May 02, 2006 - 02:07:53 CDT
Members of North Dakota's congressional delegation said border control is the first priority in addressing immigration issues, but none favors building a wall across vast portions of the Mexican border or making all illegal aliens felons."If you can't control your border, you can't control your future,"said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
Conrad said he opposed a recent immigration bill in the Senate because it didn't do enough to secure the borders. He said he also is opposed to a proposal to make an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal aliens felons and he believes in "earned legalization" that requires to people to learn English and civics before they are granted citizenship.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he voted against recent immigration legislation in the Senate because it would allow too many illegal immigrants to became citizens. Dorgan said the proposal, which would allow 4.7 million immigrants to become citizens, would open the floodgates.
Dorgan said the government needs to have better border security and a more meaningful system of processing illegal aliens who are caught working illegally.
"If we don't have the will to stop illegal immigration, it will never stop,"Dorgan said.
The Senate has debated creating a temporary worker program and possibly allowing 7 million million illegal aliens to become citizens.
Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., voted for a bill that increases border security, punishes those who employ illegal aliens and makes illegal aliens felons. Pomeroy said even though he doesn't like parts of the bill, especially the part to make illegal aliens felons, he voted for it to keep the process moving.
"If everyone says 'my way or no way,' we are going to end up with nothing,"Pomeroy said.
Although they are open to citizenship for some illegal aliens, none of North Dakota's congressional delegation would say how many immigrants the United States should grant citizenship to.
Conrad said he favors a system that gives immigrants more preference for citizenship the longer they have been in the United States. He said he is open to the idea of making illegal aliens pay back taxes and fines for the time they have worked illegally.
(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 223-8482 or tom.rafferty@;bismarcktribune.com.)
Barney wrote on May 2, 2006 12:10 PM:
jakemont wrote on May 2, 2006 10:56 AM:
wise wrote on May 2, 2006 9:31 AM:
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