Speech #960342474

I would emphasize that this amendment does not authorize the expenditure of any additional funds during fiscal year 1981. Mr. President. with all the attention lavished on the real problem of illegal immigration into this country and exceptional refugee flows from countries like Cuba and Vietnam. we tend to overlook the fact that in the normal course of events America welcomes a very substantial number of legal immigrants every year. During the past 3 years. for example. over 100.000 Mexican citizens have been legally admitted to this country. That is a figure greater than the population of Webb County. Tex.. which includes the major border city of Laredo. For a variety of reasons a disproportionate number of these new immigrants from Mexico. who are admitted to this country in accordance with national policy. tend to settle in border areas throughout the Southwest. Many have family in those areas. are comfortable with the language and cultural patterns of the border. and are not too far from friends and relatives left behind in Mexico. In many ways it is ironic that the American border towns and cities called upon to host so many new immigrants are themselves among the least economically advantaged areas of America. It is a fact. Mr. President. that the poorest areas of this country are located in the Rio Grande Valley. And it is also a fact that many of these same regions have a very high proportion of legal alien children. With immigration policy determined at the national level. I believe we have a concurrent obligation to assist those areas of our Nation most directly affected by the results of that policy. We have been quick to provide such assistance to areas that have accommodated flows of refugees from Cuba and Southeast Asia. Yet to date we have failed to recognize the longterm burden placed on border areas by our immigration policy. Accordingly. my amendment would make a total of $45 million available in fiscal year 1981 and 1982 to border school districts for the construction of new classrooms. The program would be administered by the Secretary of Commerce through the Economic Development Administration. with funding for the construction of new educational facilities allocated on the basis of $1.000 per legal immigrant child. Only school districts with at least 7 percent alien enrollment and a minimum of 50 such students would be eligible to apply for assistance. Mr.