Speech #960307136

There is some real question of whether it should now take a step contrary to our traditions in establishing such identity cards. Mr. Fuchs also suggests that the Commission is leaning toward some form of amnesty for illegal aliens who live and work here permanently. If it is the amnesty proposed by the President some years ago. clearly that does not solve the problem. it merely postpones it. For those persons who are in this country with welldefined roots. based on dependents. length of stay and other factors that are clearly definable. we should make the decision more than likely that they are permanent residents. but make no discrimination other than that that already exists in favor of their becoming citizens. The problem. Mr. President. that we have in dealing with the problem of economic migrants crossing our borders is that nobody or few people in high levels of policy. including the White House. understands the realities of the real world. a reality of a job market that requires semiskilled and unskilled labor that U.S. workers are no longer required to perform because of the economic net that we have placed under our population. It ignores the reality of a 2.000mile border which cannot be enclosed except by the use of extraordinary force and extraordinary costs. It ignores the reality of the temporary nature of most of the migration that we are dealing with. I strongly recommend that my colleagues consider the approach or modifications of the approach recommended in S. 1427 by myself and my colleagues as the only realistic way in which we begin to gain control of the immediate problem of illegal aliens. undocumented workers from Mexico. It is important also that we remember that a longterm solution involves close economic cooperation between the United States and Mexico. and other countries that are sources of undocumented workers. to assist them to move into the economic 20th century and provide meaningful employment for their citizens. assist them in realistic ways. not in most of the ways that we have attempted to assist them in the past. Mr. President.