Congressman Lamar Smith 21st district of Texas

Washington, Jun 12, 2007 - Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) asserted the Administration’s failure to enforce current immigration laws has contributed to America’s illegal immigration problem.

“There is a huge gap between the Administration’s words and its actions when it comes to reducing illegal immigration,” Smith stated. “The Administration mostly ignores worksite enforcement laws, has failed to fully implement the U.S.-Visit system, and releases most illegal immigrants on the border without prosecution.”

“Enforcing current laws would go a long way toward reducing illegal immigration,” Smith commented.

Smith noted that the Administration has largely ignored laws enacted in 1986 that impose fines on businesses who employ illegal workers. In 2004, the Administration issued no violations to employers for hiring illegal immigrants. In 2005, they issued only 10.

“When employers know they won’t be punished for hiring illegal workers, they have no incentive to stop employing illegal immigrants,” Smith explained. “As long as people can easily find jobs, they will continue to come to the U.S. illegally. This is a huge magnet.”
“The Administration has also failed to implement the ‘exit’ portion of the U.S.-VISIT entry-exit system,” continued Smith. “This means there is no way to tell whether people who entered on short-term visas returned home. These people account for nearly 40 percent of all illegal immigrants and we don’t know who or where they are.”

Smith also noted that the Administration continues to release illegal immigrants at the border, returning them without prosecution. Ninety-eight percent of illegal immigrants arrested along the U.S.-Mexico border between 2000 and 2005 were simply released across the border without prosecution.

“This encourages illegal immigrants to keep trying to enter illegally, and creates a revolving door of illegal immigration,” stated Smith.

Smith concluded, “If the system is ‘broken,’ the Administration should fix it by enforcing current laws, not promoting an amnesty program that will only make the problem worse.”