Thursday, July 13, 2006

Cornyn Outs Harry Reid   [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Via his office last night:

 

An amendment to help DHS end “Catch and Release” was just killed by Sen. Reid. He raised a “point of order” against the amendment, preventing a vote on Sen. Cornyn’s amendment.

That amendment was:  

CORNYN AMENDMENT WOULD SPEED EXPEDITED REMOVAL, HELP END ‘CATCH AND RELEASE’

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the Immigration and Border Security subcommittee, offered an amendment to the pending homeland security funding bill Tuesday that would end the practice of “catch and release” for hundreds of illegal immigrants each week. The Cornyn amendment would require federal judges to take into account national security and border security when imposing any injunction that restricts the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to administer immigration laws. The amendment closes a current loophole in the law for illegal immigrants from El Salvador.

A 20-year-old injunction on the deportation of illegal immigrants from El Salvador created a situation where upwards of 600 Salvadorans are released into the United States every week rather than being deported as the law requires. Because of the injunction, the Department of Homeland Security is unable to apply Expedited Removal to Salvadorans. In the first few months of this year alone, the Border Patrol has already arrested more than 6,600 Salvadorans—they are now the largest OTM (Other Than Mexican) group illegally in the United States.

“This is a simple, commonsense approach to a serious problem,” Cornyn said. “This amendment would require judges to consider our national and border security before issuing any order that limits the ability of DHS to enforce the immigration laws. The alternative is to continue releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants into our cities every week. That alternative is unacceptable.”

Sens. Cornyn and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) are the authors of The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005 (S.1438). The legislation will strengthen enforcement, bolster border security, and reform immigration laws.

 

07/13 08:18 AMShare