Court briefs: Five jailed in child support cases

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There’s a ‘Heatwave’ rolling in this summer

<b>First Posted:</b> 11/8/2007<br><br>JEREMY GRAD 
 
 jgrad@www.timesleader.com


A bipartisan coalition introduced an illegal immigration bill to Congress Tuesday that would require stronger worker verification, increased enforcement of the southern border and enforcement of existing federal immigration laws.
The bill, aimed at curtailing illegal immigration, was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke. The proposal, H.R. 4088, is being called the SAVE Act.
&amp;ldquo;Illegal immigration is an issue of utmost importance to Pennsylvania and America,&amp;rdquo; according to a statement by Kanjorski. &amp;ldquo;Through the SAVE Act we can reduce illegal immigration and greatly improve the security of our borders by incorporating stronger enforcement and verification approaches. I have consistently voted to bring an end to illegal immigration, and this bill follows such a course to rectify our current immigration policies through multi-pronged, thorough, and bipartisan action.&amp;rdquo;
The SAVE Act mandates that all employers check the status of potential employees through an online E-Verification system to confirm the person is eligible to work in the U.S.
Within five years the SAVE Act calls for the hiring of 8,000 additional border patrol agents. In addition to the new border patrol agents, 1,150 immigration and customs enforcement agents will be hired.
To better patrol the U.S.&amp;rsquo;s southern border, unmanned aerial vehicles, cameras and satellites and other technologies will be utilized by the Department of Homeland Security to monitor the southern border.
The proposal also will provide additional funding for processing and detention centers to facilitate the speedy removal of illegal immigrants already in the country.
Kanjorski has a record of opposing illegal immigration. On Dec. 16, 2005, he voted for a bill that mandated all employers confirm the authenticity of Social Security numbers against a national database and make it a federal crime for immigrants to be in the country illegally. 
On Sept. 14, 2006, he announced that he was in favor of building a fence across the southern border. On July 31 he voted to exclude illegal immigrants from access to . 
In remarks read into the Congressional Record, Kanjorski said, &amp;ldquo;Our immigration heritage, in my view, has helped to make the United States the greatest nation in the world. It is, however, at least equally, if not more important, that we do all we can to protect American workers, citizens, and taxpayers from the costs and potential security risks associated with illegal immigration.
&amp;ldquo;While I support keeping an appropriate level of legal immigration, we must put an immediate halt to our tacit approval of those who flaunt our laws and come here illegally. We must also ensure that a sufficient number of temporary work visas are available in selected areas, such as nursing, agriculture and tourism, but only where an adequate supply of domestic workers is not available. 
&amp;ldquo;Finally, we must ensure that current American workers are not losing their jobs or being forced to survive on depressed wages because we are voluntarily importing far more foreign workers than we need through legal and illegal immigration.&amp;rdquo;

    

Jeremy Grad, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7210.

Kanjorski sponsors immigration bill