Patrick Leahy: “this bill accomplishes the important goal of eliminating the existing section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and…”

“this bill accomplishes the important goal of eliminating the existing section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, IIRIRA. I am an original cosponsor of the Senate version of this bill, the Immigration and Naturalization Service Data Management Improvement Act of 2000. Section 110 would mandate that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) establish an automated system to record the entry and exit of all aliens. If implemented, such a provision would have terrible consequences for States all across our Northern Border. Its repeal will help protect America's economy and reinforce our excellent relationship with Canada. To implement and maintain an automated system for monitoring the entry and exit of 'all aliens,' INS and Customs agents would have to stop each vehicle or individual entering or exiting the United States at all ports of entry. Canadians, U.S. permanent residents, and many others who are not currently required to show documentation of their status would likely either have to carry some form of identification or fill out paperwork at the points of entry. This sort of tracking system would be extraordinarily costly to implement along the Northern Border, especially since there is no current system or infrastructure to track the departure of citizens and others leaving the United States. Section 110 would also lead to excessive and costly traffic delays for those living and working near the border.”