabling businesses to screen the employment eligibility of
        new hires against Federal records. Since 2001, this program has
        expanded from only six states to now being available nationwide.
        The Administration will work with Congress to continue to improve
        employment verification.

  þ The President Has Committed The Resources Necessary To Enforce
    Immigration Laws. Since 2001, the Administration has increased funding
    for interior enforcement by 44 percent; increased the number of
    immigration and customs investigators by 14 percent; and new funding
    will allow for an additional 400 immigration enforcement agents and 250
    criminal investigators. These skilled officers are getting results. In
    Arizona alone, 2,300 people have been prosecuted for smuggling drugs,
    guns, and illegal immigrants across the border. Operation Community
    Shield has resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,400 illegal immigrant
    gang members including hundreds of members of violent gangs like
    "MS-13." Since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security
    (DHS), agents have apprehended nearly 27,000 illegal immigrant
    fugitives.

As Part Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, The President Has Proposed The
Creation Of A New Temporary Worker Program. To match foreign workers with
American employers for jobs that no American is willing to take, temporary
workers will be able to register for legal status for a fixed time period
and then be required to return home. This plan meets the needs of a growing
economy, allows honest workers to provide for their families while
respecting the law, and relieves pressure on the border. By reducing the
flow of illegal immigrants, law enforcement can focus on those who mean
this country harm. To improve worksite enforcement, the plan creates
tamper-proof I.D. cards for every legal temporary worker.
  þ A Temporary Worker Program Would Not Provide Amnesty. The program does
    not create an automatic path to citizenship or provide amnesty. The
    President opposes amnesty because rewarding those who break the law
    would encourage more illegal entrants and increase pressure on the
    border. A Temporary Worker Program, by contrast, would promote legal
    immigration and decrease pressure on the border. The President supports
    increasing the annual number of green cards, but for the sake of
    justice and security, the President will not sign an immigration bill
    that includes amnesty.

By Reforming Immigration Laws, The United States Will Preserve The Promise
Of America. Immigrants play a vital role in strengthening American
democracy. This is a land in which foreigners who respect the laws are
welcomed as contributors to American culture not feared as threats. The
United States has been strengthened by generations of immigrants who became
Americans through patience, hard work, and assimilation. Like generations
of immigrants that have come before them, every new citizen has an
obligation to learn this Nation's customs and values. At the same time,
America will fulfill its obligation to give each citizen a chance to
realize the American dream. By enforcing immigration laws, the Federal
government is protecting the promise of a tolerant, welcoming America and
preserving opportunity for all.

# # #
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051128-3.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)