Text 4675, 113 rader
Skriven 2007-05-29 23:31:18 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0705298) for Tue, 2007 May 29
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Fact Sheet: Securing the Border First
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary May 29, 2007

Fact Sheet: Securing the Border First Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill
Includes Meaningful Border Security And Worksite Enforcement Triggers

ÿÿWhite House News

ÿÿÿÿÿ President Bush Discusses Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Glynco,
Georgia ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Immigration

"_[T]he fundamental question is, will elected officials have the courage
necessary to put a comprehensive immigration plan in place that makes it
more likely we can enforce our border and, at the same time, uphold the
great _ immigrant traditions of the United States of America. _ Those
determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a
narrow slice of it and find something they don't like.ÿ If you want to kill
the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick
one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people.ÿ Or you can
show leadership and solve this problem once and for all..."

- President George W. Bush, 5/29/07

Today, President Bush Discussed The Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill At
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) In Glynco, Georgia.
ÿThe United States depends on Federal agents like those trained at FLETC to
enforce immigration laws at the border and across the country.ÿ By making
enforcement of immigration laws the highest priority and addressing all
elements of comprehensive reform, the bipartisan immigration bill now under
consideration by the Senate will help put an end to illegal immigration and
keep the U.S. economy strong.

Three Key Points On The Bipartisan Immigration Bill's Commitment To Border
Security And Worksite Enforcement
 1. Under The Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill, Temporary Worker And Z
    Visas Will Not Be Issued Until Meaningful Benchmarks For Border
    Security And Worksite Enforcement Are Met.
 2. The Bill Commits The Most Resources To Border Safety And Security In
    U.S. History.
 3. The Bill Recognizes That Enforcement Alone Will Not Work To Secure The
    Borders And Meet The Needs Of The U.S. Economy.ÿThe temporary worker
    program will help immigration enforcement officers control the border
    by creating a lawful and orderly channel for foreign workers to fill
    jobs that Americans are not doing.

Enforcing Immigration Laws Is The Bill's Highest Priority

Under The Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill, Temporary Worker And Z Visas
Will Not Be Issued Until Border Security Benchmarks Are Met.ÿThese triggers
include:
  þ Increasing border fencing.
  þ Increasing vehicle barriers at the Southern border.
  þ Increasing the size of the Border Patrol.
  þ Installing ground-based radar and camera towers along the Southern
    border.
  þ Ensuring resources are available to maintain the effective end of
    "Catch and Release" for every non-Mexican apprehended at the borders.

A Reliable Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS) Must Also Be
Ready To Process New Hires Before Any Temporary Worker Or Z Visas Are
Issued.ÿEmployers will be required to verify the work eligibility of all
employees using the EEVS, and all workers will be required to present
stronger and more readily verifiable identification documents.ÿ Tough new
anti-fraud measures will be implemented to restrict fraud and identity
theft.
  þ The EEVS Will Require Workers To Present A Limited Range Of Secure
    Government-Issued Or Government-Authorized IDs, Which Will Be Checked
    Electronically Against Federal And State Databases.
  þ Employers Who Knowingly Hire Illegal Workers Will Face Stiff New
    Criminal And Civil Penalties.ÿ The maximum civil fine for hiring
    illegal workers will rise from $2,000 to $5,000 for first offenders and
    from $10,000 to $25,000 for three-time offenders.ÿ The maximum criminal
    penalty for a pattern or practice of hiring illegal workers will
    increase 25-fold, from $3,000 per alien to $75,000 per alien.ÿ

The Bill Builds Upon The Administration's Record Of Achievement In Border
Security And Worksite Enforcement

Since The President Took Office In 2001, The Administration Has More Than
Doubled Funding For Border Security From $4.6 Billion In 2001 To $10.4
Billion In 2007.ÿAs a result of this investment and other deterrence
factors, the number of people apprehended for illegally crossing the
southern border is down by nearly 27 percent in 2007 from this point in
2006.

The Administration Is Expanding Manpower And Improving Infrastructure And
Technology At The Border.ÿ
  þ The Administration has expanded the Border Patrol from approximately
    9,000 agents in 2001 to more than 13,000 agents today  and by the end
    of 2008, there will be a total of more than 18,000 agents, doubling the
    size of the Border Patrol since the President took office.
  þ Today, there are in place 78 miles of permanent vehicle barrier and 86
    miles of primary fencing, part of 370 miles of fencing planned by the
    end of 2008.

Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) Has Adopted A Much More
Aggressive Approach Toward Cracking Down On Employers Who Knowingly Hire
Illegal Aliens.ÿArrests for criminal violations brought in worksite
enforcement actions  the most effective means of enforcement and best
measures of ICE's new approach  have increased significantly from 24 in FY
1999 to a record 716 in FY 2006. There have been 588 criminal arrests since
the beginning of FY 2007.

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