Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee
Immigration Reform Bill
Amendment 1195, Border Security First
Mr. President, I call up amendment number 1195.
This amendment is the first of many that will improve the bill and do what the American people expect us to do. The American people are being asked to accept a legalization program, and in exchange for that compassionate approach, they’d be assured that the laws were going to be enforced.
But, as we read the details of the bill, it’s clear that the approach taken is legalize first, enforce later. My amendment would fundamentally change that.
The amendment that is now pending would require the Secretary to certify to Congress that the Secretary has maintained effective control over the entire Southern border for six months before processing applications for Registered Provisional Immigrant status.
It’s a common sense approach. Border security first. Legalize second.
To summarize, the bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, within 6 months that a bill is signed into law, to submit a “Comprehensive Southern Border Security Strategy” as well as a “Southern Border Fencing Strategy.” After those so-called plans are submitted to Congress, the Secretary can start processing applications to legalize the 12 million people that are in the United States. The result is that those who are undocumented would become legal after a mere plan is submitted.
There are two major flaws with this.
First, why do we need legislation to have the Secretary to submit a border security strategy? Isn’t that her responsibility? Do we really need to pass a law to tell her to do her job? We shouldn’t have to.
Second, the bill would start legalization even if the Secretary’s strategies are flawed and inadequate. What if this Secretary isn’t committed to fencing? What if this Secretary believes the border is more secure than ever? Well, in fact Secretary Napolitano told the committee she thought our borders were secure. That should concern us all.
RPI status is more than probation. RPI status is legalization. Once a person gets RPI, they get the freedom to live in the United States. They can travel, work, and benefit from everything our country offers. RPI status is de-facto permanent legalization. We all know it will never be taken away. Given the history of these types of programs, we know it will never end.
My amendment improves the trigger and fulfills the wish of the American people. My amendment ensures that the border is secured before one person gets legal status under this Act.
If we pass the bill as is, there will be no pressure on this administration or a future administration to secure the border. There will be no push by the legalization advocates to get that job done. We need to work together to secure the border first.
We need to secure the border for several reasons:
1) So we’re not back in this same position 20 years from now.
2) To protect our sovereignty.
3) To protect the homeland and improve national security.
There are a variety of threats to our border. There are potential terrorists and transnational criminals. Foreign nationals use the porous border to import threatening goods such as weapons of mass destruction, illegal drugs, contraband, counterfeit products, and other products meant to do Americans harm.
Under my amendment, the Secretary would have to prove that we have “effective control” – as is defined in the bill – for six months before applications for Registered Provisional Immigrant status are processed.
I agree with at least one of the authors of this bill. If this border security title is not improved, this bill doesn’t stand a chance in making its way to the President.
My amendment is the first step in fixing it.
People don’t trust that the government will get this right, or that this administration is dedicated to securing the border. We don’t need a new bill to do that. We need to prove it to the
American people that we’re sincere and we’ll secure the borders. That’s what’s promised by the authors. I don’t doubt their good intentions, but when you have a plan submitted and that’s the basis for legalization, it seems to me we ought to have proof that the border is secure. So, let’s wait until the border is secure and then legalize.