Ltr from Ron Wyden 4-22-11

Like you, I believe it is time to reform U.S. immigration law and policy. Millions of immigrants live in America’s shadows, with more coming across our borders illegally every day. Farmers struggle to find a stable and legal workforce or face the real prospect of unharvested crops rotting in the fields. Administrative backlogs and red tape force American citizens to anxiously await word that their noncitizen spouse or child can immigrate to the U.S. or even just visit. All this must change, and a new, realistic, fair, and enforced framework is needed.

Let me be clear: the federal government must first stop turning a blind eye to immigration law violations and enforce the laws Congress has written. In May 2007, the Senate began debate on a bill that would have finally committed the government to enforcing the nation's immigration laws strictly and to securing our borders. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIRA) would have placed hundreds of miles of fencing and physical barriers along the southern border; dramatically increased the number of border patrol and interior enforcement agents; and increased penalties for illegal entry and evading immigration officers. The bill would have also established a national employment verification system and punished employers who hire illegal immigrants with steep fines and exclusion from government contracts. Additionally, the bill would have addressed the situation of the 12 million people currently residing in the U.S. illegally by establishing a tough, multi-step process toward legal status for those who had worked hard, paid their taxes, obeyed U.S. laws, and learned English.

To be sure, CIRA was not a perfect bill, and ultimately it did not attract enough support to move forward in the legislative process. Although I supported efforts to have a full and open debate on CIRA’s merits, some of my colleagues chose to block the process and force the Senate to walk away from the issue. I was disappointed by this decision, and I believe the immigration issue is far too important for Washington to ignore. I intend to continue supporting common-sense, workable reforms to America’s broken immigration system. And I will insist that any effort to reform immigration laws be accompanied by a rock-solid commitment to the enforcement of our border laws.