Speech #980043333

There are. however. a number of aspects of this bill that cause me concern. First. the amnesty provisions seem a lessthanperfect solution to the problem. Amnesty appears to me a very shortsighted way of dealing with our immigration problems. I am concerned that it will work against the purpose of this bill. and actually result in increased illegal immigration. By granting amnesty. we are in effect promising that if an alien can manage to hide out until enough more illegal aliens arrive. then another amnesty will be granted. It perpetuates a vicious circle. It implies that if the United States once ignored its immigration laws and welcomed illegal aliens into its society. then it will do so again. Unfortunately. this has been the pattern in other countries that have granted amnesty in the past. I do recognize that many of the people who have been living in this country illegally for many years have developed deep and abiding roots in American communitiesand have. in a sense. become Americans. For that reason I am sympathetic to allowing them to remain in the United States. But my fears are that the amnesty provision will send the wrong message to others. And result in even greater numbers of illegal aliens entering the United States. My other concerns over this legislation center on what I believe are two glaring omissions. The first has to do with immigration emergency powers and the second with local reimbursement. It is critical that special powers be granted to the President in times of immigration emergencies. I have spoken frequently since joining the Senate of the devastating impact that the Mariel Boatlift had on my State. Undocumented Cubans poured into Florida. Tent cities were hastily constructed under the shadow of highway overpasses. Thousands of the wouldbe immigrants were perfunctorily screened in an effort to distinguish legitimate refugees from criminals. the mentally ill. and other undesirables that Castro chose to be dumped on the United States. South Florida is still recovering from the shock. The effect on crime is typical.