[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 190 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E3015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM FOR AMERICA'S SECURITY AND PROSPERITY 
                           ACT (CIR A.S.A.P)

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2009

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, today we begin the process of 
transforming an immigration system which has undermined our economy and 
eroded America's moral standing.
  For too long, Congress has sidestepped our mounting immigration 
challenges, but led by Congressman Gutierrez, the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus and its allies have devised bold, imaginative solutions 
to these problems.
  In recent years, vast sums have been spent on new agents and 
infrastructure to secure a once porous border. But we know taller 
fences and stiffer penalties alone are incapable of mitigating the 
human toll our broken immigration system exacts every day.
  The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and 
Prosperity Act (CIR A.S.A.P) lays out a broad blueprint for correcting 
the deeply flawed immigration laws and policies that are the source of 
so much suffering.
  The bill would establish a sensible path to legalization for 
undocumented immigrants, end the shortage of visas that continues to 
divide families and direct federal authorities to adopt a more humane 
approach to immigration enforcement.
  It also contains key provisions of the American Dream Act that I co-
authored with Congressman Berman, which would enable young immigrants 
to attend college and contribute to the social and economic fabric of 
this nation.
  These students should not be forced to defer their dreams and abandon 
their ambitions simply because they lack documentation. Indeed, we 
cannot afford to waste our investments in these talented, motivated 
young people--the products of our schools and our communities.
  In addition, the legislation includes important language aimed at 
reforming our unjust immigration detention policies based on the 
Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act I introduced earlier this year.
  On any given night, more than 30,000 immigrants go to sleep in 
detention centers across America. Included in their growing ranks are 
asylum seekers, torture survivors, children, pregnant women and the 
elderly. Our bill would strengthen and codify detention regulations, 
guaranteeing every detainee access to medical care and legal advice.
  There are those who say we shouldn't pursue these sweeping changes at 
a time when our economy is stagnant and job losses are mounting. Yet it 
is precisely because American families are facing unprecedented 
economic hardships that addressing this issue is so critical. According 
to the CATO Institute, a conservative think tank, establishing a path 
to legalization will boost the annual income of American households by 
fully $180 billion over the next ten years.
  We have a moral obligation to pass the CIR A.S.A.P. Act for the 
asylum seeker denied due process, for the child separated from her 
parents and for the brave veteran whose spouse faces deportation. But 
we also desperately need this legislation to strengthen our economy, 
raise wages and ultimately ensure a brighter economic future for every 
American family.