Fischer Opposes Final Immigration Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced this afternoon that she voted against the final immigration reform legislation, S.744, which passed the Senate by a vote of 68-32. Senator Fischer released the following statement:

"I am grateful to the thousands of Nebraskans who made their voices heard through phone calls, letters, and e-mails to me and my offices throughout the past several weeks. Like the majority of Nebraskans, I recognize the current immigration system is broken. Despite my efforts to amend the legislation crafted by a small group of senators, I don't believe the final legislation adopted by the Senate is the right answer, and I could not support it.

"I had a number of concerns with the final bill. I was especially disappointed in the border security provisions, which I highlighted in detail on the Senate floor. The bill ended up being weaker than previous plans offered in 2006 and 2007 -- and weaker than the border security amendment I filed. Without a fully secure border, the United States will repeat the mistakes of the past and there will be no lasting solution."

Specifically, Senator Fischer is concerned that:

The legislation fails to include to a biometric check system at all points of entry or exit
Not only is this weaker than previous proposals in 2006 and 2007, it rolls back a congressional mandate dating back nearly 20 years (found in six different statutes) requiring implementation of a biometric exit system at all land, air, and sea ports.
Forty percent of illegal immigrants are the result of visa overstays; a biometric system would help to track these individuals unlawfully here in the United States.
The bipartisan 9/11 Commission noted in 2004 that, "The Department of Homeland Security […] should complete, as quickly as possible, a biometric entry-exit system."
A National Security Preparedness Group report added: "As important as it is to know when foreign nationals arrive, it is also important to know when they leave. Full deployment of the biometric exit component of US-VISIT should be a high priority. Such a capability would have assisted law enforcement and intelligence officials in August and September 2001 in conducting a search for two of the 9/11 hijackers that were in the U.S. on expired visas."
Since 9/11, at least 36 individuals who overstayed their visas have been convicted of terrorism-related charges.
Determination of operational control is left to the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security.
There is no congressional approval required to determine if the border is fully secure.
It fails to require full operational control of the southern border before initiating the legalization process.
It allocates $46.3 billion in federal funding (with taxpayers directly responsible for $38 billion) without first requiring a strategic plan for the implementation of a border security plan.

It contains a loophole that could allow illegal immigrants who have attained Registered Provisional Immigrant status to be eligible for means-tested taxpayer benefits, such as food stamps and Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office has indicated this will likely cost hardworking taxpayers nearly $260 billion over the next decade.

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