Cord Byrd: “today, I oppose the AgJOBS amnesty. I oppose it. I oppose it unequivocally. I oppose it absolutely. The Senate has…”

“today, I oppose the AgJOBS amnesty. I oppose it. I oppose it unequivocally. I oppose it absolutely. The Senate has already heard a great number of euphemisms about the AgJOBS bill, but let's be clear from the start about what we are discussing. AgJOBS is an amnesty for 3 million illegal aliens. It is amnesty for aliens employed unlawfully in the agricultural sector, and it is amnesty for the businesses that hire and exploit them as cheap labor. AgJOBS is legislation that embodies the darkest and most disturbing elements of our immigration system; namely, illegal aliens being smuggled across our borders; unscrupulous employers taking advantage of undocumented workers; uncontrolled migration, black markets, and fraudulent documents used by terrorists to circumvent our border security. The AgJOBS bill tarnishes the magnanimous promise of a better life enshrined on the base of the Statue of Liberty. It cheapens the struggle of those immigrants who arrived on Ellis Island 100 years ago, and all of those who have come to this country and followed the rules to earn citizenship in this great Republic. Amnesties beget more illegal immigration--hurtful, destructive, illegal immigration. Look at the statistics. After President Ronald Reagan signed his amnesty into law in 1986, 2.5 million illegal immigrants flooded into this country.…”