Government make it clear that we have both the determination and the tools to prevent another Mariel from occurring in the future. That means that it is imperative that the U.S. Government act now to put into place a contingency plan that can be put into effect should we be confronted with the possibility of another mass immigration crisis. In this regard. I am not alone in calling for prompt action to establish a contingency plan for immigration emergencies. Last year. when the administration unveiled its immigration reform package. it called for establishing just such a contingency plan. In April of this year. just before S. 2222 was marked up by the Senate Judiciary Committee. the administration reiterated its belief that a contingency plan must be an essential part of any meaningful immigration reform effort. In testimony before the Judiciary Committee. Attorney General Smith stated: It Is our firm judgment that there remains a serious need to provide the President with special legal authorities in the event of a declared immigration emergency. These provisions can be drawn carefully and narrowly so as to minimize the disruption of normal and legitimate activities. We need not sacrifice our liberties in the pursuit of preparedness for an immigration crisis. But neither can the Government responsibly limp along with the legal authorities that proved so painfully inadequate during the Marlel boatlift. Mr. President. the administration submitted a specific proposal that carefully defined the way in which the executive branch could excise its authority to deal with any future immigration crisis. The Judiciary Committee did not see fit to include that proposal when it dealt with S. 2222. I had planned to offer the administrations proposal as an amendment to S. 2222.
Keywords matched
immigration