By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Senator Jeff Sessions (R) from Alabama criticized the Obama administration’s border policy. Sen. Sessions made his comments on the floor of the United States Senate.
Sen. Sessions said, “Immigration security is also vital to stopping cartels, who are creating violence around our borders and in our cities. The federal government has a duty to protect those living in communities which suffer every day from preventable drug and gang violence.”
“The Administration has also been resistant to the popular E-Verify program, never once including it in any of its jobs or economic plans. ICE has also effectively ended worksite enforcement operations, meaning that employers can continue to hire illegal workers rather than out-of-work Americans, Sen. Sessions said.
Sen. Sessions continued, “Securing the border, and enforcing immigration law, is especially important in these difficult economic times. Illegal labor depresses wages and makes it more difficult for out-of-work Americans to find good-paying jobs.”
Sessions said that the Administration needs to reform the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), “The Treasury Inspector General stated: ‘Millions of people are seeking this tax credit who, we believe, are not entitled to it. We have made recommendations to the IRS as to how they could address this, and they have not taken sufficient action in our view to solve the problem.’ That is not acceptable. Four billion dollars is a great deal of money. Four billion dollars a year is about $10 million a day.”
Sen. Sessions said that he opposed the current version of The Dream Act, “My friend Senator Durbin said that the DREAM Act is a bill that says, ‘if you graduate high school and you have no serious problems when it comes to convictions or moral issues and you either complete service in the military or 2 years in college, we will put you on a path… toward becoming legal and becoming a citizen.’ But we have examined this legislation and in its most recent version it would grant amnesty to millions of people here regardless of whether they go to high school, finish college, or serve in the military… And the bill is certainly not limited to children. It would apply to illegal immigrants who are in their thirties now and—because the bill has no cap or sunset—will remain eligible for the rest of their lives at any age to claim this benefit.” Once the illegal aliens are naturalized, they have the legal right to petition for entry of their family members, including adult siblings and their illegal alien parents. Session said that this could “easily tripling the number of green card holders.”
Sen. Sessions said that Gov. Romney’s candidacy gives him some hope. “A determined president could take meaningful steps to stem the tide of illegality, and I have been encouraged by Governor Romney’s comments on this issue.”
On Wednesday, the Alabama legislature will debate the state’s anti-illegal immigration bill and decide what (if any) changes the state needs to make. President Obama’s administration has fought Alabama and the other states who tried to help the federal government identify illegal aliens, while ignoring states like California that have sanctuary cities and give government assistance to illegal aliens.
To read Senator Sessions statement:
