Speech #970141287

The most dramatic impact of this sharp increase in crime has been in Florida. News reports of serious violent crime appear almost weekly in the Miami Herald. One December headline read. "Violent Crime Rises 31% in (Dade) County." On December 5 the headline was. "Three Haitians Charged in FoodStamp Theft." This story stated the three men were suspected of taking part in the theft of at least $100.000 in food stamps intended for Haitian refugees. On December 13. an Associated Press story from Miami proclaimed. "Data shows flotilla crime wave a flood." A December 28 Miami Herald headline read. "Miami coroner: weve been invaded". This article described record numbers of homicides in Miami and stated: Investigators place blame for the soaring murder rate squarely on the shoulders of hardcore drug traffickersmostly Colombi. ansand the convicted criminals among the 125.000 Cubans who came to Key West during the 1980 Mariel boatlift. In the February I issue. U.S. News & World Report ran a twopage story. "Crime Casts Cloud Over Nations Playground." Among other examples of violent crime in Florida it cites: Eighteen Cuban refugees were Jailed on charges of operating a burglary ring that looted scores of homes and business in Miami. More than $600.000 in stolen merchandise was recovered. including a load of food hijacked en route to Dade Countys jail. Under the subheading "Boatlift legacy." the story goes on to state: Also cuntributing to the violence are criminals who came ashore in the 1980 "boatlift" of refugees from Cuba. Officials believe as many as 20.000 thieves. sex offenders and other criminals were among the 125.000 exiles. most of whom settled in Miami. Some authorities blame "freedom flotilla" Cubans for almost half of Miamis killings last year. Many. but not all. of the victims were other Cubans. "There has never been anything like it in our history." says detective Mike Gonzalez. "They are the most ruthless criminals I have seen in 31 years as a cop." We should not be distracted by some of the more sensational language used in some news reports describing this crimewave. By any name. the numbers show large increases in crime as a legacy of U.S. immigration policy. To complete the picture. we should also take a brief look at other costs to the taxpayers and impacts on State and Federal social services as a result of the recent waves of immigration. A story in the December 7 Washington Post. entitled "Montgomerys Newcomers" explained some of the problems with rapid changes in ethnic makeup in school populations. I quote.