Mr. Speaker. the United States needs a new immigration policy. Our present policy is unfair and ineffective. On March 6. the President set up a Cabinetlevel task force to deal with this problem. During the past few months I have had the chance to look over some of the proposed recommendations by the task force. While immigration problems are complex and no solution will be perfect. many of the task forces recommendations are vague and insensitive. As a Representative from the South Bronx. I am particularly concerned with immigration policy as it affects immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Two of the proposals made by the task force have the largest impact on Dominicans. One. is the legalization program. As I understand it. the administration proposes to give legal status to all undocumented aliens who were living in this country on January 1. 1980. The proposed legalization process would take 10 years to complete. Every 3 years immigrants would be required to renew their status subject to their staying out of legal trouble. After 10 years. they would be given permanent residence status. During that 10year period. however. they would not be permitted to bring their families to this country. nor would they receive any social welfare benefits other than medicaid and education.
Keywords matched
undocumented immigration immigrants