Cornyn, Kyl Introduce Comprehensive Border Security, Immigration Reform Bill

Cornyn, Kyl Introduce Comprehensive Border Security, Immigration Reform Bill

Strengthens border, interior enforcement and comprehensively reforms immigration system

Tuesday, July 19, 2005
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WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Chairman of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security subcommittee, introduced comprehensive border security and immigration reform legislation on Tuesday.

The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005 will, S.1438, dramatically strengthen enforcement, bolster border security, and comprehensively reform our immigration laws. The key components of the bill include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability, and reform that addresses temporary workers and the current illegal population.

"This bill strengthens our border enforcement and comprehensively reforms our immigration system," Sen. Cornyn said. "We need both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws."

Sen. Kyl said: "People rightfully ask: if the current laws at the border and at the workplace are not being enforced, why should we believe new laws will be? Our bill answers that question by putting in place both stringent legal requirements and the assets necessary to ensure that we can control the border and prevent illegal hiring in the United States."

As senators from Texas and Arizona, Cornyn and Kyl represent approximately 85 percent of the nation's southern border. In preparation for the bill, the two Senators have carried out a thorough review of the nation's immigration laws this year, including chairing seven hearings on various aspects of the issue.

"In the past, we have not devoted the funds, the resources, or the manpower to enforce our immigration laws or protect our borders," Cornyn said. "The bill we are introducing is based on the rule of law, and our need to restore enforcement of our laws. We must enact laws capable of strong enforcement, and our laws must be fair, requiring all undocumented individuals to go through the legal process."

"Beyond the notion of returning the rule of law to the border, the single most important aspect of this bill is that it does not reward those who have broken the law, and does not constitute amnesty," Sen. Kyl said. "As a nation, we have made both of those mistakes and learned from them - they are the reason we now have an undocumented population as high as 15 million."

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http://cornyn.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=240872