U.S. Senators Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., have made known the general contours of their immigration reform legislation: a bipartisan framework that has a heavy initial emphasis on border security. In their introduction, the senators said that proponents of immigration reform acknowledge that we need to meet clear and concrete benchmarks before we can finally ensure that America's borders are secure and effectively deal with the millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States. These benchmarks must be met before action can be taken to adjust the status of people already in the United States illegally.
They called for increases in the number of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents; improved technology and infrastructure; increased resources for prosecution of drug smugglers, human traffickers, and unauthorized border crossers; and more resources for immigration courts to expedite deportations.
The senators also called for the creation, within 18 months of enactment, of a fraud-proof biometric Social Security card that could be used only for purposes of work authorization. The cardholder would have to be able to control who could access the data on it.
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