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Our immigration system is in shambles.  We have an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in our country, a porous border, and a visa system that fails to meet the needs of American companies.  This fall, the House will address these issues when it considers the SAFE Act, the Legal Workforce Act, the AG Act, and the SKILLS Visa Act. 

The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act (H.R. 2278) renews our commitment to interior enforcement efforts and increases security measures to deter the entry of criminal immigrants or those who pose security risks to our nation. 

 The Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 1772) makes E-Verify mandatory for new hires, but it protects our businesses that use the system in good faith from being prosecuted, an important safe harbor provision. 
 
The Agricultural Guestworker (AG) Act (H.R. 1773) works to streamline the H-2A guestworker programs, eliminating onerous requirements that have contributed to illegally overstaying visas.  It also creates more certainty with legal and wage-related matters.

 The Supplying Knowledge Based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas (SKILLS) Act (H.R. 2131) replaces certain visa programs that are not as useful today with those programs that will help our economy and make our country more competitive in the global marketplace.  It increases Green Cards for STEM graduates, provides visas for entrepreneurs who will create employment opportunities here, strengthens the investor green card program, and eliminates some arbitrary caps tied to countries of origin, among other things.
 
All these bills were approved by the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) in June, and they are now awaiting consideration by the full House.
 
Additionally, the House Homeland Security Committee approved H.R. 1417, the Border Security Results Act, in June.  This will require the Department of Homeland Security to gain operational control of our borders and report these metrics to Congress.
 
Like many of my constituents, I am unapologetically opposed to unconditional amnesty.  To me, it is fundamentally unfair to reward those adults who came here illegally by guaranteeing them citizenship or putting them in front of those trying to come here legally.

We have left these issues undone for far too long, and I am looking forward to addressing these bills when we return to Washington, D.C., this fall.  Thank you for all your calls and letters, and I hope you will continue to keep me informed of your opinions on immigration policies.