Mr. President. for too long we have tolerated distressing conditions in many of our border areasa combination of immigration abuse and stagnation of economic development. These conditions have plagued some of our northern border areas. including parts of my own State of Maine. and created substantially greater distress in many of our southwestern border communities. The problems stem in large part from the entrance of large numbers of alien workers. many of them illegal entrants. who take American jobs. These aliens. especially in the Southwest. have raised unemployment levels. lowered wage scales. forced the welfare rolls upward. and exposed Americans and aliens alike to exploitation by unscrupulous employers. The disproportionately heavy impact of immigration on border towns. an impact which is probable regardless of what system of immigration is employed. creates a severe strain on schools and housing in many of these areas. And economic development. particularly in the creation of new jobs. has lagged far behind the needs of many of these border areas. Each year that I have been in the Senate I have received mail from my constituents in the border communities of Maine complaining about these border problems. I am sure Senators and Congressmen representing the 15 border States have heard similar complaints. The looseness of immigration laws and the longstanding neglect of border community needs has led to much unnecessary bitterness. One of my constituents wrote to me about the loss by American citizens of jobs to alien workers who continue to live in Canada. "A worker in a community who lives in a foreign country adds nothing to the social and economic betterment of the community." he commented: I could cite you many Instances when friends and relatives have been out of work and unable to get employment for long periods of time. Another man wrote.
Keywords matched
immigration