Speech #960238961

Since the Presidents announcement on Wednesday of last week. the boat arrivals have dramatically decreased but there are estimated to be more than 500 boats remaining in Mariel. Cuba. It can be expected that more refugees will arrive. The Presidents call for offshore alien documentation and a halt to illegal boat passage is sound. Americans are compassionate but. as a nation. we cannot absorb so many aliens at one time. More must be done to stop the flow of illegal aliens. This experience with the uncontrolled and illegal Cuban immigration prompts me to urge that the administration and the Congress reexamine the immigration law and make adjustments to take into account situations like the Cuban exodus. Our immigration law is not effective. On May 14. my colleague. Senator HUDDLESTON. introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 94. which recognizes the principle that there are economic and social limits to the total number of immigrants which the United States can effectively assimilate. He has proposed setting a total immigration level for the United States of 650.000 in 1980. Senator HUDDLESTONS limit would still allow us to substantially meet the Presidents commitment to admit 232.000 refugees. from all countries combined. which was made before the current massive Cuban exodus. The most recent statistics for total legal immigration are for 1978 and show that we admitted 601.442 immigrants. including a very large number of refugees from Southeast Asia and other areas. I believe setting a limit to immigration and enforcing it makes good sense. As a first step. this would provide firm and definite guidance to immigration authorities who must deal with unforeseen circumstances on an ad hoc basis as the international climate changes. The quota recognizes that we cannot accommodate the millions of dissatisfied individuals in the world who would seek a new home and a new life in the United States. We must be realistic in our immigration policy and join with other nations who have established and enforced firm quotas in recognition by the international community that all those who seek a new country and a new life cannot be satisfied. I support an immigration law that recognizes the need to limit immigration and is enforceable. I urge the adoption of Senate Concurrent Resolution 94 as a first step toward a sensible immigration policy. Mr. President.