OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005

Date: Dec. 15, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Immigration


BORDER PROTECTION, ANTITERRORISM, AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CONTROL ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - December 15, 2005)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act. I would like to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner and Chairman King for the remarkable job they have done to bring this bill to the floor today.

A mandatory electronic employment verification system must be a key component in any immigration reform bill worthy of the name. We can never gain control of our borders until we turn off the job magnet that encourages people to flout the law. If illegal immigrants know that a job awaits them in the United States provided they can get past the gauntlet of the border, no amount of border security will ever stop them.

Every employee already fills out an I-9 immigration form and presents documents confirming their identify and eligibility to work. Of course, the current system does not work because the documents themselves are easily forged and cannot be checked.

The system proposed today would simply require that the information on the I-9 form be confirmed. It is not discriminatory; it is easy to use and will do more to stem the tide of illegal immigration than any other single provision.

Many people have commented on the mandatory employment verification system, and some comments have missed the point. This system is all about ensuring a legal workforce by preventing document fraud during the hiring process.

I believe that most employers are trying to do the right thing and hire only legal workers. Unfortunately, the current employment verification system does not give the employer enough information to be confident that their workforce is legal. Forged documents easily pass through the system without a problem, which leaves the employer with dubious U.S. citizens and legal immigrants at a competitive disadvantage and encourages the mass illegal immigration America is experiencing today.

Not only would this system strike a blow against document fraud; it would also reduce identity theft, a practice on the rise in the United States. Just like credit card companies can flag unusual purchases to stop identity theft, this program would flag unusual behavior.

This is a good program, and this bill must pass.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov

arrow_upward