Mr. Speaker. during the year that this body has failed to take action on immigration reform. it is estimated that almost onehalf million more illegal aliens have poured across our borders. We must update our immigration law. It is time for the House to act. It is well past time to bring this bill to the floor. Illegal immigration is a problem now and for the future. It endangers our economy and strains local and State educational systems in many parts of the country. And it is potentially unfair to the myriad of people who are waiting in line for legal immigration and unfair to legitimate refugees. In a very real sense we are almost all immigrants or their descendants. It is the mix of people from all cultures and all lands that has made this country great. We draw our strength from this diversity. and we have a certain moral responsibility to continue to welcome immigrants to our shores. There is a limit. however. to how rapidly we can assimilate these newcomers into our economic system at a time when unemployment is high. Clearly. no bill can solve all of our immigration problems. This is both a practical and emotional issue. It affects not only our economy and our public services. but also the destinies of hundreds of thousands of people.
Keywords matched
Illegal immigration immigration immigrants illegal aliens refugees