Pending federal immigration legislation

Several comprehensive immigration bills that address border security are pending in Congress. Here are some highlights:

Senate Bill 744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

The Democratic-led Senate passed this bipartisan legislation in June, and it is now pending in the U.S. House. Stretching more than 1,100 pages, SB 744 seeks to unclog the legal immigration system, crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants and provide a 13-year path to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the U.S. It is also aimed at bolstering border security. Here are some highlights:

• Mandates that the secretary of U.S. homeland security submit to Congress a "Comprehensive Southern Border Security Strategy" for maintaining persistent surveillance and turning back or apprehending at least 90 percent of people trying to illegally cross the border. Includes $4.5 billion to carry out this strategy.

• Requires the secretary to submit to Congress a "Southern Border Fencing Strategy" identifying where 700 miles of additional fencing and other security measures should be placed along the southern border. Includes $8 billion to carry out this strategy.

• Provides $30 billion to hire at least 19,200 additional U.S. Border Patrol agents and deploy them along the southern border by Sept. 30, 2021.

• Boosts the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers by 3,500 by Sept. 30, 2017.

• Mandates the construction of additional Border Patrol stations along the southwest border.

• Requires federal immigration authorities to upgrade their helicopter fleet, increase horse patrols, acquire additional watercraft and operate unarmed and unmanned aerial vehicles along the southern border at all hours.

• Authorizes using National Guard troops to do a variety of tasks, including erecting border fencing, building checkpoints, and helping with surveillance and radio communications.

• Pays for additional staff to boost illegal border crossing prosecutions in the Tucson, Ariz., area.

• Requires federal officials to mount an educational campaign warning would-be illegal immigrants about the perils of traveling across Mexico, the likelihood they will be apprehended and the difficulty of finding jobs in the U.S.

How they voted

Georgia’s Republican U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson voted against SB 744. They issued a joint statement about their votes in June after the Senate passed the bill. Here is some of what they said about the border security provisions in the bill:

Chambliss: “Any immigration bill must first secure the borders and then make the path for legal entry smoother. We had a real shot here to do this right. Unfortunately, this bill did not include the verifiable border security piece.”

Isakson: “I voted against S.744 today because it contained several waivers and loopholes that could allow those who are here illegally to obtain green cards before our nation’s borders are truly secure.”

The Republican-led House is also considering several immigration bills.

House Resolution 1417, also called the Border Security Results Act of 2013

• Requires the U.S. homeland security secretary to submit to Congress a strategy for boosting "operational control" and "situational awareness" on the nation's borders. The secretary must also submit a report on how to carry this out and then measure the effectiveness of the government's efforts.

• Establishes a goal of turning back or apprehending at least 90 percent of illegal border crossers within five years as well as bringing about a "significant reduction" in the movement of illegal drugs.

House Resolution 2278, also known as the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act

• Grants states and localities authority to enact their own immigration statutes so long as they are consistent with federal laws.

• Bars illegal immigrants who threaten national security from becoming naturalized U.S. citizens.

• Expedites the deportations of criminal illegal immigrants.

• Authorizes the Homeland Security Department and State Department to revoke visas issued to foreign nationals for security and foreign policy reasons.

• Allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to carry firearms and provides them with body armor.

• Prohibits the Interior and Agriculture departments from preventing Border Patrol agents from accessing federal lands within 100 miles of the border.

How they voted

HR 1417: Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, voted with the majority for the legislation in the Homeland Security Committee. A spokeswoman for Broun said he did so because he believes “we need to secure our borders and hold the administration accountable for doing so instead of going down the same tried-and-failed path to amnesty.”

HR 2278: In June, Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, voted for the bill and Rep. Hank Johnson, D-DeKalb County, voted against it in the House Judiciary Committee. Collins and Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County, and Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville, are co-sponsoring the legislation. Here’s what they said about the bill:

Collins said through a spokeswoman that HR 2278 supports “tighter visa scrutiny” and “empowers ICE officers to make arrests and allows local law enforcement to access federal land for border security purposes.”

Johnson, who supports SB 744, said through a spokesman that he voted against HR 2278 partly because “giving states and localities authority to enact and enforce criminal penalties for federal immigration violations would undermine public safety. Immigrant communities would become increasingly unwilling to report crimes, cooperate in police investigations, or testify in court for fear of deportation.”

Westmoreland on HR 2278: “This legislation takes a common-sense approach that will allow our Border Patrol to use the tools state and local governments already have in place to expand their authority so they are better equipped to enforce our borders and keep our country safe.”

Woodall on HR 2278: “Ultimately, the real issue here is border integrity, because while the highest fence in the world won’t solve all of our problems, giving states and localities new tools to enforce the law, designing a sensible legal immigration process, and setting realistic and verifiable border security goals will be a major step forward for our nation.”

House Resolution 15, also known as the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

Last month, House Democrats introduced HR 15. It combines elements of SB 744 and HR 1417. But it does not include some key border-security provisions in the Senate legislation, including billions of dollars in spending to hire 19,200 additional Border Patrol agents and to erect 700 miles of additional fencing. Four Georgia Democratic congressmen are co-sponsoring the bill, Reps. Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, John Lewis and David Scott. Here’s what they said about the legislation:

Bishop: “A comprehensive, bipartisan approach to immigration reform is needed that will protect our border as well as heighten our global economic competitiveness, promote diversity, strengthen the economy, and remain true to American traditions and values.”