The Bonner Plan Is Critical to
Homeland Security
As the new Congress gets underway, three issues pose the biggest challenges and the most pressing needs. They are: continuing the war on terror, reducing illegal immigration, and reforming Social Security. These issues may seem unrelated, but in fact, they are all addressed in legislation I have reintroduced in the 109th Congress.
The Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005 aims to enhance border security by introducing updated identity technology to the Social Security card system and providing additional resources to the Department of Homeland Security to enforce compliance of laws regulating the hiring of illegal immigrants. The bill is nicknamed the Bonner Plan because it was inspired by the suggestion of T.J. Bonner, President of the National Border Patrol Council.
It is widely known that the vast majority of those who enter this country illegally are doing so in search of economic opportunity. Many of these individuals secure employment with the help of fraudulent Social Security cards. They get these cards from the coyotes who transport them, or in some cases, from their American employers. Duplicating the Social Security card is far too simple. Mr. Bonner estimates that without the current, simplistic card at their disposal, illegal immigration could be reduced by up to 98 percent.
This reduction would have many benefits, primarily the freeing up of the border patrol to focus on those who are attempting to cross the border with terrorist motivations. Our border patrol is on the front line of homeland security efforts. Their sole focus should be stopping threats to our national security before they cross the border.
As the discussion on how we administer Social Security benefits progresses, I believe a new, counterfeit-proof card should be a part of that discussion. Just as the structure of the Social Security system has not been updated since its inception in 1937, neither has the Social Security card. We need to bring both the system and the card into the 21st century, applying widely available technology in a way that will ensure the integrity of the cards, and protect Americans from potential identity theft. At the same time, an updated card, along with increased penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, will act as a deterrent to those who seek to dupe the system and undermine the mission of those tasked with defending our homeland.
