Posted on 11/04/2005 3:15:35 PM PST by HHKrepublican_2
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill to build a 3,200 kilometer (2,000 mile) wall along the US border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out. ADVERTISEMENT
The legislation aims to "create a border security fence from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico," said House of Representatives members Duncan Hunter of California and Virgil Goode of Virginia in a statement.
"Prior to September 11, 2001, illegal immigration was considered a regional issue without national implications. We quickly learned on that day, however, that this is a national issue, affecting each and every American, not just those living in border communities like San Diego County," Hunter said.
Their True Enforcement and Border Security Act would also "authorize thousands of new border patrol officers, immigration investigators, attorneys and immigration judges," they said.
Hunter told CNN it was important to identify who crosses the border and who helps them do it, adding that four North Koreans were among those arrested trying to enter the US illegally in the past few months.
About the cost and difficulty of building a wall along the entire border with Mexico, Hunter simply said: "It's a simple construction."
While Hunter assured skeptics that a fence would work in keeping out unwanted immigrants, pointing to a successful 22-kilometer (14-mile) stretch of fence near San Diego, California, other Republican lawmakers were not so sure.
Representative Jeff Flake (news, bio, voting record), of Arizona, was quoted as saying in Friday's issue of The Washington Times that a fence would not work for half of the 400,000 immigrants that enter the United States every year and overstay their legal entry visas.
While the administration of Republican President George W. Bush has vowed to do more to enforce the borders.
It was unclear whether the fence building bill would receive sufficient support to pass in both houses of Congress.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Tuesday announced that 1,000 additional border guards would be recruited to help stem the tide of illegal immigrants.
Two weeks ago, Chertoff said his goal was to deport all illegal aliens caught crossing the border.
The conservative Washington Times newspaper on Friday said Republican lawmakers were also considering a bill ending birthright citizenship, or jus soli, which is a right granted under the US constitution.
"There is a general agreement about the fact that citizenship in this country should not be bestowed on people who are the children of folks who come into this country illegally," said Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado.
A group of Republican lawmakers trying to find consensus on immigration is studying whether the issue of jus soli would require a constitutional amendment or a congressional statute.
A constitutional amendment would require approval by three fourths of the 50 US states, a very difficult undertaking. The last amendment, the 27th, establishing congressional pay increases was passed in 1992.
That's fine...get them on record as having voted against this...and when there is a terrorist attack that can be traced to having come across the southern boarder we can hold them personally responsible.
Hunter could never find common ground with a president who wants to give away the farm to lawbreakers.
It's not just lawmakers.
I'll bring the bricks. Who's going to bring the mortar?
Split the fine with citizens that turn in offenders and the problem would be solved overnight.
The lawns and houses in my town would be pretty dirty!
oh man, you got that right.
Really? I never knew that...interesting...is it on the basis that People would be paid more to do more jobs, which would throw more $$ into the economy?
STUPID MONGOWRIANS KNOCK DOWN MY CHITTY WARL!
They were discussing this last night on the news.
Seems the plan is to build THREE walls. The First
easily crossed but with a wide avenue before
arriving at the SECOND wall of solid concrete,
14 feet high. Then the THIRD wall is comprised
of concrete with barbed wire at the top. They
were making bets about how desperate an illegal
would have to be to successfully scale all three walls.
I have a solution: ELECTRIFY the wired wall with
Jurasaic Park voltage!
So do you disagree that there is a cost to Illegals?
Build the fence. Build it right.
Ask Isreal how to do it.
Let the economy adjust; it's just not worth it.
Did I mention health care?
Build the wall - enforce the law
No, they would not.
Considering that there are no known incidents of terrorists entering the country from the Mexican border -- they have come from the north -- I think this is more about keeping out the dirty Mexicans.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895260069/103-6782464-0127007
I can't view the Minute Men projects as anything more than xenophobia until I see them out patrolling that long stretch of Canadian border.
Tell me all about the 8 million illegal Canadians sucking our welfare dry, clogging our jails and driving down wages.
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