Posted by
Randy
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December 03, 2014
Tomorrow, the House is expected to vote on the Executive Amnesty Prevention Act (H.R. 5759). This bill, which I am supporting, affirms that, except within strict constitutional limits, the President does not have the authority to exempt whole categories of persons unlawfully present in the U.S. from removal, or defer from removal, from this country. Any executive action to the contrary is a violation of the law and thus has no legal effect.
December 3, 2014 Obama's immigration power grab a danger to America By Rep. Bob Goodlatte President Obama recently declared from the White House that he is effectively rewriting our immigration laws on his own terms. Under his sweeping executive edicts, President Obama has proclaimed that five million unlawful immigrants can live and work here legally, redefined who is a priority for immigration enforcement, and gutted the interior enforcement of our immigration laws. These unilateral actions have created an untold number of consequences, affecting our Republic, the American people, legal immigrants, and the integrity of our immigration system.
Posted by
Randy
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November 25, 2014
I’m sure by now you have heard the Administration’s justification for executive action on immigration: that Presidents Bush, Reagan, and “every president in the last 70 years” have acted unilaterally to address the immigration system.
We could spend our time pointing out key differences between past presidents' actions on immigration, and the current Administration’s sweeping executive order, which will impact roughly 5 million people who are illegally in this country. But instead, I would like to focus on a different reason this is not justification for unconstitutional action. And that is because this is not about politics. It’s not about one person. It’s not about one party. If a Republican president issued the same executive order, it would be just as wrong. This is about principles. Our nation was founded on the fundamental premise that the law is the ultimate authority – not the preferences of elected officials, the will of an elite minority, or the whims of an executive. This respect for the rule of law is what has defined our country since the day the words, “We the People… “ were scrawled in ink on parchment, and the Constitution of the United States of America was birthed as the Supreme Law of the Land and a testament to freedom, justice, and equality under the law. Our heritage is a nation of immigrants. But let us not forget our heritage is also a nation founded upon the integrity of the rule of law. The Constitution doesn’t play favorites, and it has no respect for partisan politics. The law is the law. It must be respected. As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I am working with Chairman Goodlatte and the other Committee Members to use every tool at the Committee’s disposal to fight against this executive overreach. Keep updated on our fight by connecting with me on facebook or visiting my website.
Posted by
Randy
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November 20, 2014
For me, no amnesty means no amnesty. Broad amnesty. Narrow amnesty. It doesn't matter. Entry into this country is a privilege, not a right.
For the Administration to act unilaterally to change our immigration laws is a blatant disregard of the separation of powers as laid out in the Constitution. I have strongly urged the President not to proceed with granting executive amnesty to millions of people who are in this country illegally, and not to diminish our institutions, our Constitution, and our nation’s foundation built on the rule of law. The integrity of the law, and more importantly, the integrity of our government, demand nothing less. Amnesty won’t fix what is broken. An executive order granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants not only undermines our current immigration policy, but also perpetuates the problem by encouraging more illegal immigration. That’s why I have, and will continue to, strongly oppose amnesty of any form. I have also:
I will continue to be unrelenting in my demand that the Administration enforce the laws of this nation as the Constitution requires them to do. As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I will continue to fight to support the rule of law and uphold Congress’ duty to hold the executive branch accountable for its actions.
Posted by
Randy
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November 20, 2014
I can sum up President Obama’s executive action on immigration in two words: Staggering. Arrogance. For me, no amnesty means no amnesty. I have long opposed, and will continue to oppose, amnesty of any form. Learn more about my work, here.
Posted by
Randy
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October 27, 2014
The Administration announced the My E-Verify program to allow individuals to lock their Social Security numbers to prevent unauthorized or fraudulent use. The program is available in five states - Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia - as well as the District of Columbia, and will soon be used throughout the rest of the country.
While this program is an important improvement, there is much left to be done -- not only protect the personal information of American citizens and prevent theft and fraud, but also to verify the eligibility of those working in this country. That’s why I supported the Legal Workforce Act, H.R.1772, to improve the E-verify system and make it mandatory for all U.S. employers to quickly, accurately, and easily ensure they are hiring workers legally. For me, no amnesty means no amnesty. Our immigration policy must reflect our core belief that entry into the United States is not a right, but a privilege. The government must ensure the safety and security of our nation’s borders. This cannot be done if we do not identify and monitor the constant flow of illegal immigrants into our country.
