Speech #960244243

I thank the gentleman from New York very much. and may I say that in the enactment of the Immigration and Refugee Amendments of 1980. we did endeavor to set forth a comprehensive piece of legislation which would meet the needs of refugees from wherever they could come and the problem which has been created by the President and by those in the executive branch. It seems to me that they have disregarded the law that we have passed. They have circumvented it. They have tried to find ways and means for handling. on a makeshift or ad hoc basis. this Cuban refugee problem without regard to the comprehensive law. Recently they have called upon the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees. but that is just in really the last weeks. They have also met with the Intergovernmental Committee on European Migration very recently. too. These are all things that have occurred. sort of afterthoughts. so there has been. as the gentleman indicated with regard to the Southeast Asian refugees. the failure to act in time and responsibly and knowledgeably with regard to the problem that they were facing there. E1 1820 So that the need for a national policy and the need for sticking with the policy and enforcing it and living within the confines of the law seems to me to be extremely important. We have 10 million people in Cuba. It may be that all but a handful would like to leave there and come here. but that does not mean we can accept all who can make their way here. We are going to establish some level. some figure at which we will receive refugees and then we will receive them within those figures and we will accommodate ourselves to receiving them and then handle the influx. but to have an uncontrolled. disorganized flow such as we have had. seems to me poses iust terrible burdens on our society. terrible protests from the American people and reflects on the Congress and. of course. reflects very seriously on the administration.