New Hartford -- Senator Chuck Grassley made the following statement after the Senate today passed border security legislation for the second time.
"Passage of this border security legislation is a step in the right direction, but unfortunately it doesn't do nearly enough to get to the root of our border problems. It would be irresponsible to believe that sending 1500 National Guard members to the border will take care of the issues when thousands more are needed.
"There remain a number of things that need to be done to secure the border. For instance, the double layer fence in badly needed areas along the Southern border must be completed. In addition, the legislation fails to address the Operation Streamline initiative , a program that charges those individuals who have crossed the border illegally with a petty crime or misdemeanor with jail time, and the exit-entry system so we know who is entering and departing the country.
"It's been made clear that this administration is exploring options to circumvent Congress to legalize large numbers of illegal immigrants. Only time will tell if passage of this legislation means the administration is finally getting serious about controlling our borders instead of rewarding illegality. I look forward to working on finishing our border security needs, and then improving worksite enforcement, pressing for mandatory E-verify, and creating more effective channels for legal immigrants."