Speech #970252199

intelligence sources warned the previous administration early in 1980 of the lik..ly occurrence of a large scale exodus uf refugees from Cuba. but the warnings fell upon deaf ears and 5 months later the United States found itself powerless and unprepared for the 125.000 Cuban refugees who landed on the shores of south Florida. As a result. the State of Florida and the municipalities surrounding south Florida were seriously burdened by the sudden influx of refugees and were forced to shoulder much of what should have been a Federal responsibility. Upon his election in 1980. President Reagan vowed that another Mariel would never occur. During the first months of the new administration. my Florida colleagues and I met on several occasions with the President and the Attorney General to develop a comprehensive plan to deal with future emergencies caused by threatened refugee boatlifts. After 18 months of preparation. deliberation. and review. I have enthusiastically agreed to cosponsor the Immigration Emergency Act. which was introduced yesterday. This legislation. if enacted. will allow the President to respond immediately to any future threats of largescale alien boatlifts headed for our Nations shorelines. Just as Important though. this legislation would make it known throughout the world that we have a firm plan of action prepared to deal with the inhumane expulsion of another countrys citizens. The act allows the President to declare an immigration emergency if there is a threat of a large scale migration of refugees to the United States. The legislation extends this state of emergency for a period of 120 days. during which it grants the President several essential powers to deal with the threat. A major component of the act allows the President to ban U.S. ships. vehicles. and aircraft from traveling to a designated country or area which is threatening to release a large number of refugees. The President would also be authorized to ban the transportation of aliens from such a country or area to a location which is subject to U.S. jurisdiction. In both cases. the act sets stiff penalties for violators of the law. Seriously lacking under the previous administration was a plan of action to deal with the refugees when they reached our country. The Emergency Act allows the President to block the arrival in the United States of aliens coming from a designated country. More importantly. the act gives the President the authority to return those immigrants to their country and also gives the Federal Government broad detention powers for those who must remain in the United States. To assist in the massive undertaking that is involved with a sudden boatlift. the President will be authorized to designate an agency or agencies of the Federal Government. including the military. to carry out the provisions provided for in this Emergency Act. Finally. the Emergency Act creates a special contingency fund to be used to carry out the measures needed to deal with the crisis.