Speech #920113236

Mr. Speaker. the statement entitled "Illegal Aliens" by the distinguished gentleman from Texas inserted in the at page 34913. presents an expertly exaggerated view of existing conditions. mistakes the reasons therefor. and falls short of recommending any adequate solutions. The solution does not at all hinge upon unlimited appropriations and a continual increase in the rotation of illegal aliens back to Mexico. Ways must be found to reduce the incentive for such vast numbers of Mexicans to seek illegal residence in this country. The present major incentive is economic in nature. Employment in the United States offers Illegal aliens seven times the wages for equivalent work in Mexico. Employers in Texas find such help beneficial. because the workers are tractable. they will work for less than organized labor. and are not demanding as to fringe benefits and working conditions. What is needed most is a law making it a Federal offense for an employer to hire an illegal immigrant. M recommendation is that the gentleman from Texas and others support and hasten action upon H.R. 2328 which includes such a provision. It is the fact that Congress has not reduced Immigration and Naturalization Service funds. However. it is a low blow to charge officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service with "dereliction of duty or incredible ignorance of the facts" in failing to ask sufficient funds from Congress. Even a neophyte in the Federal appropriation process knows that there is--and necessarily somany a slip between the fund requests of Bureau level officials and the amounts finally presented to the Congress for appropriation action. I am sure the Immigration and Naturalization Service has no exemption from this executive oversight applied in the light of national priorities and resources. The statement of the distinguished gentlemen from Texas that the Immigration and Naturalization Service is trying to get along on 1.000 less personnel than it had 5 years ago is based upon inaccurate data. The Immigration and Naturalization Service advises that the comparison of permanent employment June 30. 1965. with that of June 30. 1971. is as follows: Total personnel ------------- 6.531 6.959 Border patrol agents -------------- 1.353 . 712 Immigrant inspectors -------------- 1.130 1. 136 Investigators --------------------- 710 665 Other -------------------------- 3.338 3.446