Immigration Program for the 21st Century

IMMIGRATION PROGRAM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I rise today to say a few words about our Nation's immigration policy.

The United States has been built on the labor, industry, and initiative of immigrants. The immigrant character that undergirds our country and enriches our society is expressed through our art, music, and culture—the fulfillment of one of America's greatest gifts to the world: the promise of thriving multi-ethnic democracy. In every war America has fought, from the Revolutionary War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, brave immigrants have fought alongside American-born citizens, with distinction and with courage.

And throughout history, those who have longed for the blessings of liberty have looked to America as a beacon of hope, freedom, and the opportunity of a better life.

The American Dream itself is rooted in the immigrant spirit. What sets this country apart is our conviction that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not just American rights, but the gift of a benevolent Creator to all humanity. And so America has always welcomed immigrants from every shore, saying: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Yet for too long, we have failed to address the flaws in our nation's current immigration policy. This issue is even more urgent in a post 9/11 world. Special interest groups dominate the discourse, employing the potent but morally repugnant rhetoric of fear.

We must acknowledge that we have done far too little to reform a system that cries out for change. The fruit of our current immigration policy is death, danger, and denial.

For immigrants willing to risk their lives for the opportunity to live here in America, exploitation at the hands of human smugglers can mean a slow and painful death.

According to some estimates, there at as many as ten million individuals who are in this country illegally; our homeland security demands an accounting of the identities of these individuals, their reason for being here, and whether they pose a danger to our citizens. And we can no longer afford to deny both the sheer number of undocumented immigrants in our country and the extent of our economy's dependence on the labor they provide.

Our relationship with Mexico, an important ally and trading partner, is a prime example of the ramifications of the tired old status quo. The stated desire of our Mexican friends for general amnesty for the millions of undocumented immigrants here in America is an untenable position in support of an unrealistic policy.

Instead, the guest worker program I propose acknowledges the vital role hard-working immigrants play in our economy and creates a comprehensive program, which will serve as an important step toward reestablishing respect for our laws and restoring dignity to immigrants who work here. It will enhance America's homeland security, facilitate enforcement of our immigration and labor laws, and protect millions who labor today outside the law. This program will benefit all participating nations and their citizens who wish to work in the United States and contribute to our Nation's prosperity.

Our immigration policy must adapt to modern realities. An effective guest worker program will acknowledge that millions of undocumented men and women go to work every day in America in violation of our immigration law, outside the protection of our labor law, and without any way of our Government knowing who, or where they are.

My proposal will encourage undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows, to work within the law, and then to return to their homes and families with the pay and skills they acquire as guest workers in the United States. It will help guest workers receive the health care they need, without overburdening already strained health care providers.

It will protect immigrants from exploitation and from violence. And guest workers will no longer fear the authorities, but rather will come to see the law as an ally, not an enemy.

I have always believed that, as Americans, our patriotism isn't just expressed by flying the flag. It's about more than that. Patriotism means we all share in an ideal that is larger than ourselves. In all of our differences, there are some things we all have in common. In all our diversity, each of us still has a bond with all humanity.

We must bring our broken immigration system into the 21st century. We must move transient workers out of the shadows. We must ensure the security of our borders.

We must act for the sake of the rule of law, for the sake our homeland security, for the sake of immigrants who endure exploitation and even death for a chance to share in the blessings of American liberty—in hope, freedom, and the opportunity of a better life.

Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.