As the Senate prepares to conduct its markup of the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill on Thursday, sheriffs and other law enforcement officials have joined forces to oppose the legislation on the grounds that it, in their opinion, makes the current system of immigration law worse than it would “be a significant barrier to the creation of a safe and lawful system of immigration.”
In a letter that was delivered to every member of Congress in both the House and the Senate on Thursday, National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers chairman Zack Taylor, National Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Council president Chris Crane and at least 30 sheriffs nationwide argued the bill would make America’s broken immigration laws worse off than they already are.
“Driven by mere speculation that S. 744 may be enacted by Congress, illegal border crossings have spiked dramatically,” the law enforcement figures wrote.
“Thousands of unaccompanied children, runaways, and families now attempt to illegally enter the United States in hopes of receiving legalization. This trend will surely continue after enactment as S. 744 provides no commitment of stronger border enforcement for at least five to ten years following the initial legalization phase. Thousands will be victimized or perish as they attempt the treacherous crossing into the United States in hopes of attaining legal status. Cut-off dates established in S. 744 will mean little to those in other countries who are unfamiliar with the 867-page bill.”
In addition to the safety and security risks of the ongoing rush of illegal immigrants on the border, the law enforcement community representatives point out that the Rubio-Schumer bill “provides no guarantee of increased border security.”
“Instead, it relinquishes Congress’ authority to establish border security measures to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which will then develop its own unilateral border security plan,” they wrote.
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