[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 440 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 440

    Providing that the executive branch should remove certain entry 
      restrictions for Mexican nationals, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 14, 2003

Mr. Ortiz (for himself, Mr. Hinojosa, and Mr. Rodriguez) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Providing that the executive branch should remove certain entry 
      restrictions for Mexican nationals, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States-Mexico border economy enriches the southern United 
        States border States;
Whereas the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), approved by Congress in 
        1993, created a huge upsurge in the United States economy fueled by 
        NAFTA-associated commerce;
Whereas the free flow of cross-border commerce is essential to the national and 
        local economies;
Whereas fairness demands that the international border policy of the United 
        States treat friendly neighbors equally; and
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security announced a United States Visitor 
        and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) concept in May 2003 
        to implement an entry/exit system at the 50 largest land border ports of 
        entry by the end of 2004, and at all land border ports of entry by the 
        end of 2005, but has yet to disclose an implementation plan for the 
        system: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the executive branch should amend the permissible 
        period of entry for users of the Laser Visa (Border Crossing 
        Card), and should remove the 25-mile restriction on travel by 
        Mexican nationals in the United States, in order to more 
        accurately reflect the economic and social realities of the 
        United States-Mexico border region; and
            (2) in developing the United States Visitor and Immigrant 
        Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) for land ports, the 
        executive branch should take into consideration national 
        security and any potential harm to any of the economies of the 
        NAFTA countries and the economies of the border regions of 
        those countries.
                                 <all>