idealist.org

Barely a year ago, immigration reform was the second-most important issue to American voters after the war in Iraq. While immigration reform may not be grabbing the big headlines today like other issues on the minds of many Americans, tremendous strides have quietly been made in our border security and enforcement while stemming the tide of immigrants who enter this country illegally.

In the last several years, we have dramatically beefed up security along our borders and deported immigrants with criminal backgrounds, cracked down on employers who hire illegal workers, and made investments in the manpower and technology needed to strengthen enforcement of existing immigration laws.

United States border security is strong and growing stronger:

* Since 2000, the number of Border Patrol agents has more than doubled, and illegal border crossings are down by two-thirds.
* The number of people deported for illegal immigration more than doubled from 2006 to 2007, from 67,000 to more than 164,000, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol estimates that the number of individuals trying to illegally cross our borders during this time has decreased by more than a million.
* Immigration and Customs officials are working closely with city and county law enforcement agencies to identify and deport illegal immigrants with criminal histories. As a result, the imprisonment, prosecution and deportation of illegal aliens all have increased.
* Documentation and security for air, land and sea ports of entry has improved immeasurably with the use of technology and increased personnel. At the same time, the number of employers sanctioned for hiring illegal aliens has increased, and criminal prosecutions for employees using counterfeit documents have gone up.

These efforts, while largely flying “under the radar,” are significant, and should be lauded. But the fact remains that much work remains to be done on reforming and refining America’s immigration policies.

The time has come to finish the job.

Surveys consistently show the vast majority of Americans support a comprehensive solution to this issue that is fair to America and Americans. These surveys show Americans want security and enforcement but also recognize that something positive needs to be done with the estimated 12 million undocumented workers currently working in the U.S.

What we need now is a fresh approach that builds on the successful efforts to reduce illegal crossings and further secure our borders – while at the same time finding a just and equitable way to bring undocumented workers into a legal system of employment.

Immigrants have long played an important role in building a strong America, and their contributions can be seen in virtually every aspect of American life today. Far-reaching immigration reform – including a fair and realistic plan for integrating some 12 million foreign-born workers into our labor force – will keep our economy growing and help America compete in today’s global economy.

MATT.org supports such an approach because the time has come to build on the momentum we’ve achieved. We support comprehensive immigration solutions because it will help America prosper – and because it’s the right thing to do.

And we need your help.

Join MATT.org today and find out how you can help. Let Congress and the president know you want them to work together to finish the job on comprehensive immigration solutions!