Rep. Boozman Votes to put "Much-Needed Muscle" in Immigration Laws

Rep. Boozman votes to put "much-needed muscle" in immigration laws

House passes legislation to strengthen immigration laws and secure our borders

Washington, Dec 16 -

Rep. Boozman late tonight joined a majority of his colleagues to pass a bill aimed at strengthening our immigration laws, securing our borders and closing loopholes that puts our country's security at risk.

The bill, the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act," passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 239-182.

"This bill puts some much need muscle behind our immigration laws," said Boozman. "There are far too many loopholes that can be abused by people seeking to do harm to our nation and it would be irresponsible of us not to fix them."

The loopholes Boozman was referring to include problems in the detainment process and uncertainties in the employment verification process of aliens. The bill passed last night would end the "catch and release" practice by requiring detention for any alien caught trying to enter the U.S. illegally and will combat the hiring of illegal workers by providing all employers with a standardized, reliable method of determining employment eligibility.

"We cannot pretend that we can protect the homeland without securing our borders," said Boozman. "A country that cannot control its borders will not be safe."

Other highlights of the bill include:

* Mandating increases in penalties for aliens reentering illegally after having been removed;

* Ensuring coverage of the entire border by physical barriers and state-of-the-art technology;

* Authorizing additional border inspectors; and

* Increasing penalties for anyone convicted of alien smuggling crimes.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration and Boozman said he hopes they act quickly on this "important national security bill."

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=37897