Omaha, Neb. – Last night, the Senate began debate on The Secure Fence Act of 2006, which the House of Representatives passed last week. This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to begin construction of a 700-mile physical barrier along our Southern border.

“The House and Senate need to come together to pass immigration reform and secure the border. I am pleased that instead of constructing a fence from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, the House-passed legislation calls for leveraging 21st Century technology such as cameras, ground sensors, and unmanned aerial vehicles to protect our borders from infiltration by illegal immigrants, drug smugglers and terrorists. This is the same approach I support in my Border Security Plan,” said Ricketts.

“Securing our borders is the first step towards achieving border security and much needed immigration reform, but we must address the totality of the problem.”

When the Spanish language Nuestro Mundo asked Senator Nelson in its August issue if he had a plan for the people who were here already, Senator Nelson replied “No, I don’t.”

“I believe we must address this problem now, and that delaying immigration reform until after the election is irresponsible. In fact, I have issued a detailed plan that not only secures the border, it also proposes a solution for the 10-12 million illegals that already are here. My plan includes stronger employer enforcement, employer community impact fees, and like the Pence-Hutchison proposal, requires illegal workers to leave the country before applying for temporary work permits. Employers and illegal workers who fail to abide by the law will face the full legal penalty for their actions,” said Ricketts.

“The Senate should pass a bill on Wednesday that addresses the full range of problems posed by illegal immigration and unsecured borders.”