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Information Courtesy of AILA's THIS WEEK, Issues 35-05 & 35-06.
On September 14, 2006, the House passed the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (H.R. 6061) authorizing the first in a series of border security initiatives House leaders intend to push through before the November elections. H.R. 6061 calls for the construction of 700 miles of 2-layered reinforced fencing, as well as other barriers and surveillance equipment, along specified regions of the U.S.-Mexico border. It also requires DHS to achieve "operational control," defined as prevention of all unlawful entries over land and maritime borders; to conduct a study on security along the northern Canadian border; and to evaluate the authority and ability of Customs and Border Protection personnel to stop fleeing vehicles that enter the U.S. unlawfully.
The Secure Fence Act is widely perceived as an attempt by some House Republicans to appear tough on immigration in the run-up to the elections, and to deflect attention from their unwillingness to strike a compromise with the Senate on immigration reform. Continuing with this trend, the House passed the Community Protection Act of 2006 (H.R. 6094), the Immigration Law Enforcement Act (H.R. 6095), and the Border Tunnel Prevention Act (H.R. 4830) on September 21, 2006. Concerned that these harsh enforcement provisions will not pass the Senate as stand-alone bills, House leaders are working behind the scenes to attach them to the must-pass Homeland Security appropriations bill.
Leaders of the House characterize these three bills as part of their "Border Security Now" agenda, but the actual provisions --which draw directly from Rep. Sensenbrenner's H.R. 4437 -- will do little or nothing to advance border security or address the undocumented immigration crisis. Instead, these provisions establish a dangerous precedent for denying fair treatment and due process to entire categories of individuals already here in the United States. If the Senate allows this to happen, it will be nearly impossible to prevent this enforcement-only legislation from becoming law. The House and Senate conference may convene as early as September 25, 2006 to negotiate DHS appropriations.
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Political Advertisement Paid by "Texans for Sensible Immigration Policy"
P.O. Box 7011 · Houston, Texas 77248-7011 · 713.869.8346 · info@tsiponline.com
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| Copyright © 2006 - Texans for Sensible Immigration Policy |
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