CABL Forum - United States of Mexico

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts regarding immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

As you may know, current immigration policy is designed to promote diversity, provide political refuge, and reunite families. Current policy also addresses the need to fill labor shortages in certain fields such as technology and agriculture; the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services issues limited quantities of temporary visas for guest workers every year. According to the Congressional Budget Office, foreign-born workers accounted for more than half the growth of the U.S. labor force in the past decade. Today it is estimated that roughly 12 million undocumented workers reside in the country. As such, any reform to immigration must keep border security and enforcement as a top priority, but also accommodate market demands for foreign labor. Our immigration policy must keep our borders strong, our families together, and our workforce stable.

On January 7, 2004, President Bush formally released his proposal for a new immigration program. This proposal would allow undocumented men and women now employed in the United States to work legally in this country for a three-year period. In addition, President Bush's proposal includes modifying the current immigration laws to provide financial incentives to encourage immigrants to return permanently to their home countries after their period of work in the United States has expired. Finally, President Bush's proposal allows those enrolled in the program the opportunity to apply for a green card.

Congress is also considering its own proposals on immigration reform. As you may know, the Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) reported a broad immigration reform bill, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, on March 27, 2006. Some provisions from this legislation build on the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (S.1033) which would, among other things, allow undocumented immigrants currently in the country to apply for a green card after six years of continued employment. A new three-year guest worker program would be created for low-skilled workers, and a five-year "blue card" program would be created for temporary agricultural workers. Both guest worker programs would give individuals a path to citizenship after a required period, and annual visa caps on existing programs would be raised.

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act would also require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a national strategy for border security and increase the number of border security personnel; under this legislation, an additional 400 border agents will be hired annually for four years beginning in 2007. Another 2,400 agents will be hired in 2011. In addition, the bill includes legislation that I cosponsored, which would make it a crime to construct or finance a tunnel across a border leading into the U.S.

Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) has also introduced the Securing America's Borders Act (S.2454). If enacted, this legislation would classify any illegal presence in the U.S. as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in prison. Like the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be directed to develop a comprehensive border surveillance plan. The number of customs and border protection officers, port entry inspectors, border patrol agents, and investigative personnel would increase, and new border facilities and fencing would be constructed as necessary. Furthermore, the bill would make it unlawful for employers to knowingly hire an individual without complying with identification and document verification requirements.

On April 6, 2006, a bipartisan agreement was announced in an effort to reconcile both pieces of legislation. If enacted, the agreement would classify undocumented immigrants into three groups, allowing some to stay in the country and work towards citizenship. Those who have resided in the country for at least five years would be able to remain in the U.S., as would those who have stayed in the country for less than this period but for more than two years. These individuals would be given three years to obtain a temporary work visa. Undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for less than two years would be required to leave the country and reenter through legal channels. The compromise was blocked on April 7, 2006. A motion to invoke cloture, or end debate on the measure, was defeated 39 to 60.

The Senate will be continuing to examine immigration reform in the following weeks. I will be working with my colleagues to ensure that any immigration reform legislation be comprehensive, making certain that border security remains a priority, addressing the reasons many undocumented immigrants enter the U.S. and improving the current temporary guest worker program. Please be assured that I will also keep your views in mind during this process.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Finally, you may be interested in signing up for my weekly update for Washington state residents. Every Monday, I provide a brief outline about my work in the Senate and issues of importance to Washington state. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

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United States of Mexico