Running Head: Border Control Offensive 1

What Legislation Prompted the "Border Control Offensive"?

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What Legislation Prompted the "Border Control Offensive"?

For many years, border control has been a big concern in the United States, and it

continues to be so today. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was the first step

towards addressing the immigration issue (IRCA). IRCA was one of the earliest and most

comprehensive pieces of legislation to address the issue of unlawful migration, according to

Cooper and O'Neil (2005). It has used legalization initiatives to regularize migrants already in

the country while developing enforcement systems to prevent further entries. However, because

many people are yearning for a better life and job at the southern border, it sees more traffic than

the northern border.

Border protection, counter-terrorism, and illegal immigration control law of 2005 were

approved in the tenth United States Congress of the United States (H.R. 4437). On December 16,

2005, with 92 percent of Republicans and 82 percent of Democrats opposed, it passed the House

of Representatives with a vote from 239 to 182. But it failed to clear up the Senate. The

Sensenbrenner Bill was named after Wisconsin Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, who sponsored it

in the House of Representatives (Muraoka, 2020). The law inspired the demonstrations in the

United States in the context of the immigration reform in 2006. It was the first legislative

measure adopted in the United States by a congressional house regarding illegal immigration.

It is forbidden to help an illegal immigrant stay in the U.S... knowing or carelessly

ignoring the fact that such a person is an alien with no legal status to dwell in the U.S. or stay in

that country.' Furthermore, anybody who knowingly helps or facilitates" a deported immigrant

"to rejoin the United States" would be subject to the same jail sentence. The act of "aiding and

abetting" illegal immigrants is already unlawful under current law. This bill, on the other hand, is

aimed primarily at increasing enforcement against human traffickers.

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In conclusion, The United States Senate is debating legislation that would repeal parts of

H.R. 4437's provisions. Many towns and counties have declared their opposition to the bill in

writing. In addition, the labor movement is split on whether or not to support a guest worker

program or legalization.
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References

Cooper, B., & O’Neil, K. (2005). Lessons from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of

1986. Migration Policy Institute Policy Brief, 3.

Muraoka, T. (2020). The Cosponsorship Patterns of Reserved Seat Legislators. Legislative

Studies Quarterly, 45(4), 555-580.