Speech #980005899

There is an obvious demonstrated need for clarifying and strengthening our laws regarding entry and harboring. Experience. as well as the courts. has called for change. One U.S. district court concluded that the current law against illegal entry only applies to "surreptitious entries." In the courts view. the thousands of Cubans who came with the flotilla did not come surreptitiously and. therefore. those who assisted them were not guilty of violating immigration law. My bill would clearly prohibit any bringing in or harboring of illegal aliens on a daytoday basis. not just during an emergency or mass migration. such as the Cuban flotilla. Mr. President. this clarification is essential if we are to effectively curtail the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States. I want to make certain that if someone is assisting illegal aliens into the United States under the dark of night or in broad daylight. it is a criminal offense and will be enforced and prosecuted as such. Florida is still a major docking point for undocumented aliens from various points in South America and the Caribbean. These aliens are often assisted by smuggling operations whose travel packages are often more Madison Avenue than those of commercial airlines. One enterprising smuggler offers the alien a "second trip free" if the alien is caught or deported on the first attempt. Travel agencies in Florida and neighboring countries openly direct interested parties to these various smuggling operations. and provide information on prices and arrangements. Therefore. not only do we have a continual flow of illegal entry of aliens into our country. but someone is making an awful lot of money off of it. As with the drug flow into Florida. these smuggling operations will continue until the U.S. Government cracks down as they have with drug enforcement. The perpetrators must know that a stiff penalty awaits them if they are caught bringing. assisting. or harboring one illegal alien. let alone a boatload. In addition to strengthening our law enforcement against such smugglers. this bill will prevent the swindles and tragedies which have befallen many of the aliens who "hire" the smuggling service. Reports from the Bahamas and Caribbean show that many aliens have been left penniless on these islands. after being tricked into believing they are in Florida.