Speech #980210362

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1510. This bill represents a legislative initiative which I have urged for over a decade. It is legislation which establishes needed reforms in our immigration law and represents a major step forward in creating a meaningful and enforceable immigration policy. H.R. 1510 is very similar to the version we brought to the House last Congress. The floor debate at that time was indeed emotional. but I believe extremely productive and informative to the Members of Congress who participated in it and the American people who watched it. H.R. 1510 is by no means a perfect bill. but it is a product of lengthy deliberations fashioned to balance competing interests to achieve certain objectives. The dual objectives of this legislation are to gain control of our borders and to legitimize the status of those aliens who have lived in the shadows of our society for far too long. It contains two essential elements of immigration reformsanctions against employers of undocumented aliens and the legalization of those aliens who are in this country and continue to contribute to our social and economic wellbeing. H.R. 1510 makes no changes in the preference system as contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act. and in essence. does not disturb one of our basic immigration principles. family reunification. Since the last time we considered this legislation. we have witnessed the largest number of apprehensions on the Southwest border in our history. Over 1 million persons were apprehended attempting to cross into our country illegally.