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Lamar Smith
Contact: Christine McCarty 202-225-4236


Smith Introduces Immigration Enforcement Resolution

Washington, Jun 19 -

Judiciary Ranking Member Lamar Smith (TX-21) today introduced a resolution calling for full enforcement of all current immigration laws. Smith’s resolution outlines 12 ways in which a lack of enforcement has led to increased illegal immigration.



“Immigration enforcement has failed primarily because Administrations for 20 years have not enforced sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants,” explained Ranking Member Smith. “Illegal immigration will never be brought under control as long as the easy availability of jobs remains such a strong magnet.”



“My resolution calls on the Administration to enforce employer sanctions systematically, not just sporadically,” Smith said.



During the press conference on his resolution, Smith explained that a lack of adequate resources has been another problem. The Administration has not requested the number of detention beds and immigration investigators and Border Patrol agents that Congress called for in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. And, it has constructed only a few of the miles of fencing called for in the Secure Fence Act. Smith’s resolution calls on the Administration to seek the full complement of immigration enforcement resources called for in the Intelligence Reform Act and to fulfill the fence requirements made in the Secure Fence Act.



Smith also noted that that Administrations have stood by while states and localities have violated federal law by granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrants; they have allowed banks to intentionally grant illegal immigrants bank accounts, which legitimizes their presence; and they have Smith also noted that Administrations have failed to prosecute 98% of the illegal immigrants stopped at the border.



Said Smith, “My resolution calls on the Administration to rewrite its regulations so as not to facilitate illegal immigration and calls on them to engage in more prosecutions to create a credible deterrent to illegal entry.”



Administrations have also failed to implement a mandated exit control system to keep track of visa overstayers and have failed to fully make use of tools that Congress has granted to combat illegal immigration, such as expedited removal for illegal entrants. The resolution calls on the Administration to do so.



“The Administration claims we have a de facto amnesty now, Smith concluded. “That’s true and it’s the result of the Administration’s own lack of determination to enforce the law. We don’t need amnesty to enforce current law, we need to enforce the law to eliminate the need for amnesty.”