Speech #980132990

The need is there more than ever. The action of our conferees is even more surprising since there was evidence stemming from a colloquy in the other body between Senators SIMPSON and LAXALT indicating that the Senate was ready to accept our House position. The Committee on the Judiciary. the substantive committee responsible for seeing that our immigration law and policy is conducted in compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act. has consistently called the attention of this body to the great need for additional resources in personnel and funding required by the Immigration Service. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when dollars and cents can dictate an immigration policy which at the present time permits thousands of undocumented aliens to enter our country and take up employment to the detriment of our citizens and legitimate immigrants. In fact. last year the border patrol apprehended over 1 million aliens trying to cross illegally into the United States. The highest in our history. Maybe money and people will not be the cureall to all our immigration ills. but withholding such support certainly contributes to the continuing deterioration of our situation. I certainly hope that the administration follows through with the $93 million supplemental for fiscal year 1984. And above all.