Speech #970109748

While I support the restrictions placed upon the Legal Services Corporation by the Senate Appropriations Committee. I have serious doubts if the restrictions will be sufficient to prevent abuses by the Corporation. I strongly support adoption of the McCollum amendment which clarifies that illegal aliens are not entitled to free legal assistance by LSC attorneys. In fact. on October 5. I introduced language identical to the McCollum and Kazen House amendments as printed amendment 584 to S. 1533. the reauthorization of the Legal Services Corporation Act. But the clarifications contained in this amendment are necessitated by a flouting of the restrictions placed on the Legal Services Corporation by previous appropriations bills. During the 96th session of Congress. a restriction was placed on the appropriations bill that stated: None of the funds appropriated in this title may be used to carry out any activities for or on behalf of any individual who is known to be an alien in the United States in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act or any other law. convention. or treaty of the United States relating to the immigration. exclusion. deportation. or expulsion of aliens. Despite this restriction. the Legal Services Corporation attorneys have continued to represent illegal aliens. The General Counsel of the Legal Services Corporation has interpreted this restriction as applying only to aliens that have cornpleted adjudication and on whom a final order of deportuation is outstanding which is not subject to further judicial review. We have a situation in Florida where thousands of illegal aliens have ignored our national immigration laws and sovereignty as a nation to enter our country illegally. instead of applying for asylum through the normal channels. This has created a situation where an alien who enters the United States illegally has more due process protections than his counterpart in Haiti who applies for asylum through the normal legal process. The illegal entry of these people into Florida has created a tremendous backlog in the processing of the asylum applications. This backlog will grow further if we allow taxpayer dollars to pay for legal assstance to aid these individuals in their fight to stay in this country. During the House debate on this issue. Representative KAZEN of Texas mentioned that some legal aid attorneys have illegal aliens representing as much as twothirds of their caseloads. Therefore. while I believe that a further clarification of congressional intent on this issue is desirable. I believe that the authorization bill. not the appropriations bill. is the proper vehicle for this restriction.