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CLEAR Act

Overview

Police

State and local police are badly needed to help overwhelmed federal immigration authorities apprehend and detain illegal aliens in the interior of our country.

State and local police are badly needed to help overwhelmed federal immigration authorities apprehend and detain illegal aliens in the interior of our country.

  • Only about 5,000 active agents are enforcing immigration laws in the interior of the country
  • There are 11-18 million illegal aliens in the United States with hundreds of thousands more arriving every year
  • Illegal aliens outnumber federal immigration agents 2,200-to-1
  • More than 600,000 state and local law enforcement officers come into contact with illegal aliens every day
  • Many state and local officers are unsure of their authority when they come in contact with illegal aliens who have committed no additional crimes
  • Some state and local policies even forbid officers from cooperating with federal immigration agents, despite a federal law prohibiting such policies

The CLEAR Act (H.R.2406) clarifies state and local officers' authority to detain illegal aliens and requires the federal government to respond to state and local requests to pick up and remove the illegal aliens.

Introduced by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on May 14, 2009, the CLEAR Act:

  • increases SCAAP funds for communities that work with, and not against, federal immigration enforcement efforts, and recognizes the important role local governments’ play in securing our homeland;
  • provides recognition of inherent state and local law enforcement authority to help enforce immigration law, but leaves it up to individual agencies to determine how big a role they will play;
  • improves information sharing with the federal government;
  • sets requirements for the federal government to expeditiously remove criminal aliens; and
  • increases federal resources for local governments that choose to assist in immigration enforcement.

Clear Act of 2009 summary

Clear Act of 2009 two-pager

Clear Act of 2009 Dear Colleague letter

Previous versions of the CLEAR Act:

 

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Update

NumbersUSA Recognizes the Original Sponsors of the CLEAR Act

Elected Officials Who...

  • Sponsored the CLEAR Act of 2011
    Updated Thursday, December 8, 2011, 2:32 PM EST
Total 62 Sponsors
  • (AL) Bachus
  • (AL) Brooks
  • (AZ) Franks
  • (AZ) Gosar
  • (AZ) Schweikert
  • (AR) Womack
  • (AR) Young
  • (CA) Bilbray
  • (CA) Calvert
  • (CA) Dreier
  • (CA) Hunter
  • (CA) Miller
  • (CA) Royce
  • (CO) Coffman
  • (CO) Lamborn
  • (FL) Miller
  • (FL) Nugent
  • (FL) Posey
  • (FL) Ross
  • (GA) Gingrey
  • (GA) Graves
  • (GA) Price
  • (GA) Westmoreland
  • (GA) Woodall
  • (ID) Simpson
  • (IA) King
  • (KS) Jenkins
  • (KY) Davis
  • (LA) Boustany
  • (MD) Emerson
  • (MD) Harris
  • (MI) Benishek
  • (MI) McCotter
  • (MI) Rogers
  • (MN) Kline
  • (MN) Cravaack
  • (MO) Akin
  • (MO) Long
  • (NV) Heller
  • (NC) Coble
  • (NC) Jones
  • (NC) McIntyre
  • (NC) Myrick
  • (OH) Turner
  • (OK) Sullivan
  • (PA) Barletta
  • (PA) Fitzpatrick
  • (TN) Black
  • (TN) Blackburn
  • (TN) DesJarlais
  • (TN) Duncan
  • (TN) Roe
  • (TX) Carter
  • (TX) Carter
  • (TX) Flores
  • (TX) Hensarling
  • (TX) Johnson
  • (TX) Marchant
  • (TX) McCaul
  • (TX) Sessions
  • (UT) Chaffetz
  • (VA) Goodlatte
  • (VA) Wittman
  • (WV) McKinley

Elected Officials Who...

  • Sponsored the LEAVE Act (H.R.1196)
    Updated Friday, July 8, 2011, 12:20 PM EST
Total 8 Sponsors
  • (AL) Brooks
  • (CA) Bilbray
  • (CA) Campbell
  • (CA) Miller
  • (CA)Royce
  • (NC) Myrick
  • (PA) Platts
  • (TX) Marchant
When Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) reintroduced the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act (H.R. 2406), the bill had 19 cosponsors. NumbersUSA recognizes those 19 original cosponsors for their commitment to increasing interior enforcement.

The CLEAR Act would authorize the federal government to reimburse states and localities for up to $400 million per year for the costs of incarcerating illegal aliens. Pres. Barack Obama's FY2010 budget proposal eliminates all funding for this program, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). In addition to continuing the funding for SCAAP, the CLEAR Act also would provide the following enhancements to promote effective enforcement of immigration law:

  • Recognition of the inherent authority of states and localities to enforce immigration law;
  • Improved information sharing between state and local governments and the federal government;
  • A mandate for the federal government to expeditiously remove criminal aliens being detained by states and localities; and
  • Increased federal resources for local governments that choose to assist in immigration enforcement.

Original Cosponsors of the CLEAR Act

(AZ) Trent Franks
Career Grade: A-
(CA) Brian Bilbray
Career Grade: A
(CA) Tom McClintock
Career Grade: No votes
(CA) Ed Royce
Career Grade: A+
(CA) Dana Rohrabacher
Career Grade: A+
(CO) Doug Lamborn
Career Grade: A-
(GA) Paul Broun
Career Grade: A+
(GA) Tom Price
Career Grade: A-
(FL) Ginny Brown-Waite
Career Grade: A
(ID) Mike Simpson
Career Grade: B
(IN) Mike Pence
Career Grade: B
(LA) John Fleming
Career Grade: A
(MI) Mike Rogers
Career Grade: B
(MO) Todd Akin
Career Grade: A
(NV) Dean Heller
Career Grade: A
(OK) Tom Cole
Career Grade: B
(PA) Joseph Pitts
Career Grade: B
(SC) Henry Brown
Career Grade: B
(TX) Kenny Marchant
Career Grade: B+

Related Searches:

Publications

Fact Sheet: LEAVE Act of 2011 (H.R.1196)

Fact Sheets - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

CLEAR Act of 2011 Dear Colleague Letter

Letters & Endorsements - Wednesday, March 2, 2011

FACT SHEET: CLEAR Act of 2011 (2-pager)

Fact Sheets - Wednesday, March 2, 2011

FACT SHEET: CLEAR Act of 2011 (1-pager)

Fact Sheets - Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Clear Act 2009 summary

Fact Sheets - Thursday, June 4, 2009

Clear Act 2009 summary

Download Publication

Clear Act 2009 Two-pager

Fact Sheets - Thursday, June 4, 2009

Clear Act 2009 two-pager

Download Publication

Clear Act 2009 Letter to Colleague

Fact Sheets - Thursday, June 4, 2009

Clear Act letter to colleagues 2009

Download Publication

Jordan Commission -- Executive Summary on Legal Immigration

Congressional Testimony - Friday, September 1, 1995

U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, 1995

Download Publication

Legislative Analysis

CLEAR Act of 2007 - H.R. 3494

Legislative Analysis - Tuesday, May 19, 2009

CLEAR Act of 2007 - H.R. 842

Legislative Analysis - Tuesday, May 19, 2009

CLEAR Act of 2003 - Just the Facts

Legislative Analysis - Tuesday, May 19, 2009

CLEAR Act of 2003 - Outline

Legislative Analysis - Tuesday, May 19, 2009

CLEAR Act of 2003 - Summary

Legislative Analysis - Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Congressional Testimony

Jordan Commission -- Executive Summary on Legal Immigration

Congressional Testimony - Friday, September 1, 1995

U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, 1995

Download Publication