Speech #960175899

The real tragedy of this displacement is that its burden falls on the most vulnerable people In our society: minority teenagers. women who head families and older workers. Their high rates of unemployment are public record. They will continue to suffer if high levels of illegal immigration continue. Q. Do you not worry about creating an "antiallen" climate of opinion that will harm aliens here legally as you warn about the dangers of the illegal aliens? A. Those of us concerned about the implications of continued illegal immigration believe we can have a just and humane solution to this problem if we act before it becomes a crisis instead of ignoring it. This is far from a hysterical fear about an "alien invasion." a challenge to our cultural purity or even the fear of overloading our welfare system. I have become concerned recently that people are beginning to say there is no problem. and the illegal worker is a positive benefit for us. That is a narrow and shortsighted view. Q. Is there a problem now of illegal aliens overloading our welfare system? A. Undocumented workers may use few public services today. but those who settle here permanently will increasingly rely on them. As they establish families and grow older. they will be less able to compete with the newer undocumented workers. Compete they must. and compete fiercely. They may be healthy today. but they will age. and their endurance will fade. Once they falter on the job. younger illegal workers will take their place. Q. Do you see any advantage to the competition provided by the illegal aliens? A. No. If we were a country that acquiesces to all economic forces. perhaps we could expect disadvantaged AmericanBorn and legal immigrant workers to compete with illegal workers. We could expect them to forget about earning decent wages. safe and healthy conditions or the chance for advancement. We could expect older workers and women to compete with younger. stronger. male undocumented workers. But we have come too far in this century to turn back the clock. Long ago. we decided to improve the working conditions and pay for all workers.