Isakson bill addresses illegal immigrants

WASHINGTON - Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) has joined with several of his colleagues in introducing legislation to give state and local law enforcement officers the authority to help the Department of Homeland Security enforce the nation's immigration laws, including improving the government's ability to deport illegal aliens who have been ordered to leave the country.

"We are a nation of immigrants, and we should honor every legal immigrant here and encourage them to become citizens," Isakson said. "But we are also a nation of laws. This bill simply gives federal law enforcement agencies help in identifying criminal aliens."

The estimated 10 million illegal aliens living in the U.S. vastly outnumber the 2,000 Department of Homeland Security immigration agents charged with immigration enforcement. The Department is currently looking for some 400,000 "alien absconders"

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/7/130901