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Mike Huckabee: The Secure America Plan
A 9-Point Strategy for Immigration Enforcement and Border Security
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Overview: Implement a broad-based strategy that commits the resources of the federal government to the enforcement of our immigration laws and results in the attrition of the illegal immigrant population.

1. Build the Fence
Ensure that an interlocking surveillance camera system is installed along the border by July 1, 2010.
Ensure that the border fence construction is completed by July 1, 2010.

2. Increase Border Patrol
Increase the number of border patrol agents.
Fully support all law enforcement personnel tasked with enforcing immigration law.

3. Prevent Amnesty
Policies that promote or tolerate amnesty will be rejected.
Propose to provide all illegal immigrants a 120-day window to register with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and leave the country. Those who register and return to their home country will face no penalty if they later apply to immigrate or visit; those who do not return home will be, when caught, barred from future reentry for a period of 10 years.
This is not a “touchback” provision. Those who leave this country and apply to return from their home country would go to the back of the line.

4. Enforce the Law on Employers
Employment is the chief draw for most illegal immigrants and denying them jobs is the centerpiece of an attrition strategy.
Impose steep fines and penalties on employers that violate the law.
Institute a universal, mandatory citizenship verification system as part of the normal hiring process.
Prevent the IRS and the Social Security Administration from accepting fraudulent Social Security numbers or numbers that don’t match the employees’ names.*

5. Establish an Economic Border
Move toward passage of the FairTax.
The FairTax provides an extra layer of security by creating an economic disincentive to immigrate to the U.S. illegally.

6. Empower Local Authorities
Promote better cooperation on enforcement by supporting legislative measures such as the CLEAR Act, which aims to systematize the relationship between local law and federal immigration officials.
Encourage immigration-law training for police. Local authorities must be provided the tools, training, and funding they need so local police can turn illegal immigrants over to the federal authorities.

7. Ensure Document Security
End exemptions for Mexicans and Canadians to the US-VISIT program, which tracks the arrival and departure of foreign visitors. Since these countries account for the vast majority of foreigners coming here (85 percent), such a policy clearly violates Congress’ intent in mandating this check-in/check-out system.
Reject Mexico’s “matricula consular” card, which functions as an illegal-immigrant identification card.

8. Discourage Dual Citizenship
Inform foreign governments when their former citizens become naturalized U.S. citizens.
Impose civil and/or criminal penalties on American citizens who illegitimately use their dual status (e.g., using a foreign passport, voting in elections in both a foreign country and the U.S.).

9. Modernize the Process of Legal Immigration
Eliminate the visa lottery system and the admission category for adult brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.
Increase visas for highly-skilled and highly-educated applicants.
Expedite processing for those who serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Improve our immigration process so that those patiently and responsibly seeking to come here legally will not have to wait decades to share in the American dream. Governor Huckabee has always been grateful to live in a country that people are trying to break into, rather than break out of.

*This policy will be drafted to comply with the final federal court decisions on this issue.

Jeff Sessions’ Fifteen Steps Toward a Lawful Immigration System
Endorsed and committed to by Mike Huckabee

Secure The Border

1. Border Fence and National Guard: Secure the border, including completing construction of the 700 mile southern border fence required by the Secure Fence Act, construct more miles if needed, and keep the National Guard on the border until it is secured.

2. Border Prosecutions: Deter illegal entry by expanding the already successful Zero Tolerance Prosecution Policy (Operation Streamline) from 3 to all 20 border sectors, and support statutory mandatory minimums for the crimes of illegal entry, reentry, and reentry after deportation for any felony

3. Control Visa Overstays: Give our immigration system integrity by completing the 10-year past due exit portion of The USVISIT (Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) system and eliminate other weaknesses in the system so that future visa overstays can be identified

End The Magnet At The Workplace

4. Enforceable Employer Verification System: End the jobs magnet by requiring all employers to use the electronic verification system to check the legal status of all employees, reduce fraud by decreasing the number of documents employers must accept to prove legal status, and offer cooperating employers a safe harbor

5. Biometric ID Card For All Non-Citizens: Require a biometric (fingerprint encoded) identification card for all aliens authorized to work

6. Eliminate Identity Theft: Increase security for legal workers by requiring social security earnings statements to list all employers reporting wages under an individual’s social security number so that fraudulent use of that number can be spotted and continue using “no match notices” as evidence that employers knew they were employing an illegal alien under a social security number issued to someone else

State and Local Law Enforcement

7. Form Effective Partnerships: Form effective immigration enforcement partnerships with state and local law enforcement by clarifying their authority to enforce federal immigration laws, deputize state and local officers in every state (through the 287(g) program), offer a basic training course for all state and local officers, and compensate state and local entities for immigration enforcement related expenses

8. Federal Response To State And Local Arrests: Promptly evaluate the 27% of prisoners that are non-citizens so that illegal alien criminals can be processed and deported at the end of their sentences, and implement a mandatory federal response to state and local law enforcement when they apprehend an illegal alien for a DUI, child abuse crime, or any felony

9. End Catch and Release: Put an end to the existing policy that allows illegal aliens caught inside our country to be released on bail after their arrest while they await their initial court appearance

10. List Illegal Aliens In the NCIC: Immediately expand the National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) Immigration Violators File to include: (A) aliens against whom a final order of removal has been issued; (B) aliens who have signed a voluntary departure agreement; (C) aliens who have overstayed their authorized period of stay; and (D) aliens whose visas have been revoked

Discourage Sanctuaries

11. Deny Federal Funds: Encourage compliance with Federal law by implementing a reduction of at least 10% of discretionary federal grants and highway funds to cities, states, universities, and other entities that undermine Federal law by implementing sanctuary policies, issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, or offering education benefits to illegal aliens (such as in-state tuition) that are not available to all legal residents and citizens

12. Close Financial Loopholes: Rewrite the Treasury regulations to close the loophole that allows illegal aliens to open U.S. based bank accounts

Improve The Legal Immigration Process

13. Replace Visa Lottery and Chain Migration with Merit Based Immigration System: Eliminate the visa lottery program and change current preference categories that guarantee automatic entry for aging parents and extended family members and replace it with a system that fairly and objectively evaluates at least 50% of applicants based on characteristics such as education, skills, English ability, and age?

14. Pathway to Citizenship: Take a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens off the table

15. Seek Necessary Authority: Ask Congress for necessary laws or funds to execute these commitments

http://www.jeffsessions.com/issues/spotlight/15steps/