Speech #960270610

I once again want to support my colleague Mr. FISHS position on the obviously undermanned torder patrol of the United States. It is a disgrace that we have so few members of the border patrol on duty. As the gentleman from New York ponted out on the floor last Thursday. the number of border patrol personnel on duty as of May 3. 1980. was 240 people below the number authorized in fiscal year 1978. The gentleman also pointed out that for fiscal 1980. the Judiciary Committee authorized 495 additional patrol positions. and funds for this number were appropriated. But OMB refused to fill 194 of these positions. Mr. Chairman. it is obvious that this country must waste no more time in stemming the flow of immigrants and refugees into the United States. We must seriously entertain the idea that the United States can no longer be the haven for huge waves of these immigrants and refugees who seek to settle here to escape poverty or political oppression or both. They could destroy the very dream they sought as individuals. World population is now 4.4 billion. and growing at a rate of 90 million a year. will reach nearly 7 billion by the year 2000some 90 percent of the increase occuring in the developing world. Moreover. in 1978. the number of legal immigrants entering this country totaled about 600.000. The estimates of illegal aliens now living here range from 4 to 6 million. We may be "a nation of refugees and immigrants." but clearly there is a limit to the number of people the United States can accommodate. partcularly in these depressing economic times which probably would not get better for a number of years. We in the United States must continue to be humanitarian regarding immigrants and refugeesbut that cannot mean an unlimited refugee and immigration flow. And let us not forget what World Bank President Robert McNamara has said: Short of nuclear war itself. population growth is the gravest issue that the world facss over the decades immediately ahead. We have an obligation to help provide a serene society for those of us already here. We must enforce existing refugee and immigration lawsand with special legislation we must plug those loopholes which obviously exist and which threaten the integrity of the entire process. We also must encourage other countries to help absorb this global tidal wave of refugees and immigrants. The United States cannot do it alone. Increasing the size of the border patroland increasing it greatlyis certainly one way to make a positive start. E] 1620 Ninety percent of that increase which goes on at the rate of 90 million a year. taking place in the developing world.