Speech #970136394

I have just returned from a trip to Florida. While I was there. I was able to observe once again the continuing effects uncontrolled illegal immigration has had on my State. It has been over a year and a half since the Mariel boat lift began in April of 1980. and still this country does not have an effective immigration policy. We have failed to respond to the needs of the people of south Florida as illegal immigration continues unabated. As we begin the second session of the 97th Congress. I believe that it is appropriate to recount the steps that have been taken to address this crisis and to consider what additional action must be forthcoming if we are to regain control of immigration to this country. As a Floridian. I am outraged over the illegal immigration crisis that has disrupted south Florida for nearly 2 years. State and local governments have struggled to provide makeshift solutions for the social chaos while waiting for the Federal Government to take decisive action. Education and public health services have been strained beyond their capacity. The people of Florida have been victimized by the criminal element of the refugee population. Illegal immigration is a national problem and it is a Federal responsibility. One State alone cannot and should not bear the consequences of Federal inaction. especially when that. or any. State is powerless to control illegal immigration. It is past time for the Federal Government to remember south Florida. Two administrations have failed to provide adequate assistance to the State. Former President Carters oen arms policy initially encouraged the illegal mass migration of refugees. I opposed that policy publicly and privately. Although I was sympathetic to the desires of Cuban/Americans for family reunification. I could not support allowing the refugees to come on Castros terms. without documentation or screening. The illegal entry of refugees has continued as thousands of undocumented Haitian refugees have flooded our shores. They come seeking refuge in the United States rather than life in Haiti. the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. While I understand their search for a better way of life. I oppose allowing them to enter illegally. outside prescribed immigration channels. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has been prevented by a Federal court order from hearing asylum cases involving Haitians but there are steps which can be taken to aid Florida. We must begin by stopping the flow of immigrants from the Caribbean. On October 2. 1981. the President ordered the Coast Guard to intercept boats suspected of carrying illegal immigrants from Haiti and to return the immigrants to their homeland. I support this interdiction policy. My only regret is that it was not put into place sooner. The number of Haitians entering the country illegally declined from 555 in September to 48 in November. Had interdiction been used earlier. much of the crisis in Florida could have been avoided. In order to further discourage illegal immigration. I sponsored an amendment. which was adopted as a part of the foreign assistance bill. and is now law. That amendment makes all U.S. economic development aid to Haiti contingent upon that countrys cooperation in halting the illegal emigration of its people. The new law allows aid to Haiti only if the President determines that the Haitian Government is not encouraging illegal emigration and is actively assisting the United States in curbing illegal Haitian emigration. In addition. U.S. development aid must be used to develop the Haitian economy to relieve the pressing poverty of that country. Early indications are that interdiction. in combination with this change in our foreign assistance program. will have a significant impact on the influx of illegal immigrants. However. a number cf problems still remain. Opening a second holding center for illegal aliens outside the State is a step which should be taken immediately. Overcrowded and unsanitary. the Krome Avenue Processing Center stands as an Indictment of the Federal Governments inability to respond to the crisis. The conditions at Krome are a danger to the refugees who are housed there as well as to the residents of south Florida. Despite the deplorable conditions. the administration has been unable to locate another site for processing refugees outside the State of Florida. I sponsored an amendment to the Justice Department appropriations bill to limit the population of Krome to 525 persons. in order to force the administration to move refugees to another location by March 1. Although work on the appropriations bill has not been completed. an amendment was added to the continuing resolution requiring the Federal Government to seek another holding center as quickly as possible. As far as I am concerned. part of the Federal Governments responsibility includes providing money to Floridas State and local governments whose resourcesschools. hospitals. and policehave been stretched beyond the breaking point by the numbers of immigrants. Last year. through my positions on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committees. I was able to obtain $100 million in Federal assistance to help Florida meet the extraordinary costs of the crisis as well as $250 million for the Coast Guard and Immigration and Naturalization Service to cover the cost processing and reception centers. This year. I have been dismayed by the administrations efforts to reducp the funding that Congress earmarked for assistance to Florida. Although Congress largely rejected the administrations proposed budget cuts in this area. it will take a sustained effort to protect funding for Florida. The latest assault has come in the form of proposed revisions in the domestic assistance program for refugees and entrants by thi Department of Health and Human Services. Refugee cash and medical assistance is the Federal benefit available to refugees who do not qualify for ordinary Federal as. sistance programs. such as aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) and supplemental security income (SSI). Over 20 percent of the Cuban and Haitian refugees are receiving this special benefit which was scheduled to be available for 3 years. Secretary Schweiker has proposed reducing the Federal program to 18 months. dumping thousands of current recipients on the Dade County Welfare Department. Although some Federal reimbursement will be available to the county. it is already apparent that it will be far less than is needed. I oppose this change in policy and have joined with my colleagues in the Florida congressional delegation in a letter to Secretary Schweiker requesting that Lhe changes be delayed until Congress las an opportunity to review the matter. I feel strongly that Floridas taxpayers should not bear the costs for a situation they did not create. If the local governments are forced to assume the principal responsibility for refugee assistance I will work to make certailn that impact aid grants are made available and that they are of a sufficient amount to reimburse county governments for their expense. The administration has also sought to reduce the funding for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. the agency responsible for patrolling our borders and enforcing our immigration laws. in the midst of the most serious immigration crisis our country has known. In his budget proposals for 1982. President Reagan requested a $14.834.000 cut in the INS budget.