Speech #970223910

Mr. President. I join my colleague from Florida in commending Senator SIMPSON and his fine staff for their dedication to the issue of immigration reform. While we disagree in several important respects on what should and should not be included in this bill. there is no question in my mind that the distinguished Senator from Wyoming deserves much credit for keeping this important issue alive and on the minds of Congress and the Nation. I do believe that before we proceed. we should outline the serious omissions in the bill before us today. Our State of Florida. as the senior Senator has so ably outlined. has been seriously affected by an immigration policy that has lost its sense of direction and purpose. Nothing is more important to Florida than a purposeful. useful. and appropriate immigration bill. In a poll taken last week by the major newspapers across our State. immigration was the second highest issue of concern to Floridians. The health of the economy was No. 1. immigration No. 2. and crime No. 3. even though. as my colleague has stated. 6 of the top 11 cities with the highest crime rates are in our State. Immigration is now the No. 2 concern in the minds of our citizens. To put it bluntly. however. Mr. President. this bill unfortunately does not deal with the most serious immigration problems we are experiencing in Florida today. What the bill does not include is my foremost concern. Conspicuously absent from this legislation is a provision to protect States and cities in the event of an influx of undocumented aliens encouraged by a hostile foreign power. This kind of legislation is critical to a comprehensive immigration bill. During a period of 5 months in 1980. south Florida was inundated with 125.000 Cubans. During that same year and in subsequent years. thousands of Haitians succeeded in reaching the shores of Florida. In Dade County alone. 1 out of every 18 people is now an undocumented Cuban or Haitian. The cost of Floridas good faith and good will has been tremendous. Floridas taxpayers have spent over $150 million to help these aliens adjust to American society. This expense does not include the sacrifices made by the members of the community because of strains placed on local fire and police services. local governments. and courts. Many of the people of Florida are rightly frustrated and downright angry because. although they have no control over our immigration or foreign policy. they are expected to support undocumented aliens invited by the Federal Government. The Federal Government has always been a gracious and benevolent host. offering food. housing. and medicine to foreign guests who have suffered what we have never known: Religious and political persecution. I take no issue with the generosity of the Federal Government. All I ask is that someone other than Floridians foot the bill This bill contains no guarantee that the Federal Government will pay for its guests. In my opinion. this is a grave omission. Senator SIMPSON has stated that this is related to the idea of immigration emergency powers. Senator SIMPSON is very sympathetic to my problem and to Floridas problem. and we have had many discussions on It. The Senator believes it would be better to hold separate hearings on the subject and to deal with it separately from the rest of the immigration issue. I am open to that suggestion. However. I am convinced that unless we deal with this Issue now. when we are dealing with all other major immigration problems. the time will come when we are once again inundated by undocumented alienswith still no protection from the Government. Another omission from this bill is the question of emergency powers. Senator CHILS has said quite a bit about emergency powers in his remarks. and I concur with everything he said. I have great confidence that should another immigration emergency like the 1980 Martel boat lift occur. the Reagan administration would act promptly and decisively to deal with the situation. There are a range of actions an administration could take. under current law. to deal with an immigration emergency. I do believe there is a need significantly to expand those powers to give an administration greater control over such an emergency. We should actively support efforts to bring up this issue. I feel we ought to debate it. and we ought to talk about it. It may not receive the support that it needs. but I would like to emphasize that this is still a tremendous problem in Florida. Everyday we have a line of immigrants. four deep. surrounding the INS building in Miami. You have to get in line by 4 a.m. in Miami just to get a card to walk inside. Immigrants have to sell the spots in the line simply to get in to talk to someone inside the immigration building. That is a constant problem. It is one I saw again last week when I was there. A final serious problem with this legislation concerns the amnesty provisions. Amnesty seems to me a very shortsighted way of dealing with our immigration problems. Indeed. it appears to me to guarantee that there will be even more illegal immigration. What it suggests to those who propose to come to this country illegally is this: If they can hide out long enough until more illegal aliens arrive. then another amnesty will be granted. It perpetuates a vicious circle. If the United States once ignored its immigration laws and welcomed illegal aliens into its society. then it surely will do so again. Amnesty rewards lawbreaking. It makes a mockery of American law.