Immigration

First and foremost, our borders must be secured. Every sovereign country has an obligation to defend its borders and enforce its laws. America can not and will not be an exception.

I promise you that I am fighting illegal immigration to secure our communities. This is about homeland security and economic security for our children and grandchildren. Immigration reform will protect our schools, our taxes, our emergency rooms, and our communities.

When it comes to the issue of illegal immigration, we must be wary of making impulsive decisions and stick to three general principles:

1.NO AMNESTY

2.SECURE OUR BORDERS -- which includes the border fence

3.ENFORCE OUR CURRENT LAWS

Our current system is broken and makes a mockery of the rule of law in which I strongly believe. As a nation, we must move forward to address the status of over 12 million illegal aliens currently in our country. Instead of pursuing an ill-fated amnesty bill, we must work in the House and the Senate to pass a bill that secures our borders, enforces our current laws and meets our country's economic needs - without amnesty.

THE BIPARTISAN SAVE ACT

Recently, I'm pleased to let you know there was an outbreak of bipartisanship on the Hill. I joined Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) early last year to introduce the SAVE Act. This bipartisan bill to secure America's borders and provide employers with the tools they need to verify work eligibility has over 100 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle.

I firmly believe that there is real work for Congress to get done and the American people rightfully expect us to do just that. Fortunately, there was an outbreak of bipartisanship on the Hill today. Democrats and Republicans set aside partisan politics and came together to address illegal immigration -- a national security issue that impacts hardworking American families.

Our emergency rooms are still overcrowded and crime is still on the rise in American communities. Clearly, illegal immigration continues to plague our nation and it is high time Congress put a fix to it.

Now, we have a bipartisan bill that secures America's borders, strengthens employer verification, and hopefully restores the American people's trust in their leaders. I want to thank Rep. Shuler for his leadership on this critical issue and hope that Speaker Pelosi will listen to the will of the people and quickly move this bill to the House floor for a vote.

The SAVE Act offers a three-point plan to stop illegal immigration:

Title I Secure America's Borders
Title II Make Work Authorization Verification Mandatory
Title III Reduce Illegal Immigration Through Interior Enforcement

The immigration debate should center around four principles: prevention, protection, accountability, and compassion.

Real immigration reform must start with prevention.

BORDER PATROL AGENTS INFO -- PARDON RAMOS and COMPEAN

TOP TEN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION COUNTDOWN

HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEND STRONG ANTI-AMNESTY MESSAGE

GOP EFFORT TO BLOCK BENEFITS FROM ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS ERASED

February 2008 -- Feeney Applauds Committee Passage of Border Security Bill
Urges Pelosi to Bring this Bill and also Shuler's Bill to the Floor - Now!

(Washington, D.C.) - Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) today released the following statement after the Committee on Science and Technology unanimously approved H.R. 3916, legislation to support the development of technologies to assist our border patrol agents. The bill focuses on four key long-term technologies that could substantially improve the security of our nation’s borders: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), tunnel detection, anti-counterfeit technology, and biometric technologies:

"The American people are rightfully sick and tired of their leaders ignoring their pleas to secure America's borders. It's time that President Bush and San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi listen to the demands of the people.

"I'm pleased with today's committee passage of a border security bill to equip our border patrol agents with the tools, technology and coordination they need to protect America's national interests and our ports of entry. This is a small, but positive step forward.

"This week, I once again called on Nancy Pelosi to stop blocking Rep. Shuler's widely supported bipartisan bill to finally address illegal immigration. I certainly hope the cheap talk soon ends and these important immigration bills quickly move to consideration," said Feeney.

H.R. 3916 also includes provisions to extend a scientific advisory board that expires in 2008, requests input from the National Academy of Sciences on long-term research trends in this area, and requires technical projects at DHS to include clear cost and operational requirements. These provisions will help local, State, and National agents control our borders. This bill will also ensure that we carefully plan and coordinate border technologies so that we protect the American taxpayer. This legislation requests no new funds, and would be carried out with the resources currently available to the Science and Technology Directorate at DHS.

March 14, 2008 SAVE Act Update:

Feeney Signs Discharge Petition to Force a Long-Awaited and Necessary Immigration Vote

Tom Feeney signed a discharge petition to finally address the problem of illegal immigration. The discharge petition to force a vote on the SAVE Act needs 218 Members to sign the petition in order to force House Democrat leaders to hold a vote on this bill.

"Floridians and Americans across this nation are rightfully fed up with the illegal immigration problem that continues to create significant homeland security problems and economic challenges for our country. Even more frustrating is the lack of trust the American people have in their leaders to actually do something about this problem that they have been shouting about from the mountaintops.

"I urge members from both sides of the aisle to listen to your constituents and sign the petition to stop San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi from obstructing this bipartisan solution to illegal immigration," said Feeney.

In Case You Missed It: GOP aims to force immigration debate

Washington Times

By Stephen Dinan
March 11, 2008
"Rank-and-file Republicans for months have begged their leadership to take the step. 'I'm committed to doing what it takes to secure the borders. I think the only way to get the leadership's attention is to force the petition,' said Rep. Tom Feeney, Florida Republican. Rep. Brian P. Bilbray, California Republican, called the Shuler bill the best bipartisan option and a 'chance to get something done this year" on immigration.' "