September 28, 2005

Proposes Zero Tolerance for Illegal Immigration

WASHINGTON- U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth today introduced sweeping legislation containing core conservative principles that should guide the national effort to confront illegal immigration.

The Hayworth bill, a 115-page document incorporating new proposals authored by the Arizona Republican and a host of anti-illegal immigration measures offered by House conservatives, takes an enforcement first approach and rejects guest worker plans.

Hayworth said he hopes the Enforcement First legislation "will serve as a rallying point for the overwhelming majority of Americans that are dedicated to creating an effective, commonsense approach to immigration. If we leave this issue to the powerful self-interest groups in Washington, the opportunity to heal and strengthen our broken immigration system will be lost for generations and perhaps forever," Hayworth said.

During a Capitol Hill news conference on Thursday to announce the introduction of the "Enforcement First Immigration Reform Act," Hayworth said America's borders are being overrun by illegal aliens "and the blame for this failure rests squarely with the federal government."

He cited a broad range of failures and refusals by the federal government to enforce current laws and said this has sent the wrong message. "We must send a different message: zero tolerance of illegal immigration," Hayworth said.

"This is more than a legislative proposal; it is a national call for action. Our goal is to inspire the American people to rise up and demand that Congress enact an immigration policy that strengthens our borders, makes our nation more secure, and honors our abiding commitment to the rule of law."
The bill pointedly excludes any of the guest worker plans that are the centerpiece of proposals offered by the White House and members of the House and Senate. "Those types of experiments have been tried numerous times in the past and there is a reason we have no temporary worker program now; they don't work. The results have always been more illegals crossing our borders and lower wages for American workers. We are determined to be a part of the solution to illegal immigration rather than adding to the problem."

His legislation calls for a coordinated effort by the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to detect illegal workers and penalize their employers.

Employer fines would be increased from $10,000 to $50,000 for each illegal alien hired. Jail terms would be increased from six months to a maximum five years. For submitting false W-2 data, employer fines would be increased from $50 to $500 per infraction, up to a maximum cap of $2.5 million. The bill also requires the IRS and SSA to report the names of top violators to Congress each year.

The bill authorizes the addition of 10,000 Department of Homeland Security personnel whose sole responsibility will be to enforce employer compliance and prosecute those who hire illegal aliens.

Hayworth said this approach "will encourage those who are here illegally to leave and discourage other illegals from coming across our borders."

At the same time, the Hayworth bill proposes a 120,000 increase in employment-based visas granted each year. Certain non-employment visas currently granted in other categories would be reduced to maintain the overall annual number of legal immigrants at its present level.

Also, the bill endorses a plan to require aliens seeking temporary visas to obtain a bond that would be forfeited if they violate terms of their permit. Further, the practice of granting citizenship to any child born in the United States is ended unless at least one parent is in the U.S. legally.

To strengthen the nation's porous borders, the bill authorizes U.S. military forces to aid the effort to strengthen the nation's porous borders, as well as 10,000 new Border Patrol agents and 1,250 officers at ports of entry. In addition, it authorizes $2.5 billion to equip border officials with force-multiplying surveillance and detection technology.

Also, the bill proposes to mobilize the nation's 700,000 state and local law enforcement officers, who in the course of their normal duties would help federal authorities apprehend and deport some 400,000 criminal aliens, 80,000 of which have been convicted of serious felonies.