WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is spearheading support for an amendment to strengthen border security by cosponsoring the “Requiring Enforcement, Security and safety, while Upgrading lawful Trade and travel Simultaneously (RESULTS)” Amendment, sponsored by Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas.

The amendment would require the federal government to certify that the southern border is fully secure before allowing illegal immigrants the ability to be granted green cards under S. 744.

“Americans are right to demand that we secure our borders as a first step to solve our broken immigration system,” said Wicker. “True reform remains out of reach and the problem of illegal immigration will persist if we fail to address border security. For far too long, Washington has paid lip service to meeting this need. The status quo must end.

“If Senate Democrats are serious about reforming the immigration system once and for all, then I urge them to join us in supporting this amendment.”

Key provisions of the RESULTS Amendment to S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” include:

• Strengthening border security, national security, and public safety.

• Requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and Governmental Accountability Office  (GAO) Comptroller General to jointly certify the following triggers are met before Registered Provisional Immigrants (RPI) can adjust to Lawful Permanent Resident (“green card”) status:
  
  
• Every segment of the southern border must be fully monitored;
  A 90 percent apprehension rate along the southern border must be achieved; A biometric exit system must be in use at selected air and sea ports of entry; and, a nationwide E-Verify System, by which employers can check the status of prospective hires, must be implemented.

• Mandating that DHS deploy newly defined border security metrics to gauge success or failure.

• Requiring DHS to issue a “Southern Border Security Strategy” within 120 days to achieve operational control of every sector of the southern border and a 50 percent wait-time reduction at land ports of entry.

• Authorizing supplemental and emergency appropriations to improve border security, including $1 billion per year over 6 years for land port-of-entry infrastructure improvements and personnel.

• Allowing DHS to enter into public-private partnerships to reduce port-of-entry wait times.

• Increasing the number of Border Patrol and Customs Officers by 10,000 over 5 years.

• Authorizing a new grant program to allow southern border state and local law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking, human trafficking, human smuggling, and spillover violence.

• Allowing USCIS to share critical information contained in legalization applications with federal law enforcement and national security agencies.

• Prohibiting illegal aliens convicted of serious misdemeanors, such as domestic violence, aggravated assault, child abuse, violation of a protection order, and drunk driving, from receiving RPI status.

• Adding new authorities and tougher penalties to combat abusive human smuggling and human trafficking, including a federal money laundering predicate for human smuggling; and increased penalties for aggravated forms of the offense (e.g., involving death, forced labor, or sexual exploitation).

• Strengthening various law enforcement tools to target transnational criminal terrorist organizations operating on the southern border.