Right now Congress is engaged in a serious debate on immigration reform. Any efforts on immigration reform must begin with enforcement – both strengthening border security and the interior enforcement of our immigration laws.
The primary reason why our immigration system is broken today is because the present and past administrations have largely ignored or been selective in the enforcement of our immigration laws. If enforcement is not the first step, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of past reform efforts.
Legislation that does not adequately address enforcement will not fix the immigration system. The Senate-passed immigration bill is fundamentally flawed and unworkable. It repeats many of the same mistakes made in the 1986 immigration law, which got us into this mess in the first place. That’s why I am strongly opposed to this massive 1,000 page bill.
As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, I have numerous concerns about the Senate approach. The Senate bill does not adequately address the interior enforcement of our immigration laws and allows the Executive Branch to waive many, if not most, of the bill’s requirements. It will not end the problem of illegal immigration.
And that’s just the start. I’ve compiled a Top 10 list of some of my greatest concerns with the Senate bill. Click here to read more about each of these problems.
Unlike the Senate, the House of Representatives is taking a step-by-step approach to carefully and methodically review each component of immigration reform.
Since the beginning of the year, the House Judiciary Committee has held numerous educational briefings for Members of Congress on our immigration laws and convened nearly a dozen hearings on immigration. The Committee has approved four bills that address various problems within our immigration system, starting with enforcement. In order to prevent future illegal immigration that would undermine our promise to the American people, new enforcement measures must be in place, and operational, before any legal status is earned by those who live in the U.S. unlawfully. Click on the links below for more information about each bill:
These four bills are important to the immigration debate, but there are still many issues left to address. As this process continues, I encourage you to stay in touch with my office and subscribe to my e-newsletter for updates.
By taking a step-by-step approach to immigration reform, the House will help ensure that the end result is a real solution that fixes our broken immigration system for good. I am focused on taking this process through “regular order,” which means allowing for hearings and consideration by the committees of jurisdiction. We must not rush to legislate. Immigration reform isn’t a race; rather, it’s about getting it right.
Bob Goodlatte represents the Sixth District in Congress.
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