Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Member, Judiciary Committee

As the U.S. Senate considers a proposal to improve border security and reform immigration laws, any acceptable solution must be comprehensive, restore respect for the law, and not repeat the failures of the 1986 amnesty.

With approximately 2,300 illegal aliens entering the United States every day, the first priority of immigration reform must be border control. A combination of physical barriers, additional technology, and more Border Patrol agents will allow the Department of Homeland Security to detect, detain, and deport every illegal alien caught at the border.

One reason why the 1986 amnesty failed is because the federal government did not create a system that allows employers to verify whether a new hire is legal. Illegal employment can be eliminated through greater document security and a quick electronic verification system, similar to the one businesses use for credit card transactions. The system must be accurate, reliable, and capable of verifying the legal status of tens of millions of workers.

Some argue that the only way to address the 11 million illegal aliens in the United States is to reward them with an easier path to citizenship. The proposal being debated in the Senate would do just that. Most Americans reject that solution and a repeat of the 1986 amnesty because it treats illegal aliens better than the hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants who comply with the law every year.

The Cornyn-Kyl bill offers no reward for breaking the law but does grant illegal aliens a second chance: a five-year grace period to depart the country (during which time they could work and travel) and the opportunity to immediately return with legal status.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Member, Foreign Relations Committee

My story is like many other immigrant success stories that can only happen in America. As an immigrant to central Florida with no working knowledge of English, I left my home and family, fleeing a rising communist dictator. 

People come to this nation because of the promise of a better life and economic opportunity. They come here illegally because our current immigration system is broken, and our borders are not secure. 

I support a compromise comprehensive immigration reform proposal that would strengthen border security, broaden the power to deport criminals, and address the significant national security problem of 11 million illegal immigrants living here by providing an earned legalization mechanism for workers who choose to stay and work in the United States. 

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and I have introduced a compromise proposal that would break the current illegal population into three categories. Those who have been here for less than two years would receive no benefits and would have to exit the country. Illegal immigrants who can prove that they have been here and working for more than two years but less than five must leave and reenter through a new temporary worker program. Illegal immigrants who can prove that they have been here longer than five years, have undergone background checks, demonstrated a proficiency in English, paid all back taxes, and registered for the selective service would be able to stay and apply for permanent legal status. 

Our proposal is not amnesty. It represents a realistic approach to illegal immigration, and it is in the best national security and economic interests of our country.