Combatting Illegal Immigration

America is a nation of immigrants, and we are enriched and strengthened as a nation by our diversity. We are also a nation of laws, and illegal immigration cannot be rewarded with either amnesty or our tax dollars. As your voice in Washington, I support legislative initiatives protecting against unlawful entry into our country, preserving American jobs, and strengthening our national security.

That's why I have introduced the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement, or SAVE, Act (H.R. 830). Our primary goal in any immigration plan should be to control and defend our borders. TheSAVE Act increases border security with the addition of 5,000 Border Patrol agents and improves infrastructure with additional fencing and vehicle barriers at the border. It also enhances the number of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents to expedite the process of removing illegal aliens from the U.S.

Additionally, our government must do everything possible to ensure the American workforce consists of legal workers, especially during these tough economic times. So the SAVE Act expands and mandates E-Verify to provide American employers with the tools they need to ensure that their employees are legally permitted to work in the U.S. E-Verify is an effective, inexpensive, and quick way for employers to verify employment authorization. More than 200,000 employers already utilize the highly successful program on a voluntary basis.

I was recently in Memphis and Kahoka to discuss my legislation, and was pleased to hear from so many concerned citizens. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as well.

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