Immigration Reform

IMMIGRATION REFORM -- (Senate - September 29, 2006)

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Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Senator from Colorado. I thank him for his leadership on comprehensive immigration reform which includes real border enforcement, workplace enforcement, dealing with the needs in our country for immigration--legitimate legal immigration--and also dealing with those who are here who should be given a chance to earn their way toward legal status.

I also agree with my colleague from Colorado about this notion of a 700-mile fence. No matter where I go in the State of Illinois, I ask people, Do you see the weakness in the logic and the weakness in the argument of a 700-mile fence on a 2,000-mile border? It is obvious. It is pretty clear to me that this political bidding war on a border fence has more to do with the security of those who are up for reelection in just a few weeks than the security of America.

You do not have to be a law enforcement expert or an engineering expert to know that this fence, as it has been defined in this bill, is so expensive--$6 billion--and that we are now passing a homeland security bill that has $1.2 billion, not nearly enough to even start and build half of this fence.

So the realistic thing to do, as the Senator from Colorado and I have tried to do, is to work for sensible fences, sensible barriers, the best technology, the best security personnel, work for those processes and technologies that will truly make sure the illegal immigrants stop coming across our border.

I thank the Senator from Colorado for his leadership.

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