Kent Conrad: “I am voting for the immigration reform bill today because it is urgent that we act to secure our borders. And we must…”

“I am voting for the immigration reform bill today because it is urgent that we act to secure our borders. And we must find a way to deal with the 11 or 12 million illegal immigrants already living in the United States. As imperfect as this bill is, it is at least a beginning on strengthening our borders and dealing with those who are here illegally. Currently, we have 500,000 new illegal immigrants entering our country every year. That is an unacceptable security risk. If we cannot control our border, we cannot control our future. This bill dramatically strengthens border security. It provides for triple-layered fencing, adds thousands of additional Border Patrol agents, and cracks down on employers who hire illegal aliens. The bill also begins to deal with the 11 to 12 million illegal immigrants who are currently in this country. The bill provides a path to earned legalization for those who pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English, and fulfill other requirements. We need some process like this; the alternative of deporting 11 million people who do not want to leave is simply unrealistic. Finally, the Congressional Budget Office has concluded that this bill will have a positive effect in reducing the deficit. However, there are serious flaws in this bill. I think that asking the millions of illegal aliens who have been in this country fewer than 5 years to return home before getting on a path to citizenship is unworkable.…”