Speech #970226745

Mr. President. for some time now it has been clear that the American people want immigration reform. According to a recent Roper Poll. 91 percent of all Americans want an allout effort to stop illegal immigration and 80 percent want legal immigration reduced. We all agree that something needs to be done. T. H. White aptly described Americas immigration situation: One starts with the obvious: That the United States has lost one of the cardinal attributes of sovereigntyit no longer controls its own borders. Its immigration laws are flouted by aliens and citizens alike. as no system of laws has been flouted since prohibition. And the impending transformation of our nation. its culture. and its ethnic heritage could become one of the central debates of the politics of the 1980s. While there is a consensus that the 1952 immigration law needs reform. history and emotion add a complicating dimension. We are all descendents of immigrants. Americans have always been of two minds about immigration. the desire to close the golden door or at least hire a doorkeeper contradicts the Statute of Libertys proud exhortation. "give me your tired. your poor... " The immigration problem is a dilemma because it involves a number of very complex social. economic. and practical issues. There are competing interests. all of them worthy. I want to compliment the Senator from Wyoming. His assignment was tough. He has been extremely conscientious in discharging that responsibility. The bill before us is the product of extensive study by the Presidents Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. the Immigration Subcommittee. and the Judiciary Committee. The bill is also the product of substantial compromise. I recognize that the legislative proc. ess is an exercise in compromise. The more competing interests involved regarding a piece of legislation the more compromises result. Language is changed. provisions are deleted. In the case of the immigration bill. the compromises have left us with a bill that I do not think can work. The bill calls for choking off further illegal immigration. It depends on employer sanctions and a "secure system of worker eligibility." I honestly do not see how the understaffed and beleaguered INS can enforce employer sanctions in addition to its other duties. S. 2222 is another mandate without providing the necessary enforcing manpower. I do not know whether we can devise a satisfactory worker eligibility system that does not result in discrimination against Hispanics and other minorities. The existing identification documents are not adequate. The stories about "immigration kits" consisting of forged identification documents are true. You can buy a social security card for less than $5. The present system is not secure.