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Nelson wants to stem illegal immigrants
Responding to what he identified as a major constituent concern, Sen. Ben Nelson said Tuesday he will propose a crackdown on illegal immigration. Nelson will introduce legislation designed to help secure U.S. borders by increasing border patrol agents and improving surveillance. His bill also would toughen penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants and require automatic deportation of any illegal immigrant who commits a felony.âWe need to try to stop the flood of illegal immigration and give law enforcement officers the tools they need,â the Democratic senator said. Nelsonâs bill does not directly address how to handle millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States. âWeâll deal with that later,â he told a telephone news conference from Washington. The first step, Nelson said, is to âstop digging the hole.â
Neither does Hagelâs plan, said Mike Buttry, the senatorâs spokesman. âSenator Nelson must be confused how Sen. Hagelâs bill worked,â Buttry said. âIt was not amnesty. Senator Hagel agrees with President Bush on this issue.â Hagel recently met with senior White House staff members to discuss immigration reform, Buttry said. Hagelâs plan provided a pathway to legalized status for illegal immigrant workers and their families already in the United States. They would need to comply with a list of requirements and pay a $1,000 fine. Nelson said not a day goes by when he is in Nebraska that a constituent does not voice concerns to him about illegal immigrants. Most of the questions he fielded during a recent statewide radio call-in show focused on the issue, he said. Nebraskans have expressed concern about related tax obligations, the effect on health care costs and quality education, the impact on the job market and the threat to national security, the senator said. Posted by: SC88 2005-09-29 |
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