Democrat Shuler Attempts To SAVE "Broken" Immigration System

By Mariko Lamb - Talk Radio News Service

Representative Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) reintroduced the SAVE Act, a bipartisan immigration bill that would increase border security, provide law enforcement with the tools to better ensure that immigration policy is followed, increase the number of immigration judges and utilize E-Verify, a system designed to ensure employee eligibility.

Shuler said that although multiple parts of the U.S. immigration system are broken, “this is the initial step to make sure that this broken system is fixed.”

“With high unemployment, half a million people losing their jobs every day, we have to ensure that Americans and legal immigrants get those jobs, not those who are breaking the law,” he said.

Senator David Vitter (R-La.), one of the 74 bipartisan co-sponsors of the bill, said that the SAVE Act is a “common sense immigration approach” that “is supported by a broad consensus of the American people.”

“The American people get it. They know that illegal immigration is a serious problem, and they know that the way to fix it is enforcement at the borders, enforcement at the workplace, and not having an amnesty program,” Vitter said.

Blurry line between immigration and security

Among differing views concerning the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, the House Subcommittee on Border Maritime and Global Counterterrorism met to analyze the current state of security found at the United States’s borders and ports of entry. Multiple witnesses expressed support for Rep. Heath Shuler’s (D-N.C.) Secure America with Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE Act,) an act that would increase the number of border patrol agents, enlarge specialized enforcement programs, and mandate the Employment Verification Program (E-Verify) among employers.

Members of Congress representing border regions spoke on the security challenges that must be met along the border and at ports of entry. They described border patrols in their districts as underfunded and understaffed while emphasizing the need for a more efficient force to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking and a program to attract and retain border patrol agents. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) added that agents "only need a basic Chevrolet" along the border, a reference to the inappropriate allocation of funds. Witnesses also promoted E-Verify as a way to deter continued illegal immigration.

The fine line between border security and illegal immigration was highlighted by disagreements pertaining to the jurisdiction of the subcommittee. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) withdrew a question regarding amnesty for illegal immigrants after Chairwoman Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) reminded him that the subcommittee’s focus was security. Ranking member Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) said that a comprehensive solution necessitates discussion on a wide range of topics. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, stated that many of the topics in question are under discussion within the Judiciary Committee and that it is careful not to infringe on the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee.