Immigration Policy

The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2001

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that hit our nation on September 11, 2001, the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 was proposed by legislators in order to toughen the screening of visa applicants and require the federal government to create a centralized computer database to track all foreign visitors to the United States (Bustos A6). The impact of this proposed legislation cannot be underestimated for the United States with respect to: a) reducing the risk of terrorism; and, b) curbing illegal immigration.

Illegal immigration has a deleterious impact on the U.S. economy overall and an often devastating impact on border states like California, Texas, and Arizona where disproportionate numbers of illegals reside. This is true in terms of increased social service resources and lost jobs due to illegal immigration, and it is also true with respect to the potential risk of terrorists crossing the border. Before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush supported liberalization of immigration laws and amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants already living in the U.S. In mid-stream the events of September 11, 2001, changed this line of thinking in favor of the old maxim, Good fences make good neighbors.

While supporters of this legislation hoped to include an amendment that would grant extensions to those immigrants

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reasons, public opinion has taken a turn against immigration liberalization. According to one survey taken four months after the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, 68% of Americans reported immigration is a "bad thing" compared to 35% in 1990 (Amselle 60). Even a majority of Americans are willing to agree to the loss of some civil liberties in order to increase security as the chart below demonstrates: More Power to Law Enforcement When asked directly about government action that could threaten their civil liberties, Americans were not particularly concerned. Majorities support giving law enforcement broader authority to: � Wiretap telephones (69 percent) � Intercept mail (57 percent) � Intercept e-mail (72 percent) � Examine people's Internet activity (82 percent) � Detain suspects for a week without charging them (58 percent) � Examine students' education records (76 percent) � Examine telephone records (82 percent) � Examine bank records (79 percent) � Track credit card purchases (75 percent) � Examine tax records (75 percent) (Available: http://www.npr.org/news/specials/civillibertiespoll/ 011130.poll.html) Despite the outcry from liberals and those who argue new immigration legislation may impose

Category: Government - I