Today the Senate will begin debate on my Secure America's Borders Act (SABA) bill and tomorrow the first amendment offered will be the bill approved by the Judiciary Committee on Monday night.

In the coming days we will debate the merits of each. This debate will give Americans the opportunity to hear all sides of this important issue.

I believe this is an important debate for us to have, and equally important for us to act. For too long this problem has gone unaddressed and is now threatening our national and economic security.

As we enter into this debate, let me be clear with you where I stand:

We are a nation of immigrants built upon the rule of law. And so many legal immigrants have played by the rules when coming to this country and making a life for themselves and their families. We should not break faith with those who played by the rules, so I will not support amnesty. We respect the rule of law and those who made it here the right way, and are trying to make it here the right way, rather than reward those who came here the wrong way.

America needs to secure her borders and we need real interior enforcement. Which is why the bill I introduced prioritizes both as well as increases legal immigration, and in doing each, honors our heritage as a nation of immigrants who value the rule of law.

I am pleased that the Judiciary committee bill has strong border enforcement mechanisms - the inclusion of those in this bill is a big step in the right direction.

But we have much more work to do. The Senate will take the remainder of this week and next to complete that work.

During the course of the upcoming debate, there will be many amendments offered. Some of these amendments will be constructive and will bring us closer to comprehensive immigration reform. However some of these amendments will propose amnesty, weaken border security measures and strip away interior enforcement provisions. These we must oppose.

Our nation is one founded on the rule of law by generations upon generations of immigrants. We should not have to choose between these founding principles.

In the end it is my hope that we have a bill which has strong enforcement mechanisms and that addresses the humanitarian and economic crisis we are now facing.

I also encourage you to leave a comment on my blog and make your voice heard. To do so, please click here.

Bill Frist, M.D.

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