Ted Cruz = words + action...
Ted Cruz, June 19, 2013, amendment in response to Gang of Eight legislation...
Cruz 1320: Create border security triggers that can be measured objectively by Congress and provide the resources and capabilities necessary to secure the border
Before any illegal immigrants could be legalized, DHS is required to:
Triple the number of Border Patrol agents on the southern border;
Quadruple the cameras, sensors, drones, helicopters, and other technology and infrastructure as appropriate
Complete all 700 miles of the fencing required by law in the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Pub, L. 109-367)
Develop a policy assuring real-time sharing of information among all federal law enforcement agencies regarding illegal border activity
Complete and fully implement the US-VISIT system, including the biometric entry-exit portion—as Congress has repeatedly mandated – so we will finally know those present in the country after their visa expires
Establish “operational control” over 100 percent of the southern border.
If DHS fails to substantially comply with any of these trigger requirements within 3 years, the salary of all DHS political appointees would be cut by 20 percent and 20 percent of DHS’s budget would be block granted to the states with the full authority to use those funds to secure the border;
This amendment is required to be fully offset. Either the appropriations committee must identify offsets, or it will be paid for by an automatic, across the board cut to non-defense spending – an approach supported in the past by many Republicans and the White House.
Unfortunately, the current Gang of 8 bill will not secure the border. It grants legal status for those here illegally when DHS simply drafts a plan for securing the border. And it then grants green cards to those individuals when DHS certifies, in its opinion, that the plan has been substantially completed based on subjective criteria. The bill does not require operational control of the entire border and does not provide the resources necessary to truly secure the border.
The best, the most effective, and the cheapest way to solve illegals problem would be to pass a law which requires 1 year mandatory prison for each illegal employed, to the CEO of any outfit, profit or non-profit.
If such a law was passed, the wall would become unnecessary. The illegals can not dig a tunnel under the law. And those who overstay their visa (about half of the illegals) come through airports. After the employed illegals have self-deported, we can deal with the underground economy of illegals easier, because only less than 10% illegals will remain in the country.