At a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing yesterday focused on the progress that has been made toward securing the U.S. Southwestern and Northern Borders, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill questioned former immigration and current Government Accountability Office (GAO) officials about budget cuts that will affect border security and pushed for increases in enforcement against employers who knowingly hired illegal immigrants. Last year, McCaskill co-sponsored deficit-neutral legislation to provide $600 million to increase law enforcement personnel and provide unmanned surveillance technology on the Southwest Border of the United States. At the hearing, McCaskill expressed her disappointment that the House’s proposed budget cuts would take away a vital portion of that measure, by cutting funding for 870 federal agents at the Southwest Border.
“I was proud to cosponsor with Senator McCain a bill that was fully paid for last year, that added $600 million to border security including drones for real time surveillance. I’m assuming that there’s no one on the panel that disagrees that this kind of technology in terms of real time surveillance unmanned could be extremely effective along the border as it relates to criminal activity? Imagine my surprise when that is part of what was cut in the [continuing budget resolution] that was passed by the House of Representatives. I’m willing to bet that most of the folks who were excited about passing that CR said ‘we need to secure the border’ a few times during this past campaign,” McCaskill said in yesterday’s hearing.
In addition to addressing the need to provide adequate technology and manpower to secure the border, McCaskill also advocated for increases in criminal and civil penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. McCaskill said that although some progress has been made lately, any approach to addressing the problems of illegal immigration must include stronger enforcement programs.
“The fact is there have been very few instances where employers have been held accountable for knowingly and repeatedly violating the law when it comes to illegal immigration,” McCaskill said.
Over the past four years, McCaskill has repeatedly challenged both the Bush and Obama administrations to strengthen employer enforcement programs. She believes jobs are the magnet bringing people into this country and enforcing penalties for knowingly breaking the law as it relates to hiring illegal immigrants will provide a strong deterrent.
“These folks aren’t coming across the border for vacation. They’re coming for a job,” she said.
Yesterday’s hearing was the first in a series to follow focused on immigration policy and border security issues.
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