Senator Susan Collins Releases Statement on Immigration Reform Legislation

SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS RELEASES STATEMENT ON IMMIGRATION REFORM LEGISLATION

By a vote of 62 to 36, the U.S. Senate has approved an Immigration Reform Bill. Senator Collins voted in support of the legislation and released this statement:

"The need to secure our borders and to address the problem of illegal immigration is one of the most pressing issues facing our country today. Illegal immigration presents a significant security risk and raises issues of fundamental fairness.

"The Immigration Reform bill approved by the Senate is by no means a perfect bill, but it does include important provisions that will help strengthen the security of our borders. Meaningful reform is not complete if our borders continue to be susceptible to frequent illegal crossings.

"The bill would also provide additional tools to help our border officials combat alien smuggling, secure the land borders, enforce internal immigration laws, and provide for a legal temporary worker program.

"In addition, the bill also includes a provision that I worked on with Senator Coleman that would make identification required under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative more accessible and affordable. Many Mainers rely on the ability to quickly and easily cross the border
to access essential services, travel to their jobs, attend church, and visit family and friends. It is critical that we strike a balance between the security of our nation's borders and the free flow of commerce and travel to and from the United States.

"I voted in favor of this legislation because improving border security is a priority, and this bill should proceed to conference where it is my hope that further improvements will be made."

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