(Washington, DC) – – U.S. Representative Chet Edwards today supported House passage of three immigration and border security bills HR 6094, HR 6095, and HR 4830 to deter illegal immigration and bolster border security. Many of the provisions in the bills passed today were taken from HR 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act which passed the House with Edwards’ support in December of 2005.

“I believe these bills are a positive step in the right direction to protect our borders and to reduce illegal immigration by toughening penalties against smugglers, by making it easier to deport alien gang members and by clarifying the right of local and state law enforcement officials to work with federal officials on a voluntary basis on immigration cases,” said Edwards.

HR 6094, the Community Protection Act, prohibits alien gang members from being admitted into the United States and allows certain gangs to be automatically eligible for deportation. It also allows longer detention of dangerous aliens and ensures the removal of criminal aliens. Its provisions are identical to parts of the House-passed immigration and border security bill, HR 4437.

HR 6095, the Immigration Law Enforcement Act, declares that state and local law enforcement officers have the "inherent authority" to voluntarily apprehend any illegal immigrants and transfer them to federal custody. The current law, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, supported by Edwards in 1996, already says that state and local police can choose to assist in the enforcement of federal criminal immigration laws. Edwards has also voted to end the policy of “catch and release” for illegal aliens under HR 4437 and voted to deport criminal illegal aliens under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

HR 4830, the Border Tunnel Prevention Act, creates new criminal penalties for constructing illegal tunnels under the U.S. border, and doubles penalties, up to 20 years imprisonment, for smuggling illegal immigrants, drugs, weapons of mass destruction, or other illegal items if done through an illegal tunnel. Edwards voted to establish the same criminal penalties for smuggling people under HR 4437 last December, but this bill extends those penalties to the smuggling of drugs, weapons of mass destruction or other illegal items.

Edwards concluded, “I strongly believe that Congress should pass these measures into law this year and not postpone final action until next year. Securing our borders against unlimited illegal immigration and potential terrorists must be a top national priority, and we should work on a bipartisan basis toward that end.”

Edwards is a member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, where he has been active in funding an increase of 1,500 Border Patrol agents and new border technology. In 2005, he led the fight to add $16 million for work at L-3 Communications in Waco to prevent the grounding of the Customs and Border Patrol surveillance fleet of 16 P-3 aircraft.




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