Congressman Calvert Applauds the Actions of the Border Patrol and Increases Funding for Immigration Enforcement

Congressman Calvert Applauds the Actions of the Border Patrol and Increases Funding for Immigration Enforcement
July 16, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC - This week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began a multi-agency operation to crack down on criminals who smuggle illegal aliens at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-44) applauds the work of the southern California Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce our immigration laws.

"DHS and ICE is to be commended for going after these smugglers," said Rep. Calvert. "These operations will help deter illegal immigration in the future. The Border Patrol should continue cracking down on smugglers and illegal immigrants through internal enforcement.

"However, enforcement of current laws already on the books is only one part of a larger problem. The Border Patrol and Congress must do a better job to stem the tide of illegal immigrants coming to America."

Congress has created a program to help employers discern which employees are legal to work and which are not. Called the Basic Pilot program, employers are able to utilize the system, which automatically checks whether new employees are eligible to work in the U.S. The Basic Pilot is available in California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, and Texas and it will be available to employers in all states in October 2004.

"If Congress is serious about stopping illegal immigration, we must remove the biggest incentive for illegal immigration, namely jobs," stated Rep. Calvert. "The Basic Pilot program has been successful on a small scale and I hope it will continue its success as it expands to all states and more employers."

Additionally, Congress passed H.R. 4481, yesterday, which authorizes funding for U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006. CBP is authorized to receive $6.203 billion for FY05 and $6.466 billion FY06; ICE is authorized to receive $4.011 billion for FY05 and $4.336 for FY06.

"This funding will go a long way to giving the Border Patrol the resources it needs to continue its job and increase internal enforcement efforts," said Rep. Calvert. "I urge the Department of Homeland Security, especially Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson, to use their resources to stop illegal immigrants at the border and arrest and deport illegal immigrants who slip through our first line of defense."