Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) stood yesterday with over 20 conservative Members of Congress and called for reforms to America’s immigration policies. The press conference, titled “Real Reform Now,” focused on ways to improve H.R. 4437, a bill approved Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee intended to strengthen border security and toughen enforcement of immigration laws. Congressman McHenry focused on the Comprehensive Immigration Data and Technology Accountability Act of 2005 (Comprehensive Immigration D.A.T.A. Act). This legislation, which he introduced in November and will offer as an amendment to H.R. 4437, creates a federal computerized database to more effectively and efficiently track immigrants applying for visas or U.S. citizenship.

Congressman McHenry stressed the importance of modernizing America’s immigration application process. “After securing our borders, one of the most pressing matters in the immigration reform debate is America’s outdated system for processing immigration case files,” said Congressman McHenry. “The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services processes over 7 million applications using Windows 95 and paper printouts – this system is flawed and inefficient. The Comprehensive Immigration D.A.T.A. Act modernizes the process at a time when immigration reform is vital to the security and safety of our communities.”

The Comprehensive Immigration D.A.T.A. Act takes a three-pronged approach to reforming the immigration process. First, the bill creates a database that allows real time access to immigration case files and moves it to a fully electronic system. Second, the database allows federal law enforcement agencies to access electronic case files, reducing the number of illegal immigrants released in our communities. Third, the legislation sets deadlines for the planning, implementation, and review of the new database.

Groups concerned with the need for swift and effective immigration reform are voicing support for Congressman McHenry’s legislation:

“The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) applauds Congressman McHenry’s new initiative to bring about a long overdue consolidation and upgrade in alien databases operated by the Department of Homeland Security,” said Paul Egan, director of government relations for FAIR. “The current system is a patchwork of paper-based, outmoded, and uncoordinated data. Linking these systems and allowing for law enforcement access is critical to the enforcement of immigration laws and expediting services to legal immigrants.”

H.R. 4437 was approved by the House Judiciary Committee Thursday and the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on it next week.