Kyl-Cornyn Bill Toughens Immigration Control
Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced a conservative bill meant to toughen immigration control by increasing interior enforcement of immigration laws, requiring illegals already in the U.S. to leave and then apply for legal status in five years, and imposing heavier penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants. The bill will also introduce a new electronic system to quickly verify an employee’s legal status, tamper-resistant Social Security cards, and a large increase in Border Patrol agents, immigration detention beds, and federal immigration attorneys. Arizona Senator John McCain and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy are pushing for a similar bill which would only require illegal immigrants to pay a fine before applying for legal status rather than leave the country for five years.