Posted by
Randy
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October 09, 2014
I wanted to share this article with you. The Associated Press is reporting that the Homeland Security Department privately acknowledged roughly 70% of immigrant families who are caught illegally crossing the Mexican border and released into the United States with instructions to report back to immigration authorities have failed to report back to federal immigration agents.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is a direct consequence of the Administration’s failure to enforce our current immigration laws, and of prioritizing talks of amnesty over border security. My position remains clear: No amnesty. Period. You can learn more about my work opposing amnesty of any form, here. Recently, the Department of Defense announced that illegal immigrants who have been granted deferral from deportation and also possess certain skills (like language expertise) will now be eligible to join the military. Do you support allowing select illegal immigrants to enlist in the military? Weigh in on our weekly poll, here.
Posted by
Randy
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October 03, 2014
Last week, the Department of Defense announced that illegal immigrants who have been granted deferral from deportation and also possess certain skills, like language expertise, will now be eligible to join the military. In 2012, the Obama Administration first announced plans to grant temporary deferral from deportation to young people brought into the U.S. illegally by their parents, if they met certain criteria. Since April of this year, over 560,000 individuals have received deferred action from deportation under this program.
This announcement from the Defense Department to enlist illegal immigrants comes at a time when our military faces drastic cuts – the Army and Marine Corps will lose 100,000 and 33,000 personnel, respectively, while the Air Force plans to cut roughly 17,000 airmen in just the next year, the Navy has already cut 1,800 reservists – reducing our forces to pre-World War II levels. Congressman Forbes believes the Administration must stop prioritizing amnesty over the security of our borders and over our men and women in uniform. Read more about Congressman Forbes’ work opposing amnesty here. Question of the week: Do you support allowing select illegal immigrants to enlist in the military? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other. Take the Poll here. Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here.
Posted by
Randy
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August 05, 2014
Every day that passes, more unaccompanied minors and illegal immigrants are flooding across our southern border. Let me cut to the chase – the crisis on our border is a direct result of prioritizing talks of amnesty over securing our border. The more politicians in Washington entertain the idea of amnesty, the more enticing crossing our border becomes.
If you’d like to stay up to date on my fight to secure our border and hold the Administration accountable, sign up for my immigration email updates here. If you're not up-to-speed, here are some of the specifics of what I'm working on: opposing the release of criminal illegal immigrants, demanding deportation of illegal immigrant gang members, and opposing the Administration’s actions to selectively enforce our laws and defer deportation. I strongly support securing the border as our first priority, and I have opposed the closure of border patrol stations. I believe we must empower states to protect citizens and combat illegal immigration, and I have supported legislation to verify employment. To stay updated on these bills, sign up here.
Posted by
Randy
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July 31, 2014
In June, I asked whether you supported the actions taken by the Administration in response to the thousands of youth crossing the border, and 92% of respondents said no.
Since then, children and adults have continued to flood across our southern border. Now, the President has requested $3.7 billion to address the surge, and the Administration is planning to expand the number of people granted relief from deportation and grant refugee status to people from Honduras before they even come to the United States. I continue to oppose all forms of amnesty, and I believe that entry into this country is a privilege, not a right. Question of the week: Do you believe that the Administration’s policies have led to the crisis at the border? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other. Take the Poll here. Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here.
Posted by
Randy
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June 24, 2014
Our message to gang members illegally in our country needs to be crystal clear: we want you out.
The Washington Times Saturday, June 14, 2014 Border Patrol officials are swamped by the number of minors crossing illegally into the United States and frustrated that they can't turn away known Mexican gang members. Chris Cabrera, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 3307 in the Rio Grande Valley, said that confirmed gang members in Mexico — including those from Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) — are coming into the country to be reunited with their families, National Review reported Friday. “If he’s a confirmed gang member in his own country, why are we letting him in here? ... I've heard people come in and say, 'You're going to let me go, just like you let my mother go, just like you let my sister go. You're going to let me go as well, and the government's going to take care of us,'" Mr. Cabrera told the magazine. He said that the only way to solve the problem was to implement harsher restrictions on who can be allowed to cross. "Until we start mandatory detentions, mandatory removals, I don't think anything is going to change. As a matter of fact, I think it's going to get worse," he said, National Review reported. Other Border Patrol officials said that officers must treat minors with gang-affiliated tattoos the same as anybody else wishing to cross the border. "It's upsetting that a lot of them are 16 or 17 years old and a lot of them are not going to face deportation," said Art Del Cueto, president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2544 in Tucson, Ariz, National Review reported. Mr. Cabrera told the news agency that the Rio Grande Valley location has nine stations. The largest facility is in McAllen, Texas, with a capacity of 275 people. Its agents see between 700 and 1,500 people daily. Read the article here: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/14/border-agents-lament-mexican-gang-members-entering/ |
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