Comprehensive immigration reform is essential to securing our borders, protecting our national security and making sure that America remains a beacon of freedom. Security experts tell us that the current situation has spun out of control and has left our nation less safe and less secure. And it is no wonder: with illegal immigration comes human smugglers, fake document sellers, and other criminal elements who exploit the millions of unauthorized immigrants living and working in the shadows—is the worst possible security policy.

We cannot continue to do nothing, or fool ourselves into thinking we can deport our way out of the problem. We need to enact an air-tight earned legalization program, along with the enforcement and visa reforms needed to make sure we are protecting the rights of individuals while keeping our country safe. We need real reform, and real solutions, to secure our borders.

Enforcement alone will not do the job of securing our borders. Enforcement at the border will only be successful in the long-term if it is coupled with a more sensible approach to the 10-12 million undocumented immigrants in the country today, and the many more who will attempt to migrate into the United States for economic reasons. The problem with the status quo is that we were not given the chance to screen millions of undocumented immigrants who crossed our borders. A smart enforcement regime should include smart inspections and screening practices, fair proceedings, efficient processing, as well as strategies that crack down on criminal smugglers, get tough with lawbreaking employers, and reduce illegality. A comprehensive approach to immigration reform will better enable the nation to know who is already here and who is coming in the future:

Secretary Michael Chertoff testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee: “The effectiveness of our border security and interior enforcement is closely tied to establishing a workable and enforceable Temporary Worker Program. A well-designed Temporary Worker Program will provide legal channels for U.S. employers and foreign born workers to match needs in the best interest of the U.S. economy without disadvantaging American workers.”

Comprehensive immigration reform is needed to take the unregulated, illegal, and disorderly flow of unscreened and unauthorized workers and replace it with a legal, orderly, limited flow of vetted and authorized workers. When a small number of corrupt employers are able to flaunt the system, it creates a race to the bottom that hurts wages and working conditions for all blue collar and low-wage workers, native-born and immigrant alike. To avoid the exploitation and abuses of flawed guest workers programs, the nation needs a “break-the-mold” worker visa program that adequately protects the wages and working conditions of U.S. and immigrant workers.