Speech #920165775

Mr. Speaker. it is tragic and ironic that both custom and the law seem to play into the hands of those unscrupulous farm operators in California who make a habit of hiring illegal aliens. It does not matter how many times a farm or ranch is "swept" by immigration officers. The aliens sometimes are rounded up. sometimes not. But they keep coming back. so it is like a revolving door. As Leonard W. Gilman. regional INS commissioner in San Pedro. Calif.. has pointed out: Most of the industry. ranch operations. truck gardening operations have employed illegal aliens. Some of the same ones that we apprehend over and over . . . know that they are illegal aliens. They know because they have been picked up as Illegal aliens. Gilman said in congressional testimony that the Immigration and Naturalization Service has records showing apprehensions running into the hundreds from a single employer and that the employers "well know they are aliens. They seek only aliens. and in many instances if citizens or resident alien laborers make application for employment in one of these places they are denied." Here are some classic examples of how the law is flouted by the employer or employee because of custom: Ray Shelton. senior border patrol agent in Bakesfield. Calif.. is quoted in congressional testimony as having said that: Agents do their best to get these illegal aliens before they can be warned. flee or hide out. On many larger farms. the presence of agents is made known through citizens band radio hookups with field crews. Due to the "No Trespass" legal signs. patrolmen making a sweep must give notice to landowners that they are on the prowl before they go into private land. In such circumstances. the Immigration people deserve a lot of credit for the apprehensions they do make. But then we come to the matter of courtesy. which probably could be called custom. and this also plays into the hands of both employer and worker. According to Herb Walsh. deputy chief patrol agent at Danville. Calif.: Officers identify themselves to the owner. or whomever is in charge and whenever possible. as a matter of courtesy. tell the landowners that they are going to make a sweep and need access to carry out their duties. although we do not need prior permission to enter property to enforce the Immigration laws. If that is the case. it seems to me that this "matter of courtesy" should be abandoned as one step toward seeing that our laws are obeyed.