WASHINGTON - President Bush signed the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act (H.R. 3525) into law during a White House ceremony today. As co-author of the law, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback was present at the bill-signing.

"This law is proof that our nation can combat terrorism without compromising our principles, that we can safeguard our citizens and remain true to our values and our freedoms," Brownback said. "I am pleased to have played a part in crafting this law, which closes the security gaps in our immigration system and makes needed reforms to our visa practices."

The Border Security law requires that the agencies tasked with screening visa applicants and applicants for admission to the United States, namely the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, be provided with the law enforcement and intelligence information necessary for them to identify terrorists. By directing better coordination and access, this law will bring together the agencies that have the information and those that need it, making prompt and effective information-sharing between these agencies a reality.

The law directs the State Department and the INS to examine, expand, and enhance screening procedures to take place outside the United States, such as 'pre-inspection' and 'pre-clearance.' It also requires international air carriers to transmit passenger manifests for pre-arrival review by the INS. Further, it eliminates the 45-minute statutory limit on airport inspections, which compromises the ability of the INS to screen arriving flights properly. The law requires these agencies to work with our neighbors to create a collaborative North American security perimeter.

The Border Security law considers certain classes of aliens that raise security concerns for our country: nationals from states that sponsor terrorism and foreign students. This law expressly prohibits the State Department from issuing a non-immigrant visa to any alien from a country that sponsors terrorism until it has been determined that the alien does not pose a threat to the safety or national security of the United States.

Brownback is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. Other Senate co-authors of the law are Sens. Kennedy, Kyl and Feinstein.