ENGLISH FOR CONGRESS POSITION PAPER (Revised January 2012)

Border Security

The problem of border security is directly related to the illegal immigration issue that I also have discussed under that topic.  Until the incentives for illegal entry into the United States are removed, the problem of illegal entry will only increase in the future.  The current "catch and return" policy with illegal Mexican entrants and "catch and release" policy for other illegal entrants cannot be continued if effective border security is to become a reality.   All illegal entrants should be fingerprinted, DNA samples and iris photos taken, with other identifying and home residence information collected and entered into a secure national instant access computer data base when they are first apprehended.  Punishment for illegal entry must be implemented.

For the first offense, a copy of the arrest citation in Spanish or native language containing a strict warning of the violation and subsequent punishments with specified incarceration periods for future violations should be given each entrant before they are escorted to the border and deported.  Subsequent offenses should be punished by two months, six months, and one year detention periods with incarceration in rural work camps located on Federal lands.  While incarcerated there, the prisoners will be given the opportunity to work clearing the national forests of accumulated understory brush and on other Federal land facilities improvement and maintenance projects.  Female prisoners would be kept in separate locations and given opportunities for supervised work in Federal facilities.   All prisoners would be paid minimum wage from which charges not to exceed 50% of their wages will be deducted for their food, shelter and transportation to and from their home countries.  Prisoners with exemplary work and personal conduct records while incarcerated would be given the opportunity to apply with good work and conduct recommendations for the guest worker program at the completion of their sentences, but not given priority for hiring.  Those released with poor work and conduct records would be denied approval for the guest worker program and any earnings from their periods of incarceration would be confiscated prior to deportation.

If the new national identify, employment applicant clearance, border crossing violation incarceration, and controlled guest worker programs do not reduce the numbers of illegal entrants into this country, then increased border surveillance and physical security measures must be instituted.   The Army and Marine Corps must be assigned the permanent mission to support and assist the Border Patrol in its border security efforts.   The National Guard should not be used permanently for this mission as it already has assigned homeland security and emergency response responsibilities in its home states.

Finally, serious consideration should be given to copying the Canadian guest worker program that works well, prevents abuse and exploitation of the guest workers, and does not have the enforcement problems and related financial burden that are the consequence of the broken and unworkable current U. S. border security approach.

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